My Favorite Swedish Cardamom Buns

Well, this recipe has been a long time coming! I am so excited to finally share with you all today one of my very favorite treats, Swedish cardamom buns.

Don’t be intimidated by how fancy they look — in this post I am going to break it all down for you and I promise you can do this. I believe in you. After you make these once and get the hang for them, you’re going to become addicted to them like me and crank out a batch once a month or so. I like to always keep a big bag of these cardamom buns in my deep freezer…like some sort of insurance for whatever morning life decides to throw at me. 😉

Almost two years ago, we went on a family trip to Stockholm and I became absolutely, hopelessly addicted to all of the wonderful cardamom buns that were available at every single bakery and pastry shop we stopped into. When we got home from our trip, I went through a bit of withdrawal. I needed my morning cardamom bun and espresso…especially with a jetlagged toddler. I tried out a bunch of recipes but nothing was just right. In utter dismay, I sent an email to a Swedish blogger friend whom we had met up with on our trip. Surely you must know the perfect cardamom bun recipe…I need them to be perfect – like the ones at Fabrique! (my favorite bakery in Stockholm). Mina wrote back, directing me to a Swedish food blogger’s recipe for cinnamon buns, which I promptly baked that day. Finally we were getting somewhere! 

I have since baked these buns dozens and dozens of times and tweaked the recipe to better suit my tastes (and our American kitchens). 

And what better way to break in my new mixer than with these buns! After two of my previous mixers (a different brand) bit the dust, I opted for something different this time around. It’s still quite new to me, but so far I am really enjoying the Ankarsrum. It’s VERY different than what I was used to, and there’s definitely a learning curve involved, but I am pretty sure the motor on this thing could power a car. 😉 It’s perfect for what I plan to use it for — breads, cardamom buns and homemade pasta dough. Plus, it’s pretty darn good looking if I do say so myself. And stay tuned in to my Instagram because there may be a giveaway in the works!

Okay – back to the buns! Here’s a step by step look at how to make ’em all pretty. I promise it’s not as hard as it seems. 

First, roll the dough out to a large rectangle:

Spread some cardamom sugar filling on top of your dough rectangle:

Then fold up the rectangle three times — like a book! Easy peasy.

Now, cut strips of dough out of your rectangle:

And cut “legs” out of each dough strip. Be careful to leave one end attached!

Twist the dough legs around each other and make a knot. Things might get messy but persist in the name of butter and sugar.

I just brush each bun with egg wash and I like to sprinkle pearl sugar on top for an extra “oomph”. Either way, these are so pretty and SO yummy. I swear, eating one hot out of the oven with a cup of coffee is seriously a spiritual experience. Just try it and you will know what I mean.

This week is the celebratory Swedish Midsummer so there’s no better time to bake up a batch (or two) of these cardamom buns. I hope you love them as much as we do!

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Swedish Cardamom Buns

Prep Time

1 hr 20 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

1 hr 35 mins

 

Course: Breakfast

Servings: 20 buns

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 packet active dry yeast 1/4th of an ounce
• 10 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 6 cups all purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt

For Filling:

• 1.5 sticks unsalted butter soft
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp salt just a pinch
• pearl sugar for topping optional
• 1 whole egg lightly beaten

Instructions

1. Scald your milk over medium heat. To do this, just heat up the milk until tiny bubbles appear around the edge of the pot. Pull milk from the heat when this happens and let cool down to warm temperature - about 98 degrees F.

2. When your milk has cooled down a bit, sprinkle in the yeast. Mix to dissolve yeast in warm milk and let sit for 5 minutes.

3. While the yeast is dissolving in the milk, cream together the butter, sugar and cardamom. Pour in the yeast milk mixture and mix. Add the flour and salt gradually and continue mixing/kneading until a soft elastic dough forms - about five minutes.

4. Cover the bowl with a clean dishcloth and let dough rise for 1 hour. 

5. Meanwhile, make the filling. The easiest way to do this is by hand. Just mix together the soft butter, sugar, cardamom and salt with your hands and continue kneading together until all blended.

6. Once the dough has risen, divide into two pieces. Roll one dough out into a large rectangle. Spread half of the filling on top. Fold into thirds like a book. Cut thin strips out of the book. Then, cut "legs" into each strip (see above photos). Twist the "legs" together and tie into a knot. Place on baking sheet.

7. Repeat with remaining dough then go on to the other piece. You should get approximately 20 little knots/buns. Place all on a baking sheet, re-cover with the clean dishcloth and let rise again for about 30 minutes. 

8. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425. After 30 minutes, brush each knot with a little beaten egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar if desired. Bake buns for 12-15 minutes until golden.

Recipe Notes

These freeze great! I always have a batch in our deep freezer. Just reheat frozen rolls in a 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes. 

Pearl sugar is available on Amazon. It really does add that special Swedish "touch".