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I'm excited to share today's recipe with you as personally, these delicious Swedish cardamom pistachio buns are so flavourful and unique, just as my apple cinnamon rolls are.
And yes, you heard me right. Cardamom in sweet buns!
Swedish Cardamom Buns
They are originally from Sweden (well of course, right?) and if I'm not mistaken they are also known as Swedish kardemummabullar.
Which literally means cardamom buns.
Swedish kardemummabullar is unique in a way that they have cardamom in the dough for that unique and distinctive flavour.
Cardamom
Let's talk about cardamom for a minute.
Personally I've only ever had cardamom in savoury dishes and most of them were curries and rice pilafs.
So I've always associated cardamom with something savoury. Are you the same?
When I learnt about these amazing Swedish cardamom buns I got really excited to taste them.
Would the cardamom be too strong of a flavour for me in sweet buns?
Amazingly it's not at all!
I find the combination of just enough sweetness and the cardamom really blends well.
I grind my own cardamom powder using my pestle and mortar. Oh the smell in the kitchen was amazing!
You could buy store bought cardamom powder to make it easier.
This is one of the experiences that I enjoy the most, which is trying new flavours and foods. Don't you agree?
Shaping The Buns
Don't worry. No matter how you shape and how they look, I assure you they will look amazing once they're baked.
It's basically wrapping 2 strips of twisted doughs around your fingers and then tuck the end in.
I've tried using only 1 strip of dough and simply wrap it around my fingers but I didn't like the look.
2 strips of dough result in a more beautiful end look and to make it easier, I twist them first before I wrap them around my fingers.
Please refer to the video below for a clearer understanding. It's easier than it sounds, really.
Give these amazing buns a try, let me know what you think.
In Summary
These Swedish cardamom buns are:
- similar to cinnamon buns but with cardamom instead
- soft and with delicious unique flavour
- so fun to make especially when shaping them
- VERY UNIQUE AND AMAZING
Before You Go
Maybe you would also want to check these recipes out:
Video
📖 Recipe
Swedish Cardamom Pistachio Buns
Video
Ingredients
The Dough
- ½ cup warm milk (125 ml)
- 2 tablespoon honey (40 gr)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon dry yeast (7 gr)
- 3 cup bread flour (390 gr)
- 2 eggs , room temperature
- ¼ cup powdered milk (32 gr)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (3 gr)
- ⅓ cup butter (75 gr), room temperature & cubed
The Cardamom Filling
- ⅓ cup butter (75 gr), room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar (80 gr)
- 2 teaspoon ground cardamom (6 gr)
Others
- egg wash (1 egg + splash of milk)
- some warm honey
- some crushed pistachio
Instructions
The Dough
- Mix honey with warm milk. Sprinkle dry yeast and mix. Leave to activate.
- Into a standing mixer bowl with the dough hook, add in all the dough ingredients except cubed butter, including yeast mixture. Mix to incorporate well and then knead for 10 minutes.
- Add cubed butter 1 by 1 and mix well after each addition. Once finished, continue kneading for another 10 minutes. Form the dough in a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover bowl tightly with cling film and leave until dough rises double its size.
The Cardamom Filling
- Into a standing mixer with the paddle hook, add in all the filling ingredients and mix until creamy. Set aside.
Shaping The Buns
- Place risen dough on a lightly floured surface. Lightly press into a rectangle. Roll into a 14x21 inch (35x53 cm) rectangle.
- Spread the filling evenly on the dough. Don't put too much as it will be difficult to shape later. You might have a bit balance of the filling.
- Fold the dough into ⅓ by folding the left and right side of the dough to the center, overlapping each other. Twist the dough 90º towards you. Gently roll the dough into 9 inch (23 cm) height.
- Cut into ⅔ inch (3.5 cm) strips. Cut each strips in half, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) uncut at one end.
- Take 2 attached strips and gently pull on each end to make them slightly longer. Then twist them. Hold the uncut end between your 2 fingers and thumb and wrap the strips around them 2 times. Run the end of the strips between your 2 fingers and tuck the end in from the bottom.
- Place in a baking sheet on a baking tray. Continue with the rest of the strips. Cover loosely with a cling film and leave for them to puff up a bit, around 20 minutes.
- Brush with egg wash and bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF (175ºC) for 30 minutes or until golden brown and fully cooked.
- Once removed from the oven, immediately brush the top with some warm honey and sprinkle some crushed pistachio.
- Note: please refer to the video above for better understanding on how to shape the buns.
How To Serve
- Serve warm with some tea or your favourite drinks.
How To Store
- Keep in an airtight container on the kitchen top for maximum 3 days.
- Heat buns in microwave to get them fresh again, if you were to have them the next day.
- To freeze: wrap buns individually with cling film, place in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Defrost at room temperature. Heat in microwave to bring it back to life.
Vandana says
The flavors are amazing. Directions are top notch. My only issue was very soft and sticky dough. Is it suppose to be like this?
Bea & Marco says
Hi Vandana! Thank you so much for your lovely feedback and rating! Yes, the dough is meant to be soft and just a little sticky (as you can see in the tutorial video above), that’s what gives the buns a soft and fluffy texture. Try not to add too much extra flour, just enough to help with handling. Lightly flour your surface and hands, or use a dough scraper if you have one. It should become easier to work with after kneading and resting. So happy you enjoyed the flavors!
Nas says
I've made these lots of times and they are so delish!
The step to step recipe is so helpful
I love making these
Bea & Marco says
Awesome! Happy to know that you love them and find the recipe useful. Thanks for leaving your feedback, Nas!
Martin says
awesome
Bea says
Thank you!
Ns says
Absolutely love this recipe, I have made it many times and they turn out delish each time
Could you advise if you can prepare the dough in advance, say overnight?
Thank you
Bea & Marco says
So happy to hear you’ve been enjoying the recipe, thank you for letting us know! 💛 We haven’t personally tested an overnight rest with this dough, but in general enriched doughs (like this one with butter, milk, and sugar) usually do well in the fridge after the first rise. If you give it a try, just make sure to let it come back to room temp, shape the buns, and rise until puffy before baking. The longer, slower fermentation often gives even better flavor.