Sweet rolls, sticky buns drenched in warm caramel, cinnamon swirls with cream cheese frosting — call them what you want and top them to your liking. Just don't delay in placing your order. These pastries are quick to sell out at bakeries and cafes across the Twin Cities, especially this time of year, when cooler weather brings cravings for comfort.
"It's the archetypal comfort food," said Jeff Veigel, owner of Minneapolis' Isles Bun & Coffee, which has been baking its cinnamon-scented sweet rolls for almost 30 years.
Though delicious year-round, sweet rolls are linked, at least psychologically, to fall and winter, when people load up on carbs as the chill sets in. "We just need comfort," said Elizabeth Tinucci, co-owner of St. Paul's Colossal Cafe. "We just add some butter and bread and feel better about ourselves."
But it's not just the weather that makes them taste so good. For many, it comes down to nostalgia.
"I think with our cinnamon rolls, we have become a part of people's families. I have people call in to order them who get them every Thanksgiving," said Jean Hunn, owner of Keys Cafe & Bakery. "We are tradition."
Here are 10 sweet rolls we loved. Don't see your favorite? Tell us about it in the comments. (We'll leave the naked, croissant-like morning buns — also a delight — for another story.)

Go big or small
The allure of Isles Bun & Coffee is unmistakable. "We get comments on the smell just outside the building," said co-owner Jeff Veigel. Their fragrant and freshly baked cinnamon/caramel/pecan buns are the size of small loaves of bread. Smaller appetites go for the signature Puppy Dog Tails, little twists made from scraps of dough. "They're far and away our most popular item because you don't need a knife and fork to eat them," Veigel said. "And I think people feel psychologically healthier because they're not eating so much. I'm just having one, two, three ... or maybe four."
Puppy Dog Tails $1.75 each, $20 a dozen; buns $4.75 each or $27 for six. Isles Bun & Coffee, 1424 W. 28th St., Mpls., 612-870-4466, islesbun.com.