What goes better with coffee than something a little sweet, nutty and possibly oozing with caramel? Yup, you know what we’re talking about. February 21 is National Sticky Bun Day!
This delightful confection, a Philadelphia specialty originally known as “Schnecken” is thought to have been brought to the United States by German settlers in the 18th century. Often served for breakfast, Sticky buns are also sometimes known as cinnamon rolls, caramel rolls or monkey bread.
- Ancient Egyptians were the first people to add honey and nuts to their bread.
- 18th Century – Sticky buns primarily have German origins, known as ‘Schnecken.’
- 19th Century – Known as “schnecken” meaning snail, the sticky bun is rolled into a sweet spiral resembling its German name. Still considered to be a Pennsylvania specialty, many believed the sticky bun’s origin in the United States began in the 19th century.
- 1914 – Sticky buns reportedly fueled soldiers in World War I. Bakers in the U.S. sent sticky buns to troops overseas, offering comfort through home-baked treats. This cemented their association with warmth and support during hard times.
- 1920s – The cinnamon bun’s origin is a hotly debated topic. The Swedes claim it originated there in the 1920s.
- 1954 – Hungarian baker Grace Hasz begins selling cinnamon buns daily at The University of British Columbia.
- Monkey Bread is a variation of sticky buns. Instead of rolling the buns into swirls and slicing them, the dough is made into small balls that are piled high and then baked into their caramel sauce and nuts.
- Famous cousins to the sticky bun are the cinnamon roll, caramel roll, and monkey bread.
- A sticky bun should always be made of yeast dough.
- In the UK and Canada, sticky buns are known as “Chelsea buns” and contain raisins!
- A Nordic cinnamon bun is typically made with a bit of ground cardamom in the dough – this is what differentiates it from other cinnamon buns, such as the over-the-top sticky sweet buns you often see in North America.
- A real cinnamon bun (a Scandi one) does not have icing on the top. In Norway, a sprinkle of normal granulated sugar – in Sweden those lovely big-ish sugar crystals called Pearl Sugar.
- A typical Swede eats 316 cinnamon buns per year
- Sticky Buns and Cinnamon Buns are not the same. The difference is an ingredient – nuts. sticky buns have them while cinnamon buns do not.
- Pecans and walnuts are quite popular in sticky bun recipes.
- A cousin to the sticky bun is the Chelsea Bun, which is a London specialty that features the use of currants or raisins.
- Pecans are typically the nut of choice for sticky buns, but toasted almonds or walnuts would certainly be just as delicious!
- Sticky buns appear in cozy mystery novels and children’s books, often as symbols of warmth and indulgence. In culinary-focused mysteries, sticky buns frequently lead to surprising plot twists, like uncovering family secrets.
- Some believe sticky buns baked on a full moon attract good luck and prosperity.
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