Scandinavians’ love for cardamom is hardly a secret. There is even a place in Norway called Kardemommeby (Cardamom Town)!

Cardamom Town is an amusement park inside the Kristiansand Zoo in southern Norway, based on the famous Norwegian children’s book When the Robbers Came to Cardamom Town (Norwegian: Folk og røvere i Kardemomme by)

It is considered one of the most important works in Norwegian children’s literature.

But back to food… Cardamom is known as the Queen of Spices and originated in southern Inida. While cardamom might be associated as a spice added to many Asian dishes, in Scandinavia, we love adding it to sweet baked goods.

In Norway we add it to julekake (Christmas bread), cookies and cakes, and even meatballs, and of course our famous mulled wine, gløgg. Norway consumes 30 times more cardamom than the average country!

This Nordic obsession with cardamom is most evident in Swedish cardamom buns, however. Swedes are no slackers in their consumption of cardamom either. Per capita use of cardamom is about 60% more in Sweden than it is in the U.S.! I have a feeling all the cardamom goes into their famous cardamom buns! 🙂

For me, the ultimate comfort food is a warm cardamom bun straight out of the oven enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee or tea. That is hygge right there, or more correctly, mys, (coziness) as the Swedes say. For us, cardamom is the smell of home.

What makes Swedish cardamom buns so special?

Firstly, their knotted shape makes them beautiful to look at, and as we know, we eat with our eyes too, so they make for a really intriguing-looking pastry. There are different ways to shape them to create this look, making the baking of these extra fun!

Secondly, and most importantly, it’s the use of whole cardamom seeds, as opposed to pre-ground cardamom. This creates an intense aroma and flavor in the pastry that is unmatched, plus the classic speckled look in the dough.

The cardamom seeds are just roughly mashed using a pestle and mortar, leaving bigger pieces instead of being pulverized. If you haven’t tried this in your baked goods before, you’re in for a treat! You can buy organic cardamom seeds here.

Thirdly, the combination of sweet dough with the addition of the savory cardamom spice makes for a unique gustatory experience. Texturally, the cardamom bun is like a cross between a fluffy cinnamon bun and pull-apart bread… juicy, sweet, savory, and light all at once!

It’s important to note that there are different types of cardamom, and it’s the green cardamom that is used in nearly all Swedish (and Norwegian) recipes.

Cardamom buns make for the perfect fika.

Fika is another Swedish word that means getting together for coffee with an accompanying delicious treat. Swedes meet up a couple of times for fika, to take a break from the daily grind. I think we all should adopt this tradition, it would make the world a better place 🙂

Today’s recipe is triple-loaded with cardamom; the spice is added to the dough, in the remonce (filling), and also included in the topping. This will be the first of several recipes for cardamom buns I plan to post on the blog.

I’ve taken inspiration from several Swedish and Norwegian recipes and made it my own. In Norway we call cardamom buns kardemommeknuter, which is what I’ve called my recipe. Knuter means ‘knots, referring to the shape of the buns.

If you want your kitchen to smell like heaven (provided you love cardamom), don’t miss out on baking these, and tag me on social media @arcticgrub if you do!

KARDEMOMMEKNUTER

4 cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (100 grams) sugar
30 grams (1 oz) fresh yeast or 7 grams (1 packet) active dry yeast
2 teaspoons cardamom seeds, coarsely ground
1 1/4 cup (3 dl) non-dairy milk, cold
3 tablespoons Just Eggs (optional)
90 grams (3 oz) vegan butter
Pinch of salt
Just Eggs and /or non-dairy milk for brushing

Remonce (filling):
1/2 cup (100 grams) grams brown sugar
1 stick (113 grams) vegan butter, softened
2 teaspoons cardamom seeds, ground in a mortar and pestle
1 heaping tablespoon (about10 grams) corn starch

Topping:
1 tablespoon coarsely ground cardamom seeds
4 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Add all the dry ingredients along with the milk and Just Eggs (if using) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, then knead for about 10 minutes on medium speed. After 10 minutes add the butter and knead for another 10 minutes.

To test the dough if it’s ready – tear off a small piece and perform the gluten test by stretching the dough between your fingers. When you have a thin, see-through film-like piece the dough is done. If it tears and seems ‘short’ when pulling it, keep kneading the dough.

Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel or cling wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free place.

While the dough is resting, combine all the ingredients in the remonce in a small bowl using a fork to mix it up. Cornstarch helps stabilize the emulsion of the fat and water contained in the butter when it melts, and because it’s a thickening agent it holds the butter and sugar together, avoiding it from running out of the buns when in the oven.

Roughly grind the cardamom seeds for the topping in a mortar and pestle and mix with the sugar in another small bowl and set aside.

After the dough has risen for about an hour, roll it out to a rectangle about 16 x 20 inches.

Using a spatula, spread the sugar-cinnamon filling on two thirds of the dough.

With the long side of the dough facing you, fold the top third of the dough that has no filling, down over the middle third of the dough, then fold the bottom third up to cover the remaining dough.

Roll the dough out again to smooth it out, and using a pastry cutter or a pastry knife, trim any uneven edges. Cut the dough vertically into 16 1-by-12-inch-long strips.

Starting from the end, gently wrap one strip around the tips of your index, middle and fourth finger like a bandage, two or three times, letting the dough overlap and working cautiously so it doesn’t tear. It helps if your dough is cold here.

Place your thumb on top of the wrapped dough, on the side closer to your wrist, to secure the shape, then loop the remaining end of the strand over and through the center of the bun, tucking it under at the base of the bun. You should have a rounded bun made out of bandage-like strips. The knotted part will be unexposed, hidden at the bottom.

Alternatively you can braid two twists together, this will make for a bigger cardamom buns and will take a bit longer to bake in the oven.

Place the cardamom buns on sheet trays lined with parchment paper, cover with a towel and let rest for about 40-45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 440℉ (220℃) and line two sheet trays with parchment paper and set aside.

Brush the cardamom buns with a little non-dairy milk and/or Just Eggs, drizzle on some of the sugar and coarsely ground cardamom, and bake in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes until golden on top.

The cardamom buns freeze well, if you’re not going to eat them the same day, I recommend freezing them as soon as they’ve cooled down. They’ll taste like they’re freshly baked when reheated in the oven!

KARDEMOMMEKNUTER

These delectable Swedish cardamom buns are made more aromatic and flavorful by adding freshly ground cardamom seeds in the dough, filling and topping. Makes for a perfect fika time!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Scandinavian, Swedish

Keyword: cardamom buns

Servings: 16 pieces

Author: Sunny Gandara | Arctic Grub

Ingredients

• 4 cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (100 grams) sugar
• 30 grams (1 oz fresh yeast) or 1 packet (7 grams) dry active yeast
• 1 ¼ cup (3 dl) non-dairy milk, cold
• 90 grams (3 oz) vegan butter
• 2 teaspoons cardamom seeds, coarsely ground
• 3 tablespoons Just Eggs optional
• Pinch of salt
• Just Eggs and /or non-dairy milk for brushing

Remonce (filling):

• ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar
• 1 stick (113 grams) vegan butter, softened
• 2 teaspoon cardamom seeds ground in a mortar and pestle
• 1 tbsp (10 g) cornstarch

Topping:

• 2 teaspoons coarsely ground cardamom seeds
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

• Add all the dry ingredients along with the milk and Just Eggs (if using) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, then knead for about 10 minutes on medium speed. After 10 minutes add the butter and knead for another 10 minutes.
• To test the dough if it’s ready – tear off a small piece and perform the gluten test by stretching the dough between your fingers. When you have a thin, see-through film-like piece the dough is done. If it tears and seems ‘short’ when pulling it, keep kneading the dough.
• Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel or cling wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free place.
• While the dough is resting, combine all the ingredients in the remonce in a small bowl using a fork to mix it up. Cornstarch helps stabilize the emulsion of the fat and water contained in the butter when it melts, and because it’s a thickening agent it holds the butter and sugar together, avoiding it from running out of the buns when in the oven.
• Roughly grind the cardamom seeds for the topping in a mortar and pestle and mix with the sugar in another small bowl and set aside.
• After the dough has risen for about an hour, roll it out to a rectangle about 16 x 20 inches.
• Using a spatula, spread the sugar-cinnamon filling on two thirds of the dough.
• With the long side of the dough facing you, fold the top third of the dough that has no filling, down over the middle third of the dough, then fold the bottom third up to cover the remaining dough.
• Roll the dough out again to smooth it out, and using a pastry cutter or a pastry knife, trim any uneven edges. Cut the dough vertically into 16 1-by-12-inch-long strips.
• Starting from the end, gently wrap one strip around the tips of your index, middle and fourth finger like a bandage, two or three times, letting the dough overlap and working cautiously so it doesn’t tear. It helps if your dough is cold here.
• Place your thumb on top of the wrapped dough, on the side closer to your wrist, to secure the shape, then loop the remaining end of the strand over and through the center of the bun, tucking it under at the base of the bun. You should have a rounded bun made out of bandage-like strips. The knotted part will be unexposed, hidden at the bottom.
• Alternatively, you can braid two twists together, this will make for bigger cardamom buns and will take a bit longer to bake in the oven.
• Place the cardamom buns on sheet trays lined with parchment paper, cover with a towel and let rest for about 40-45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 440℉ (220℃) and line two sheet trays with parchment paper and set aside.
• Brush the cardamom buns with a little non-dairy milk and/or Just Eggs, drizzle on some of the sugar and coarsely ground cardamom, and bake in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes until golden on top.
• The cardamom buns freeze well, if you’re not going to eat them the same day, I recommend freezing them as soon as they’ve cooled down. They’ll taste like they’re freshly baked when reheated in the oven!