14 Scandinavian Baking Recipes That Make Your Kitchen Feel Like a Cozy Nordic Cafe

Have you ever walked past a Swedish bakery and felt your feet stop on their own? That is the magic of Scandinavian baking. It is simple, cozy and full of warm spices like cardamom and cinnamon. Up north, people even have a word for a coffee and bun break: fika. As the days get shorter and colder, these Nordic treats are exactly what your kitchen needs. Grab a cup of coffee, and let us bake our way through Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland..

Kanelbullar: The Heart of Scandinavian Baking

If Scandinavian baking had a mascot, it would be the kanelbulle. These Swedish cinnamon buns are softer and less sweet than American cinnamon rolls, with a hint of cardamom in the dough and crunchy pearl sugar on top. Sweden loves them so much it celebrates Cinnamon Bun Day every October 4. Twist them into knots or roll them into spirals. Either way, your house will smell like a cozy bakery. Be honest, how many could you eat in one sitting?

You will need: 4 cups flour, 1 cup warm milk, 1 packet yeast, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 cup soft butter, 1 tsp ground cardamom, 1 egg, filling of 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon, pearl sugar.

How to make it: 1. Mix milk, yeast, sugar, butter, cardamom and flour into a soft dough. 2. Let it rise 1 hour. 3. Roll out, spread the cinnamon butter, fold and cut strips. 4. Twist into knots and rise 30 minutes. 5. Brush with egg, add pearl sugar and bake at 400F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Kardemummabullar, the Spiced Twist of Scandinavian Baking

Cardamom buns are the quiet cousin of the cinnamon bun, and many Swedes secretly like them better. The filling is just butter, sugar and freshly crushed cardamom, so the flavor is floral, warm and a little citrusy. Crushing whole pods makes a huge difference compared with ground spice from a jar. These buns are perfect with black coffee on a grey afternoon. Quick poll: are you Team A, cinnamon, or Team B, cardamom?

You will need: Bun dough from the kanelbullar recipe, 1/2 cup soft butter, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tbsp freshly crushed cardamom, 1 egg, pearl sugar.

How to make it: 1. Make and rise the dough. 2. Beat butter, sugar and cardamom into a paste. 3. Spread over the rolled dough, fold in thirds and cut strips. 4. Twist and tie into knots. 5. Brush with egg, sprinkle pearl sugar and bake at 400F for 12 minutes.

Swedish Semla Buns

Semla is a cardamom bun with its top cut off, filled with almond paste and a tall swirl of whipped cream, then dusted with powdered sugar. Swedes eat them before Lent, and bakeries sell millions every winter. Some people even eat theirs in a bowl of warm milk, which is the old school way. Like a lot of Scandinavian baking, they look fancy, but they are really just three simple parts stacked together. Would you eat yours with a fork, or go in face first?

You will need: 8 small cardamom buns, 1 cup almond paste, 1/2 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 2 tbsp sugar, powdered sugar for dusting.

How to make it: 1. Bake round cardamom buns and let them cool. 2. Cut a lid off each bun and scoop out a little crumb. 3. Mix the crumb with almond paste and milk and spoon it back in. 4. Pipe whipped cream on top. 5. Add the lid and dust with powdered sugar.

Kladdkaka, Sticky Swedish Chocolate Cake

Kladdkaka means sticky cake, and that is exactly what it is. It has a crisp top and a gooey, almost fudgy middle because it bakes for only about 15 minutes. There is no baking powder and no mixer needed, just one bowl and a whisk. Swedes serve it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and a few berries. It is proof that Scandinavian baking can be quick, and it is the dessert you make when friends text that they are coming over in an hour.

You will need: 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup flour, 4 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, whipped cream to serve.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly. 2. Whisk in sugar, eggs and vanilla. 3. Stir in flour, cocoa and salt. 4. Pour into a greased 9 inch pan. 5. Bake at 350F for 15 to 18 minutes, until the center is still soft.

Danish Aebleskiver

Aebleskiver are little round Danish pancakes cooked in a special pan with half moon holes. You flip them with a knitting needle or a skewer as they cook, which is half the fun. They come out puffy and light, like a cross between a pancake and a donut hole. Danes eat them in December with powdered sugar and raspberry jam for dipping. Kids love helping turn them. Have you ever seen one of these pans at a thrift store?

You will need: 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp cardamom, 2 tbsp sugar, 3 eggs separated, 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, 4 tbsp melted butter, powdered sugar and jam.

How to make it: 1. Whisk flour, baking powder, cardamom and sugar. 2. Stir in yolks, buttermilk and butter. 3. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. 4. Fill the buttered pan holes and cook 2 minutes, then turn with a skewer. 5. Cook until golden and serve with sugar and jam.

Pepparkakor Ginger Thins

Pepparkakor are the thin, snappy ginger cookies of Swedish Christmas. They are rolled very thin, so they crack like glass when you bite them. The dough is spiced with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and a touch of black pepper in some homes. Families cut them into hearts, stars and goats, then decorate with simple white icing. There is an old Swedish saying that if you break one in your palm into three pieces, you get a wish. Will you try it? For more holiday spice, see our gingerbread treats.

You will need: 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup golden syrup or molasses, 1 tbsp ginger, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cloves, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 1/2 cups flour, icing.

How to make it: 1. Heat butter, sugar and syrup until melted. 2. Stir in spices and baking soda. 3. Mix in flour and chill the dough overnight. 4. Roll very thin and cut shapes. 5. Bake at 375F for 6 to 8 minutes, cool and pipe on icing.

Swedish Almond Cake

This is the kind of cake a Swedish grandmother bakes on a Sunday without even looking at a recipe. It is buttery, dense and fragrant with almond, baked in a pan and topped with sliced almonds that turn golden and crunchy. It keeps well for days, so it is perfect for unexpected guests. Serve thin slices with coffee and maybe a spoon of berries. Simple, quiet and so good.

You will need: 1 1/4 cups sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp almond extract, 2/3 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 cup melted butter, sliced almonds, coarse sugar.

How to make it: 1. Beat sugar, eggs and almond extract. 2. Add milk, then flour and baking powder. 3. Fold in melted butter. 4. Pour into a greased pan and top with almonds and sugar. 5. Bake at 350F for 40 to 45 minutes.

Danish Butter Cookies, a Scandinavian Baking Classic

Raise your hand if you ever opened a blue cookie tin and found sewing supplies inside! Real Danish butter cookies are worth making at home. They are crisp, buttery and melt on your tongue, and you only need five ingredients. Pipe them into rings and swirls with a star tip, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Packed in a pretty tin, they make one of the best homemade holiday gifts.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 2/3 cup powdered sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 1/4 cups flour, pinch of salt, coarse sugar.

How to make it: 1. Beat butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. 2. Beat in egg and vanilla. 3. Mix in flour and salt. 4. Pipe rings and swirls onto lined trays. 5. Sprinkle sugar and bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are golden.

Norwegian Heart Waffles

In Norway, waffles are not just for breakfast. They are an afternoon snack, a party treat and even a hiking snack. Norwegian waffles are thin and soft, made in a heart shaped iron, and flavored with cardamom. People top them with sour cream and jam, or with brown goat cheese called brunost. Pick your topping: A, jam and sour cream, B, brown cheese, C, butter and sugar, or D, all of the above?

You will need: 2 cups flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cardamom, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 eggs, 2 cups milk, 1/2 cup sour cream, 4 tbsp melted butter.

How to make it: 1. Whisk eggs and sugar. 2. Add milk, sour cream and melted butter. 3. Stir in flour, cardamom and baking powder. 4. Rest the batter 15 minutes. 5. Cook in a hot heart waffle iron until light golden and soft.

Risalamande, Danish Christmas Rice Pudding

Risalamande is the star of Danish Christmas Eve. It is cold rice pudding folded with whipped cream and chopped almonds, served with warm cherry sauce. One whole almond hides in the bowl, and whoever finds it wins a small prize. Some sneaky winners keep the almond hidden in their cheek until everyone has finished. Would you play fair or hide that almond?

You will need: 1 cup short grain rice, 4 cups milk, 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup chopped almonds, 1 whole almond, cherry sauce.

How to make it: 1. Simmer rice in milk with vanilla for 35 minutes, stirring often. 2. Stir in sugar and chill completely. 3. Whip the cream and fold it in. 4. Add the chopped almonds and one whole almond. 5. Serve cold with warm cherry sauce.

Swedish Apple Cake, Simple Scandinavian Baking

Scandinavian baking shines in fall, and this apple cake proves it. Thin apple slices are pressed into a soft cinnamon batter, sprinkled with sugar and baked until the edges caramelize. It is not fussy or tall, just honest and comforting. Swedes serve it warm with vanilla custard sauce, called vaniljsas. If you have a bowl of apples sitting on the counter, this is your sign to bake tonight.

You will need: 3 apples sliced, 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/3 cup milk, 1 tsp cinnamon, extra sugar.

How to make it: 1. Beat butter and sugar, then add eggs. 2. Mix in flour, baking powder and milk. 3. Spread in a greased round pan. 4. Press apple slices on top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. 5. Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes.

Finnish Blueberry Pie

In Finland, people pick wild blueberries in the forest every summer and freeze bags of them for winter. Mustikkapiirakka is the result: a shallow pie with a soft, cookie like crust and a creamy sour cream filling packed with berries. It is easier than a classic American pie because the crust is simply pressed into the pan. Frozen blueberries work perfectly. Have you ever gone berry picking?

You will need: 1/2 cup butter, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 3 cups blueberries, 1 cup sour cream, 1 egg, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Mix butter, sugar, egg, flour and baking powder into a soft dough. 2. Press into a pie dish and up the sides. 3. Add the blueberries. 4. Whisk sour cream, egg, sugar and vanilla and pour on top. 5. Bake at 400F for 25 to 30 minutes.

Danish Pastries, the Pride of Scandinavian Baking

Fun fact: in Denmark these flaky pastries are called wienerbrod, which means Vienna bread, because Austrian bakers brought the method there in the 1800s. Danish bakers made it their own with lots of butter folded into a yeast dough, plus fillings like vanilla custard, almond paste and jam. Making them at home takes time, but a quick folded version works great. Which filling wins for you: A, custard, B, almond, C, raspberry, or D, apple?

You will need: 1 batch quick yeast dough, 1 cup cold butter in thin slices, 1 cup vanilla custard or almond paste, 1 egg, sliced almonds, glaze.

How to make it: 1. Roll the dough and cover two thirds with cold butter slices. 2. Fold in thirds, chill and repeat three times. 3. Roll out, cut squares and add custard. 4. Fold corners in and rise 30 minutes. 5. Brush with egg and bake at 400F for 15 minutes, then glaze.

Swedish Strawberry Cream Cake

No Swedish midsummer party is complete without jordgubbstarta, a light sponge cake layered with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. It is all about fluffy cream, juicy berries and a soft cake that soaks up a little milk or juice between layers. Out of season, you can use thawed frozen berries in the middle and save the best fresh ones for the top. It is a pretty, happy way to end our Scandinavian baking tour, a cake that tastes like summer, even in November.

You will need: 4 eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 cups heavy cream, 2 tbsp powdered sugar, 1 lb strawberries, 1/2 cup milk.

How to make it: 1. Beat eggs and sugar until pale and thick. 2. Fold in flour and baking powder. 3. Bake in a round pan at 350F for 30 minutes, cool and cut into 3 layers. 4. Drizzle each layer with milk and fill with cream and berries. 5. Cover with cream and top with strawberries.