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, 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. 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!
Mikke Lindblom says
The very best cardamom bun recipe! I usually make Lusekatter buns for Sancta Lucia, but they're always dry. I tried this recipe...made half with the shown twist shape and the rest in the traditional S shape of a Lusekatter bun. Outstanding!!
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! And I admit, I prefer these to Lusekatter too 🙂
Hannah says
These were made spur of the moment when I realized it was Saint Lucia day today! I didn’t have saffron so didn’t make the traditional buns. I made these instead and so glad I did! I added cinnamon and a cream/sugar glaze on top. So good! I’ll be making these again but next time making a cream cheese frosting and walnuts!
Caroline's Cooking says
Indeed, was forgetting it was St Lucia day, but great choice as an alternative (and dare I say possibly tastier even if not as traditional for the day!)
Claudia Bracken says
How do I access the video that shows how to form these lovely buns?
Caroline's Cooking says
So you should see it under "video" in the recipe card - there should be an arrow in the middle of the image that if you click, plays the video. But I know it can on occasion not load or be blocked by certain ad blockers etc. And if so, I have in the past shared on my facebook page which you can see here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=437295720517788
Bean says
Been homesick for winter in Europe and missing cardamom buns. Gave this recipe a try and they came out amazing! Based on other reviews, I did add a pinch of extra yeast and did a longer rise time. Your video of the shaping method was so helpful!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed them and the video helped!
Hana says
Hello, so excited to try this. Making them now and I am wondering if it possible to freeze some of them & bake when ready to eat ? I would love to have this in the morning over the coming days but freshly baked
Caroline's Cooking says
I haven't done myself yet but in theory yes they should work fine to freeze before baking - just place on baking sheet/tray separated so they don't touch each other, then transfer to a sealed container or bag once frozen. Defrost and let them do a final proof before baking. Enjoy!
broccoli says
i've made these many times and love them! they take me right back to the first time i had them from a bakery in copenhagen!
but the rising times are all too short for me, and i don't keep my house cold at all (plus i live in AZ, so you know it's not cold lol). this time, i doubled the first rise time to an hour or so, and i put them in a slightly warm oven to really try to create the best environment for it, and that worked well. however, every time i make these, they never noticeably rise during the second rise. i debated on just extending that time from 30 minutes to an hour, but wasn't sure if it would make a difference.
do you have any idea why the second rise doesn't seem to make an impact? i do half AP flour and half spelt four, if that makes a difference (i've had no issues with this mix rising in the past tho).
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed them! So I would say that with the filing and shaping (and to a point amount of yeast), they don't rise as much as some other breads, but they should still noticeably puff out a bit before you bake. The flour combination can be part of it - spelt definitely is weaker in terms of the gluten forming ability, so maybe with the shaping etc it's struggling, as it were, to rise properly the second time. I know I suggest fast acting yeast for this, but if the second rise is proving tricky, particularly with the spelt, maybe active dry yeast instead could be an idea to have a little more staying power. With that you definitely want it to bubble up in the milk as in the instructions. The other possibility is that maybe it's rising too much the first time and so overproofing - maybe rather than aiming for doubling, aim slightly less (say 50 - 75% increase) and see if that helps the next rise. Hope one of other of these helps!
DarenH says
Delicious! I added just a bit more cardamom. Suggestion: update the instructions to indicate that the butter for the filling needs to be melted.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Though actually, I don't recommend the butter is melted, just slightly soft so that you can mix in the other ingredients, and as you want to be able to spread it over the dough. If it's melted, it will likely drip off.
Daren hansen says
True, I misspoke! Not melted but VERY soft and spreadable.
Teresa says
HI, I made these today but my dough did not rise. Not sure why as I make bread and pizza a lot. Maybe not warm enough. I followed the recipe, so maybe milk too warm? This then affects them rising in oven. Taste was there, but dough not quite right and come up very small.
Caroline's Cooking says
It's hard to say for sure as there are always a lot of variables. But the milk being too warm does sound like a possibility. These don't rise a huge amount but should be enough that they lighten up and you get those slight layers.
Teresa says
I will make it another day and see how i go. Definitely something wrong as my stomach has not been great since I ate it.
Steve says
Hi - you mention a video about how to shape these but I can't find it in the post. Do you have a link? Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking says
So it should be in the recipe card itself, but I know some screen setups block ads and it may block the video as well. I have also shared it to my Facebook page in the past so hopefully if you don't see in the recipe card you can see here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=437295720517788
Amy says
This recipe turned out great! I liked the simplicity of it, and they were delicious!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear!
Emi says
Thank you so muchhhhh. I tried a cardamom bun for the first time on a trip to NYC. I had the craving for them and found this recipe. A perfect batch portion I was looking for. This recipe is foolproof. I thought I over kneaded the dough so i let it rise for a little longer and it ended it up coming out perfect. Perfect soft bread. I decided to add a little more cardamom to the sugar filling to suit my taste.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear it worked well for you!
Meg says
Hello - could I do the second dose overnight in the fridge? Thank uoi
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes. I think that should work, you will just probably want to take them out of the fridge as you heat up the oven, possible a little longer if they haven't risen much, before baking.
Madi says
Caroline, oh my gosh, you are my new best friend. This recipe is amazing! The perfect flavor, not too sweet, so soft, and easy to make. I bake a lot but am not great at yeast doughs so I was anxious, but I have made this two days in a row now, we are hooked. Will I make again tomorrow? Probably!
Caroline's Cooking says
That's very kind, and I am so glad to hear the recipe has been working well for you and you have enjoyed!
Laurie Levites says
Beautiful... but is it my computer, or is the video removed (I see the word "Video" but there isn't one). Also... any use for cardamom extract, or is the ground spice better?
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks! The video should be there, but it may be there's a slight delay in loading or you could have a setting that blocks the media playing? As for the cardamom - I haven't used cardamom extract, but generally, extracts are made with alcohol or other ingredients to help extract the flavor, so it can make the flavor less 'pure'. Also, it adds extra liquid which may need adjusting for. So I'd generally recommend sticking to the ground spice - ideally freshly ground as it's more intense that way.
Laurie Levites says
Thanks....I am going to make them this coming weekend for new company.. Might need to try them first!
Sophie says
Video didn't load for me either, even in different browsers / after turning off the ad block and refreshing, but I found it after googling: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=437295720517788
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks for sharing - sorry it didn't load but glad you found it shared on my FB.
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.
Carla says
Excellent recipe
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed and that they worked out well for you!
Margaret says
I made a double batch and they are almost gone haha. So good! I used about half pre ground cardamom and half fresh ground seeds and the flavor was there.
I misread the instructions and used softened butter for the filling so it was messy while shaping and some leaked out but it didn’t really burn and there was still plenty of flavor in the buns. I chilled the second pan before baking and that seemed to help some.
I used the egg wash and then glazed with a syrup of orange juice and granulated sugar when they came out of the oven. I’ll definitely be making these again!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed! And yes, chilling can certainly help with the butter. That glaze sounds delicious, too.
kiki says
The buns and dough were great but the 425F burnt them in 20 mins, will go 350-375 next time...
kiki says
Sorry, burnt them in 10, so will go slower longer next time...
Caroline's Cooking says
Sorry to hear they burnt - unfortunately some ovens can run a little hotter and it's always best to keep a close eye as they are towards the end of their time just in case as well. Maybe try 400 next time and still watch after around 9 or so minutes?
John Whitney says
Hi. Some questions…but first what was done: followed the recipe ingredients, but found the filling very liquid, so the filling leaked out during the cutting and twisting. Then when baking it completely came out resulting in an over done puddles under the rolls that was very close to being burnt. Is there anyway to prevent this? It would seem due to the cutting and twisting any type of filling will leak out an burn on the cooking mat.
There was very little cardamom flavor. A new bottle of ground cardamom was used although it was a store brand. In order to get a stronger flavor do you need to grind your own? How would you use pods in the recipe? Green or black cardamom?
Other than the above rolls tasted great.
Caroline's Cooking says
It sounds like your filling was too soft - I purposely don't say softened butter for the filling as the mixing with the sugar and cardamom should be enough to soften it very slightly without it being liquid which is what you want. If you find it gets too soft for whatever reason, then prepare the filling a little ahead and chill it in the fridge so that it firms a little. Then stir to soften just enough to be able to spread it onto the dough. Yes, some will leak out when you bake, but if the filling is that bit firmer, this will be more limited. Also, what should happen is some leaks into the dough and a little forms a puddle at the bottom which becomes nicely sticky as it cools slightly before you eat them. In terms of cardamom, these are not intended to be highly spiced but yes, it may be the ground version you had wasn't as strong as it could be. Starting with pods should give a stronger flavor. Use green cardamom, and crush the pod with a pestle and mortar just enough to open the pod. Then, pop out the black seeds inside and discard the outer pod. Crush the black seeds to a powder and measure it out to then use. Glad you enjoyed otherwise!
Marty says
If I mix and knead with my stand mixer how long should I knead it for?
Caroline's Cooking says
Generally mixing with a stand mixer takes a little less time so here I'd say around 3 minutes should be fine. You are looking for the dough to be nice and smooth, not too sticky.
TrishTrish says
I made these buns to bring for a family gathering. My daughter said they were way better than the cardamon buns she purchased at a ritzy bakery in NYC! I added more cardamon to the recipe also since we all love the flavor. They were delicious! Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed them, and that's praise indeed! And yes, if you are a fan of cardamom it can definitely take a little more without any issue.
Anon says
Hi there. Will the huns keep
fresher for longer if we brush them with a syrup after they come out of the oven? I find that my buns get fry the next day.
Caroline's Cooking says
I haven't tried to say for sure, but possibly. Try to make sure you store them at cool room temperature and ideally in a closed container which should also help. Also, another thing that can help revive the buns the next day is to gently warm them - I often wrap them in kitchen paper and warm in the microwave for just about 10-15 seconds and it helps soften them up.
Tatiana says
Great recipe, the dough is great, the texture turned out just right! Will certainly make it again! My only change is the amount of cardamom. Even if you use freshly ground cardamom, a teaspoon is way too little in my opinion. I made it a tablespoon for the filling and added few pinches of freshly ground cardamom to the dough. I also reduced sugar a little, but that's my personal preference. It wouldn't be too sweet either way.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed! Spice flavorings are a little to taste, but these are certainly about what I would expect traditionally, and suit most tastes, though I can see some may want stronger if you typically prefer strong flavors. And yes, these aren't overly sweet as written either.
Susan Carr says
No video - not on the top right.
I have made Cardamom braids before and I am interested to try these. Would love to see a video!
Caroline's Cooking says
So the video should come up automatically as you scroll the post and sit typically bottom right of your screen. Sometimes it doesn't quite load fast enough and so more sits in the post higher up, so you can usually then find it by scrolling back up. Hope it shows up for you (and that you enjoy)!
Humu Trott says
Your post made this complicated-seeming recipe downright easy. Thank you! My daughter and I had great success making these. I've never had them before, but my husband has—he had them in Sweden about 15 years ago, and has been talking about them ever since. He said these tasted just like he remembered! Thank you also for scaling the recipe to just 6 buns, that was just right for us.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear they worked well for you! And glad the smaller batch worked for you too - I feel like a small batch works best for a lot of people (and they are best fresh, anyway) and it's generally easier to scale up than down.
Minnie says
Brilliant idea to have a small batch recipe. Easy to have all six to yourself. That is how good these buns are.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thank you, and I know what you mean - all too easy to eat a few!
Kavitha says
Hello,
I have baked cardamom roles before, but this time i want to make the dough today and bake it tomorrow. At what point would you recommend putting them in the fridge? Before rise 1 or finish shaping the roles and put it in fridge overnight before rise #2?
Thank you!
Kavitha
Caroline's Cooking says
I'd say putting the dough in the fridge for the first rise is generally better as sometimes with rolls like this which have a filling, the filling can become watery if left in the fridge overnight and run out of the rolls before baking.
Zoe says
Thank you for the great recipe. We are in Japan and cardamom buns are not available. So I had to make them! This was a huge hit! All the people I gave these buns never had cardamom buns. It was exciting to explore the new flavor! Your instruction was east to follow and was a fool proof! Thank you
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you, and others, enjoyed - these are one of our favorites as well.
Ann says
This recipe was great!! I fell in love with cardamom buns when I lived in Stockholm so I was very excited to make these. Unfortunately, I couldn't get cardamom this week so I subbed with a mix of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. The texture of these are so great, I will definitely be making them again when I can get my hands on some cardamom.
Some notes:
- Where I live in Spain is extremely humid so I needed to add at least 1/4-1/2c of flour to get the dough to come together. Next time I'll start with 1/4c milk.
- Again because of the summer heat and humidity, next time I'll cut the dough and chill a few mins before twisting
- I did chill the buns for 10-15m while the oven was preheating and they held together really nicely while baking
Thank you so much for this great recipe!
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed! And sounds like a good alternative spice-wise. Yes, high humidity and heat can definitely impact the texture etc but glad to see you managed to adapt to get it to work.
Ann says
Caroline, could I prepare the buns the day before and leave in the fridge to bake them fresh in the morning for guests?
Caroline's Cooking says
I haven’t tried it with these, but I think it should work - just don't leave them out for a second rise, let them rise slowly in the fridge instead.
TrishK says
Thank you for the amazing recipe! My daughter tried one and said they are better than the bakery she gets cardamom buns from in NYC!
Caroline's Cooking says
That's praise indeed, so glad to hear you enjoyed!
Erik Grotbeck says
I was just introduced to Cardamom Buns this summer and immediately fell in love. I am sucker for anything with cardamom so I wanted to make them at home. The recipe was easy to follow and I was pleased with the results. Soft and slightly sweet with a wonderful flavor. I did double the cardamom which I think provided the right flavor for me.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed and found the recipe easy to follow. Yes, some people may prefer a little more cardamom, spices can often be to taste but all the more excuse to bake more than once and adjust 🙂
Heidi says
These are delicious and a nice change from our traditional Swedish cardamom holiday bread. I am still perfecting my twists. Any advice on how to keep the butter spread from melting g out of the bun during baking?
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed! So the best suggestions would be how you twist them, to try to not have the twists too open or pointing down. The other thing is maybe put them in the fridge for a few minuted before baking to try to firm the filling up, if it is a little soft. These may not completely work but hopefully help a little.
Gabrielle says
Hi! Your recipe mentions a video, but it's not showing up for me. Was it taken down?
Caroline's Cooking says
It should be showing in the recipe card or 'floating' in a box in the top-right of the post. If it's not showing, maybe try re-freshing the page and hopefully that will help it show (sometimes it may not load quite right or you may have closed what you thought was a pop-up and it's actually the video). Hope that helps!
Corrie S says
Great recipe! Really enjoyed trying something different than cinnamon rolls.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed! Agree they do make a lovely change.
Vivian C says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have tried a few cardamom bun recipes and yours is the best! It works beautifully and I even managed to shape them like the ones you made. And I like this small batch recipe just enough to finish in a day or two. I sprinkled some pearl sugar on top. This is truly a keeper. Just nice amount of sweetness and not a sticky mess! For those who had problems with making it rise, try using instant yeast for sweet dough i.e. SAF gold brand.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm so glad to hear that, and yes if you have pearl sugar, that's always a welcome addition, I agree. And appreciate the yeast suggestion for others. I might have to make these soon again myself...
Martin L says
When mixing the initial ingredients, I mixed the sugar butter and cardamom. Then when adding 120ml of the milk/yeast mixture to that it went curdled looking, no matter how much I mixed. Is this right?
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes, this may well happen especially if the butter is cold but don't worry, it should still be fine when mixed with the dry ingredients.
monica says
these were so great! wondering how i could adapt it for instant yeast instead of dry active yeast? would i just add it with the dry ingredients? thanks in advance!
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed! Yes indeed, same amount just no need to let it foam up so fine to add with the dry ingredients.
Davina Ma says
I told my friend about my obsession with cardamom, and she told me that there's a bakery in New York City that's famous for these babies. Of course, I had to try my hand at making them.
You can turn them into cinnamon buns or a combination of cinnamon and cardamom, depending on your preference.
These are much more refined than classic cinnamon rolls: more intricate and beautiful in design, and crispier and flakier than a traditional fully brioche dough.
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes indeed, you can shape them more like cinnamon rolls and use more cinnamon, but I have to say I do love them twisted like this, I think it helps show off the dough better. And I agree, prettier, and with that nice balance of crisp/flakiness (that's all delicious!)
Pauline says
Hi I just made up this dough after looking at many recipes and I'm disappointed in that it hasn't risen after an hour and the dough is really firm. I have added some more yeast and kneaded it in and set to rise again. Fingers crossed. Any tips ??
Caroline's Cooking says
It's hard to say for sure as a few things can cause this - have you used the yeast recently for something else and has it worked well, or is the yeast maybe a bit old? What is the temperature like where you are leaving the dough to rise? If it's not a relatively warm room temperature it will likely take longer to rise. I sometimes warm the oven slightly but put it off just a couple minutes in to it warming up (you don't want it too hot or it stops the yeast working) and use the gently warm oven to help speed things up, which may help. This style of bread doesn't necessarily rise as much as some others, so if it doesn't quite double in size it should still be fine, but it should still noticeably rise. Hope they work out!
Pauline says
Thank you! I wonder if I just didn't wait enough for the milk to be tepid - wasn't sure what that meant. The yeast was newly bought, and I put the bowl over the warming oven on the stove, so it was warm enough I think. Thank you!
Mac says
I had trouble with my yeast so I'm blaming it on why these didn't rise as much as yours. 🙂 But these were absolutely delicious. Just the right amount of sweet. Cardamom is such a warming spice. Thanks for the great recipe. Will definitely try again.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed them, even if they didn't rise quite as much as you hoped and great to hear you'll make again. I agree, cardamom is such a lovely flavor.
Lisa says
Thanks for this great recipe. I’ve tried it as it is three times and it was on point. Caroline, have you tried making this with half all purpose and half whole wheat? Thanks so much.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad to hear you enjoyed! They are one of my favorites too. I haven't tried it with whole wheat, but certainly whole wheat pastry flour I find pretty easily interchanged with some of the all purpose in a lot of recipes without issue so imagine it should be good here too.
Sylvia says
Just baked these and they came out delicious! I was very nervous because of the yeast but the end result was soft and fluffy! I have probably wanted to bake these or cinnamon rolls for years but always chickened out. So I feel very accomplished right now! Haha.
Question, can I swap dairy milk out for plant milk? Will it make any difference in anyway? Also, wondering if whole wheat pastry flour would work here? Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking says
That's great, glad they worked out well! Yes, you should be fine with nondairy milk, the flavor might just be slightly different depending what you use. I often use whole wheat pastry flour in baking when I have it and generally it works in a similar way quantity-wise etc. The only thing is it often leads to slightly less soft and fluffy bread, but it's still certainly tasty.
Alissa says
Hi, thank you for the recipe! these look like they are exactly the ones I’ve been looking recreate after trying Sparrow Bakery “Ocean Rolls” on a trip to Bend, OR. Your recipe and method look spot on!
I’m quite intimidated by yeast baking and always imagine I will use the wrong type of yeast. I looked up what “fast acting yeast” was and it was under the instant yeast category, which was described being proofed once and added directly to dry ingredients as opposed to letting it active in warm liquid like active dry.
So I don’t get it wrong - is the recipe calling for active dry yeast? Or is instant yeast used, but just getting added to liquid and proofed twice?
Many thanks
Caroline's Cooking says
You can actually use either here, both will work - with active dry yeast, you definitely want to leave it in the lukewarm milk for a few minutes and ensure you get some bubbles before adding it to everything else. With instant/fast acting, it may well not bubble all that much and you don't need to leave it long, or really at all, to be honest. I tend to use the latter as that's what I usually have, so it's more just to have the yeast dissolved and well distributed through the liquid, but you could indeed add directly to dry ingredients. Hope you enjoy!
Alissa says
Thank you for such a quick reply!
Your points about using instant or active dry were perfect, giving me a confidence from an experienced baker that it’s fine using whichever is on hand and in the case of instant being able to add to wet ingredients (as opposed directly to dry).
You’ve really helped!
Best wishes - Alissa
Shahara says
My dough keeps ripping and doesn't feel as soft as it should after I let it rest for the initial 40 minutes. Any advice?
Caroline's Cooking says
It's hard to be sure as there are a few variables, but a few things - did you definitely get all of the ingredients and right amounts for the dough, especially thinking the softened butter which should help it be soft? Most likely the balance of flour to wet ingredients is not quite right, which can be down to measuring or sometimes just the flour can vary and absorb differently. The easiest way to make it softer is to add a little more milk - just a little and knead it in then see how it is. Hopefully that should resolve it.
Alexandra says
I have tried many different recipes for cardamom buns and this is the very best one by far. They turned out perfect and delicious. It was super easy to make and the small batch option is a plus but I will definitely be making them again. Thank you so much for sharing and also bringing me back to my memories of when I lived in Scandinavia
Caroline's Cooking says
That's wonderful to hear, so glad you enjoyed and that they bring back lovely memories.
Regan Brady says
So delicious and easy!!
Caroline's Cooking says
Great, glad to hear! They're a big favorite here too.
Kaala says
Thank you for this amazing recipe! They were so easy to make and I wouldn’t change anything.. the flavour and texture was perfect. I will be making these again.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear you enjoyed! We really love these as well.
Karen says
I made these today using my bread machine to mix and knead the dough. I just added the ingredients as normal for a bread machine, liquids first, followed by dry ingredients, with yeast on top, and set it on the dough setting, and then switched it off after ten minutes, by which time it had mixed the ingredients and been kneading for about five minutes, and then left the dough to rise in the machine. I then came back later to remove the dough and do the rest. I don't think I got the twists quite right, but they looked and tasted good anyway. I love Swedish Cardamom Bread and have made that before in my bread machine but it wasn't quite cardamom enough for me, so these were even better and it's great that this recipe is for just six buns so I can whip some up in just over an hour, without having any left over and wasted.
Caroline's Cooking says
Great to hear you enjoyed and managed to get your bread machine to help things along. I agree, I love all the great cardamom flavor in these.
KIMBERLY Brooke DERBY says
Can you make the dough and refrigerate for morning buns
Caroline's Cooking says
I haven't done it but there's not really any reason why it shouldn't work to put them in the fridge after you have formed the buns and they can then slowly prove overnight. Then, take them out from the fridge while the oven warms to allow them to get to room temperature.
Ketkee says
Loved the texture of the buns. So far this is the closest In flavour and texture to the kardemumbullar you find in Swedish cafes.
Caroline's Cooking says
I am so glad to hear you enjoyed and that they match up well with the "real thing"!
Jo says
Thank you for this recipe!
I am making it for the 3rd time right now since lockdown here in Germany!
They are very good instructions. Great for my 2 people household.
Caroline's Cooking says
That's great to hear! We love these as well, so glad to hear you have been enjoying them!
Monique says
I love cardamom, I love bread, I love this recipe!! These look beautiful.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thank you - it's a delicious combination!
Minnie says
Easy to follow recipe that produces exceptional results.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad to hear!