What do we eat in Norway for Easter?
I think most Norwegians would agree it wouldn’t be Easter without an orange in your backpack or some type of pastry that has oranges in it. There is something very festive and Norwegian about this fruit that brings back sweet memories of spending time in our family cabin in the mountains, sitting outside in the sun and the snow, and taking in the beauty and silence of the area. These are the small things that I so appreciate about growing up in Norway.
Oranges became a tradition in Norway during Easter because they used to only be available during the winter months and they were especially sweet around Easter time. We already had oranges in the country around 1890, but it was only in 1956 that oranges became widely available to everyone due to a less regulated import structure.
Oranges are the third most popular fruit in Norway and a majority of them are consumed just around this holiday—in fact, 16 million oranges and 19 million clementines are devoured by Norwegians!
This year I wanted to come up with a different recipe for Easter that still evokes the classic flavors and traditions of the holiday. I landed on these delectable cardamom swirl buns filled and glazed with a combination of chocolate and oranges. Who doesn’t love chocolate, right?
I’ve been wanting to make nutella for the longest time because this was something I was not allowed to eat growing up and naturally I always craved it! My dad was a dentist and strict about anything with too much sugar (sodas were reserved for Saturday nights only). I used to be really envious of my friends who were able to enjoy this delightful hazelnut chocolate spread on their sandwiches on a daily basis.
Traditional store-bought nutella isn’t vegan, so what does a vegan do? Make it herself!
Plus, when you make it yourself you have full control over what goes into the recipe and avoid unnecessary additives and too much sugar. You’ll be surprised how easy it is – not to mention a hundred times tastier than what you find on store shelves.
These fluffy, buttery cardamom buns are rich but they get lifted up by the bright orange glaze. I like to add a little natural food coloring to it to bring out the yellow colors of Easter, plus it’s really pretty! Of course, if you’d rather have a plain confectioner’s glaze, you can just use water instead of the orange juice and omit the color.
I’d say this is definitely a more modern pastry and a reflection of what Norwegians eat today. You can use the base recipe for this dough in so many other baked good creations such as boller, traditional cinnamon rolls, and cinnamon-raisin bread.
Nutella Swirl Buns with Orange Glaze
Makes about 12 buns
Homemade Vegan Nutella
225 grams (8 oz or about 1 ½ cups) raw hazelnuts
100 grams (3.5 oz or ¾ cups) dark chocolate chips
120 ml (½ cup) full fat coconut milk
80 ml (⅓ cup) maple syrup
¼ tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit (175° Celsius). Place the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and as soon as the nuts are cool enough to handle, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and make a pouch. Remove the skins off the hazelnuts using your hands (quicker than doing them one by one!) and place them in a high-speed blender and blend until they are finely ground and almost start to form a ‘butter’ consistency.
In a double boiler, place the chocolate chips, coconut milk, maple syrup, and salt over medium heat and whisk together. Once melted, pour into the blender along with the hazelnuts and process until smooth.
Transfer to a clean airtight container and place in the fridge until ready to use.
Keeps for about a week in the fridge.
Nutella Buns
2.2 lbs (1 kilo) all-purpose flour
220 grams (a heaping cup) sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 ¼ teaspoon (1 packet) dry active yeast
3 tablespoons Just Eggs or 4 tablespoons applesauce
6 dl (2 ½ cups) non-dairy milk such as soy, almond, or cashew milk
150 grams (1 stick + 2 tablespoons) vegan butter, diced into small pieces
Filling:
450 grams (15 oz or 1 ½ cups) homemade vegan nutella
Melted vegan butter for brushing the top of the buns
Orange Glaze:
100 grams (a scant cup) confectioner’s sugar
3 tablespoons freshly pressed orange juice
1 teaspoon yellow vegan food coloring (I use this one)
To make the buns:
Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. Add all the ingredients except the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook and start kneading the dough on low for about 5 minutes.
Increase the speed and continue mixing for another 3-4 minutes until you have a smooth, firm dough releasing from the side of the bowl.
Slowly add in the butter and continue kneading for another 2-3 minutes until all the butter is incorporated. Cover the dough with a clean towel and place it in a warm spot away from drafts and let rise until double in size for about 1 ½ hours.
Preheat your oven to 400° Fahrenheit (200° Celsius). Generously grease a 9 x 13 inch (23x33cm) baking dish and set aside.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and with a rolling pin shape the dough into a 15×20 inch (about 40×50 cm) rectangle about ½ inch thick.
Evenly spread the nutella on the surface, leaving about ½ inch border on one of the long sides, and roll the dough into a log. Trim ends and cut into 12 rounds and place into the prepared baking dish, cover with a towel and let rise again for another 30 minutes.
Brush the top of the buns with a little melted vegan butter and bake in the middle rack of the oven for about 20-25 minutes until golden on top. Let cool on a rack while you make the orange glaze.
To make the orange glaze:
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together with a fork until you have a fairly thick, yet runny glaze. You may need to adjust the sugar/liquid until you get the appropriate consistency.
Once the buns are cool, drizzle the orange glaze over the buns and serve!
More Recipes To Try…
Norwegian Cardamom Buns with Vanilla Custard and Caramelized Cinnamon Apples
Norwegian Fastelavnsboller with a Swedish Twist
Ingredients
Homemade Vegan Nutella
- 225 grams 8 oz or about 1 ½ cups raw hazelnuts
- 100 grams 3.5 oz or ¾ cups dark chocolate chips
- 120 ml ½ cup full fat coconut milk
- 80 ml ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ tsp salt
Nutella Buns
- 2.2 lbs 1 kilo all-purpose flour
- 220 grams a heaping cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 ¼ teaspoon 1 packet dry active yeast
- 3 tablespoons Just Eggs or 4 tablespoons applesauce
- 6 dl 2 ½ cups non-dairy milk such as soy, almond, or cashew milk
- 150 grams 1 stick + 2 tablespoons vegan butter, diced into small pieces
Filling:
- 450 grams 15 oz or 1 ½ cups homemade vegan nutella
- Melted vegan butter for brushing the top of the buns
Orange Glaze:
- 100 grams a scant cup confectioner’s sugar
- 3 tablespoons freshly pressed orange juice
- 1 teaspoon yellow vegan food coloring
Instructions
Homemade Vegan Nutella
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit (175° Celsius). Place the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and as soon as the nuts are cool enough to handle, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and make a pouch. Remove the skins off the hazelnuts using your hands (quicker than doing them one by one!) and place them in a high-speed blender and blend until they are finely ground and almost start to form a ‘butter’ consistency.
- In a double boiler, place the chocolate chips, coconut milk, maple syrup, and salt over medium heat and whisk together. Once melted, pour into the blender along with the hazelnuts and process until smooth.
- Transfer to a clean airtight container and place in the fridge until ready to use.
- Keeps for about a week in the fridge.
To make the buns:
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. Add all the ingredients except the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook and start kneading the dough on low for about 5 minutes.
- Increase the speed and continue mixing for another 3-4 minutes until you have a smooth, firm dough releasing from the side of the bowl.
- Slowly add in the butter and continue kneading for another 2-3 minutes until all the butter is incorporated.
- Cover the dough with a clean towel and place it in a warm spot away from drafts and let rise until double in size for about 1 ½ hours.
- Preheat your oven to 400° Fahrenheit (200° Celsius). Generously grease a 9 x 13 inch (23x33cm) baking dish and set aside.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and with a rolling pin shape the dough into a 15×20 inch (about 40×50 cm) rectangle about ½ inch thick.
- Evenly spread the nutella on the surface, leaving about ½ inch border on one of the long sides, and roll the dough into a log. Trim ends and cut into 12 rounds and place into the prepared baking dish, cover with a towel and let rise again for another 30 minutes.
- Brush the top of the buns with a little melted vegan butter and bake in the middle rack of the oven for about 20-25 minutes until golden on top. Let cool on a rack while you make the orange glaze
To make the orange glaze:
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together with a fork until you have a fairly thick, yet runny glaze. You may need to adjust the sugar/liquid until you get the appropriate consistency.
- Once the buns are cool, drizzle the orange glaze over the buns and serve!
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