Swedish cardamom buns are like a cross between a cinnamon roll and a pull apart bread. They're light, packed with delicious flavor, and a beautiful addition to any coffee table.
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Every year, I do some digging on traditional cookies and breads for the festive season. In general, I manage to make at least a couple (like alfajores, kolache cookies and panettone in previous years).
Of course, I always have some I don't quite get round to making. Well, at least it gives me ideas for another year, I guess. I think these pretty sweet rolls have gone in and out of my list for years, and this year I finally got round to making them.
To say I wish I'd made them sooner, would be an understatement.
I've always been a fan of cardamom (or cardamon as we would write it in the UK). Sure, cinnamon is wonderful as well but cardamom often seems forgotten in comparison. Yet it has such a wonderful, delicately warm flavor.
Thankfully, it seems to be better recognized in some places, like Finland and Sweden where things like 'pulla' bread, cardamom cake and these 'kardemummabullar' (cardamon buns or rolls) are popular treats.
These sweet little buns are perfect with your morning coffee, and you can imagine having your own Swedish Fika at home. I think they are perfect to share with guests for something that bit different but so easy to like, too.
Maybe make a kladdkaka (sticky chocolate cake) or chokladbollar (Swedish chocolate oat balls) as well if you want some variety!
Variations in Swedish cardamom buns
You'll find a few slight variations in how to make these, but essentially they have two core components:
- a cardamom-infused, butter-enriched yeast dough;
- a sugar, butter and cardamom filling.
Some give them an eggwash, and sometimes add a little more sugar on top, while others glaze after baking and add cardamom sugar then. Either way, the idea is to show off the beautiful twists of dough.
Small batch buns!
Most recipes I've found make a huge quantity, which I understand to a point when you are making a yeast bread, you want to get your money's worth from that waiting time. The only thing is these are definitely best fresh and we just don't need 20 of them at a time, and I bet we're not alone there.
So, I have created a recipe that makes 6 cardamom buns which to me is perfect for a small group to enjoy in one sitting. If you need more, you can multiply up the quantities.
If you do have leftovers, you can store in an airtight container and use the next day. I'd recommend warming them either gently in the oven, or simple wrapped in kitchen roll for a short burst in the microwave (I found 15 seconds on 90% was good). You can also freeze them and defrost before re-heating.
How to twist Swedish cardamom buns
While there is a bit of waiting for these to rise, they are not difficult to make. If any bit could be called tricky, though, it would be forming them in to the twisted buns you see here. I found a few different methods and played around to come up with what I have done here which I think is about the easiest.
You basically make two 'legs' that you twist together, then tuck one leg-end into the bit where the legs join, and twist the other over the top and into the middle of the knot you have formed.
I've demonstrated it in the video, below, so do take a look! Honestly, it's pretty easy once you get in to it.
You'll find the dough easy to roll out - it shouldn't be sticky, but instead relatively dry to the touch. However the butter in there, in particular, keeps it nice and soft and adds richness to the flavor.
The bit that makes the twisting tricky, if anything, is you get little bits of sweet, sticky butter coming out on your fingers. But, believe me, it's worth it.
We all loved these and I can definitely see them making a more regular appearance. With a delicious flavor and texture, they're definitely a treat you need to try.
Try these other tasty baked goods perfect for mid-morning coffee:
- Sourdough cinnamon rolls
- Coconut mango scones
- Sour cream mocha cake
- Eggnog cinnamon rolls
- Plus get more snack ideas, both sweet and savory, and Nordic recipes in the archives.
Tools to make these
(affiliate links) I'd recommend using a Half Baking Sheet lined with a Silicone Baking Mat to bake these.
See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.
Swedish cardamom buns
Ingredients
For the dough
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon fast acting yeast
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoon light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour plain flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the filling
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
To top
- 1 egg for eggwash - won't use all
- 1 teaspoon cane sugar approx - or use pearl sugar if you have
Instructions
Forming dough & first rise (40min)
- Warm the milk gently until it just starts to bubble then remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Once it's tepid, sprinkle the yeast over the top and set aside while you prepare out other ingredients.
- Mix together the softened butter, sugar and cardamom. Separately, add the salt to the flour. Mix the butter mixture into the yeast and milk mixture then gradually add the flour. Once combined, turn it out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for around 5 minutes. Note, you can also do the mixing and kneading in a stand mixer.
- Put the dough into a clean, lightly-oiled bowl and cover. Set aside in a warm place for around 40 minutes to double in size.
Mixing filling and forming buns
- When the dough is almost done with it's first rise, mix together the butter, sugar and cardamom for the filling.
- Roll the dough out into a long, thin rectangle, approx 21 in x 7in (52x18cm). Spread the filling evenly over the top then fold the dough to be three layers thick - first fold one third (short end) over to halfway across the rest of the dough, then fold the other side over the top. The layered piece of dough will be roughly square.
- Cut the dough into 6 even strips crosswise (so they are joined on either side), trimming slightly on either end if needed. Then, split each strip in the middle almost all the way but leaving the one side joined (see pics above).
- Take one piece of dough and twist the two strips together, then tuck one end in between where they join, and loop the other end over and through the middle of the loop you have formed. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
Second rise (30min) then baking
- Put the formed buns on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment, cover and set aside to prove for around 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425F/220C.
- Lightly brush each bun with egg-wash, sprinkle over a little sugar then bake for approx 12 mins until golden brown on top. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving (best served warm).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Remember to pin for later!
Jbn says
I just tried the recipe for the first time. The recipe was easy to follow and video was really important for understanding the braiding. One question. My bun tastes slightly doughy. Is that a proofing issue?
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you found it easy to follow! It's hard to say for sure but it sounds like possibly yes, it could be a proofing issue. Or potentially the 'knot' was a little too tight so it didn't have space to expand as it did the second rise.
LLC says
I'm 58 and think I'm a fairly good cook/baker. This is the most delicious thing I have ever made. Tastes exactly like what I was trying to emulate, one I had in Copenhagen. I even messed up. Tried twice and couldn't get the yeast to bloom, ended up making it with 1/4c hot water and adding to flour mix, then 1/4c warm half/half before kneading (trying to equal milk). Then I put the egg wash on before the 2nd rise, oops. Anxiety - will it go bad? covered with plastic wrap and resugared after it rose again. They were so very good. Thank you very much! This one earned a spot in the permanent favorite cookbook.
Caroline's Cooking says
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed so much - praise indeed!
caz says
Easy recipe with clear instructions, but need more cardamom! I will make these again but double the amount of spice 😀
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm glad you enjoyed them! Spice level is always a little to taste, plus I typically freshly grind before making these which means the flavor is stronger, but indeed, you can always adapt a little to suit what you prefer.
Nora K says
These are amazing! I've never had a cardamom bun before but my sister really likes them, and she recently moved back home but hasn't found good ones where we live. So I doubled this recipe and made 12 for her birthday! They taste incredible, so soft inside with the crunchy sugar on the outside and beautiful layers. I thought the recipe was very simple to follow, the dough was a delight to work with and I had no issues rolling it out or shaping it (my technique could probably use a little work, but that's my own fault, I had trouble figuring out where to tuck everything).
The rises were all a little longer for me, probably because it was cold out and I had doubled it. I refrigerated them overnight after shaping and it took 2.5 hours to come to room temp and proof the next morning (3 hours might have been better even), but it was very cold where I live so that's understandable.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed them and found it easy to follow! Yes colder temperatures will definitely impact rising time - if it's particularly cold, I sometimes put the oven on the lowest setting, turn off when it reaches temperature and open it slightly for a minute or two then use the remaining heat to warm the dough I am trying to rise. Obviously doesn't work if I am also heating the oven to bake as that would be too high.
Faiza says
They were good, but cardamom buns shouldn't have cinnamon. I think it took away from the cardamom.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm not sure where you are getting the cinnamon from as there is no cinnamon in the recipe, just cardamom.
Fae says
These are my new party trick. I love how simple and appropriately sized the recipe is - I basically make them any time I'm a house guest someplace now.
They do definitely taste better with fresh ground cardamom - although I'm running low on pods. They even taste good when I manage to kill the yeast (a very special talent of mine!)
I've even started experimenting with different spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise...I want to see if I can do a 'chai spice' version.
Anyway. Great recipe, thank you!
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear you have been enjoying them and that they go down so well - they are such a lovely treat, I agree, and yes you can tweak the spices too (much as they are no longer strictly cardamom buns).
Penny says
Would it be a better texture with bread flour ? Also what do you mean fold in three if I choose to double the recipe ? Fold like a letter — accordion style ?
Caroline's Cooking says
So generally bread flour is great when you want more structure (as in bread, hence the name) and it also tends to add a bit more chew - personally I don't think you really need or particularly want either of those here, that's not part of what they are, so no real reason to use bread flour. In terms of folding, you will see it demonstrated in the video and it's described as well - you fold one side over, then the other side on top, so no, not accordion style but instead enclosing the middle part with the two outer sides. If you double the recipe, you can either make two rectangles according to the recipe, or you can make one large piece in which case instead of around 7 inches for the short side, it would be 14 inches, and you cut 12 pieces.
Becky says
We had cardamom buns at Fabrique's in London last September and loved them. We just made your recipe and it was just at good. So delicious!
We use cardamom pods that we extract the seeds from using needle nose pliers. And then we grind the seeds. We used extra cardamom in the dough and filling. So good!
We had a little trouble with the filling being too stiff so added one teaspoon of milk. That worked perfectly to be able to spread the filling.
Thanks Caroline for this yummy recipe.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed them and they are just as good as ones you had elsewhere!
Karrin says
Can you let these rest in the fridge overnight and then bake in the morning? I want them for breakfast nice and fresh but it’s too much to do all of it in the morning….
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes, it should work fine to put them straight in the fridge when you would do the second rise and leave overnight. Then take out a little before you bake to let them finish rising the next day. Enjoy!
Lois says
I LOVE The recipe. I never eat that fancy and lovely cardamons
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed!
Vickie says
The cardamoms are delicious.. I've made them twice now.. super easy love them. They taste just like the ones I used to get in Europe.. yum.. The smell that permanents your house lovely
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad you enjoyed, and yes the smell as they bake is so good!
Linnea says
Just pulled these from the oven. Amazing they remind me of the buns I ate in Stockholm only better! These turned out soft and pillowy. It’s gonna be hard to not eat them all before my family gets home. Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear they turned out well (and I know just the challenge on not eating them all at once!)
Jessica says
Wonderful! Easy dough to work with, great flavor, lovely texture. The folding trick after twisting kept them neat and tidy. I set out to try 100 new recipes this year, and this was a fitting one for number 100. My husband said, "you've made a lot of great things, but a year from now, this is the one I will remember." Thanks so much for a lovely recipe. It'll be a regular in our house.
A couple notes, in case it's helpful for others:
- 1.5c of AP flour weighs 180g for me (per King Arthur); I use a kitchen scale for all of my baking.
- I melted and cooled the butter for the filling to stir in the cardamom and brown sugar, as I couldn't see easily mixing them into cold butter. This was too liquid even after cooling, so I popped it in the freezer for 2 minutes, which was perfect. Any longer would have created the opposite problem. There was no leaking during twisting and the perfect amount of spillage/caramelization when baking.
- The volume of dough for 6 buns was too small for my stand mixer and dough hook. It was quite easy to knead by hand, and I'll happily save the dishes next time.
- We're considering adding in a bit of orange zest to the dough next time for a little different flavor, and very much enjoyed the recipe as written.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear they were such a hit! Indeed, melting then cooling the filling is one option, though I find the ingredients mix fine with just slightly softened butter (chilled is of course harder to work with unless you break it up).
Alison Tarneberg says
I have just been to Copenhagen and had a bun that looked just like this but had chocolate and cumin in and was delicious. So I'm interested in trying yours. However the video doesn't seem to be there to show the folding technique. Am I doing something wrong? It says video and it's blank...
Caroline's Cooking says
You certainly get a few variations along the same general lines, so hopefully you would enjoy these, too. On the video, I just checked and it's certainly loading OK for me - one possibility is if you have an ad blocker or if your internet is not that fast either of those could cause it to not load right, but maybe try refreshing and hopefully it may come up. If not, though, then hopefully between the photos and the description you can take a try. Enjoy!
Bonnie Pearson says
Just made these and they are delightful! Nice texture and flavor although I might bump up the cardamom a little next time. I’m half Swedish and make Swedish Coffee bread at Christmas time but have never had these before. Definitely will be making them again soon. I doubled the recipe and make some mistakes cutting at first so I made a few smaller ones which are perfect for a little treat. Used a pizza cutter to slice the dough, which worked very well. Thank you for your recipe.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed, and yes I can see a a pizza cutter being handy to slice!
Susan Peterson says
A fabulous video. I just baked these using spelt/dinkel flour. They taste amazing even though my twisting isn’t perfect. One question: is your oven temperature 220c fan assisted? I used my fan but only baked for 10mins.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed! So yes, my oven is fan assisted, but that can mean slightly different things in different places - it tends to make more of a difference in UK/Europe where you would typically reduce the temperature by around 15-20 degrees when fan assisted, while in the US you wouldn't normally need to.
Nimmi says
Amazing! I made these. And they were gone in 10 mins. I ate two myself! Surprising simple as I have never used yeast before. I’m going to try with cinnamon and glaze with icing and I’ve had a request for cheddar and jalapeño!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed! Yes, cinnamon is another version that's popular in Sweden - good luck with the savory version, sounds fun!
Lauren says
These were fantastic! I quadrupled the recipe because I have a large family. I was so excited - but intimidated - to try your twist/roll, but the video made it so simple. I definitely will be making these again, and soon! The tender dough with the crisp top from the egg wash and tiny crunches of pearl sugar, and warm and cozy cardamom - just perfect. I added a bit of fresh orange zest to the filling (probably about 3/4 tsp for a single recipe as you've given it here), and my family loved them. Will play around with doing no additions, more cardamom, etc.
A few recipe notes: I did the first rise overnight in the fridge, and by the time I finished with the last fourth of the dough, it had gotten so soft and was a little trickier to work with. (Such a soft dough, which was perfect in the finished buns.) But I was glad I started with chilled dough. Second item: if people want their buns to look as pretty as yours, make sure to set them far apart on a baking sheet. I'm accustomed to setting things close together, but of course they will smush together on rising and baking.
Caroline's Cooking says
That's so good to hear that they worked well for you, and glad the video was a help! Yes, the dough can be soft, depending on your room temperature etc so chilling can help make it a little easier to work with.
Claudia Zimmer says
The dough was perfect and the buns delicious. Thank you
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear they worked out well for you!
Coilleen says
What is the equivalent amount of flour to use in grams, please?
Caroline's Cooking says
So all of the gram measurements are there if you look just below the ingredients list, you should see "US customary" and "metric" - if you click metric it will show all of the measurements in grams, ml etc.
Summer says
Just made these this morning and oh my! They smell delightful when ready! My mom always told me you can tell when a baked good is done when you can smell it very strongly...and these smelled so buttery and sweet a little before my timer went off. I sprinkled the sugar over a little more generously and the sugar that trickled over caramelized on the bottom. Such a delicious treat and a great way to use up my holiday cardamom. Thank you for this recipe!
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed them! And that's a good tip re the smell, I do also tend to use the smell as a guide, as well as looking at them.
LD says
I made this two different times with great results. For anyone curious about experimenting with the filling, I used Nutella for six of my twelve rolls, and it tasted wonderful- chocolate and cardamom tasted great together. I also think that a ricotta/jam mixture would be a delicious filling too along with the cardamom.
I made two changes - to reduce the flour(in my kitchen, 1.5c is 185g, not 210g) and, for the first rise, I did an overnight proof in the fridge to make the dough easier to roll out.
This recipe was easy, delicious, and a nice not-too-sweet or heavy roll to enjoy with breakfast or a snack.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear it worked well for you and thanks for sharing re the different filling (though I do love the classic!)
Yana Farbrook says
These were so delicious! Thank you for the recipe
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed!
Monica says
Can I make this dough the night before baking them? Or would they overproof in the fridge overnight?
Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking says
I think it should hopefully be OK as long as you put them straight in after forming rather than leaving out at all. Then if they are not proofed enough in the morning, you can leave out a little before baking.
Miae Seve Aramori says
This is a great recipe. The only thing I can't figure out how to keep the filling from melting out.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed! Yes, it can be a little tricky - maybe try to chill them before baking, which helps to firm up the butter, but it will still of course melt once in the oven (just might hopefully be a little less). Also if you can try to somehow point the cut edges up as you twist them, so it more melts into the dough than drips out, though know that may be tricky and not foolproof. Still tasty even if they lose a little!
Trina says
I’ve wanted to make these for years but was intimidated by them, then I found this recipe and it seemed simple enough to try and I was not disappointed! My family loved them! I made them vegan using almond milk and earth balance and they’re still amazing! On top of that they look incredible. Definitely a keeper.
Trina says
Forgot to rate the comment I left 🙂 : 5+ stars!
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed them and that the recipe worked well for you (and as vegan version, too)!
Natalie says
How long do these keep fresh? Can i freeze unbaked, made buns and bake later?
Caroline's Cooking says
They rarely manage to last past the first day in our house, so I'm not entirely sure! They are definitely best on the first day but will keep a day or two more, they just will lose their outer crispness and become a little dryer. But yes, you can form them and freeze unbaked and then allow to defrost and gradually rise in the fridge overnight before baking. If they don't seem to have risen enough, leave them out to rise a little more before baking.
Angeli Sivaraman says
These turned out perfectly!! They are the perfect amount of sweetness, softness, and golden brown-ness lol. I first tried cardamom buns last year when I visited Portugal (at Copehagen Coffee), and I had a craving to make them because you can’t really find them here in the US. These were literally the perfect buns and so totally satisfying!! Thank you!!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear they worked out well for you! I agree, I love the mix of gently sweet, soft etc.
Pauline G says
Hi, this was so tasty, thanks for making this recipe so easy and especially for designing it so it's only a small batch! Some questions: I followed this to the T but the dough didn't rise much at all, is there any reason this might be? I put it near the warming oven so it wasn't a heat problem, I think. As a result the buns were a bit small, so I'd like to solve it before the next try! Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed! So these don't rise quite as much as some other bread-like baked goods, but you should still notice some rise. If the yeast was definitely good (so if you used some from the same batch recently and it was fine, and/or if you used active dry and let it sit with the warm liquid, you should see it bubble up), it might be it just needed a little longer for whatever reason - temperature is generally the main one but can be other factors.
Shauna says
These are currently in my oven ! I had to adjust my rise time but otherwise the recipe was easy. I’m excited because I love Swedish cardamom buns !
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear it was easy to follow. Enjoy!
Patricia Morrish says
I have these proofing right now and I am reading and re-reading how to assemble these into the very attractive little twists. The directions are about as clear as they could be but a few still shots of each step. I know there is a video but I was unable to get it to play-- the pop up ads and other competing "things". Very disappointing. Well so, I figured out how to work the video and I make these and let me tell you-- cardamom has never been a favorite of mine but these things are just amazing. I might eat all 6 of them. I do have a question-- can this dough be frozen? Like if I want to make a larger batch, maybe freeze them before the second proof after they are formed and then take them out and let them thaw and rise and then bake? Will that work?
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm glad to hear these worked out well for you! I haven't tried freezing these specifically but I agree they should work to freeze once formed, so yes before 2nd proof, take out and let them thaw and rise then bake. As for ads, I try to avoid things that are harder to close and keep them on the 'lighter' side, but at the end of the day, ads are what pays for the site to exist so there is always a balance.