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Swedish Cardamom Buns (Kardemummabullar)
Swedish kardemummabullar are soft, rich yeasted buns with an aromatic butter, sugar and cardamom filling. This recipe does require a bit of time commitment and willingness to roll, measure, cut and shape the buns. We think it’s worth it. Despite being rich with butter, milk and an egg yolk, the dough is remarkably easy to handle. It’s essential to use cardamom seeds that you have ground yourself. Preground cardamom doesn’t come close to having the same flavor, aroma or visual appeal. Be sure to purchase decorticated cardamom seeds—seeds that have been removed from the thick, fibrous pods—and grind them in a mortar with a pestle or pulse them in an electric spice grinder to a mix of powder and tiny flecks. For the dough’s first rise (the bulk fermentation), we use a 9-by-13-inch baking dish as the container. This allows the dough to cool more quickly once it’s in the refrigerator. It also makes the dough easy to roll into a rectangle for filling because it takes on the shape of the baking dish. If you wish to make the buns over the course of two days, the ideal stopping point is after putting the dough in the refrigerator; it can remain there for up to 24 hours before rolling, filling, shaping and baking. Leftover baked buns, if you have any, will keep for up to three days in an airtight container; they reheat well in a 350°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes.
Makes 16
buns
Tip
Don’t overheat the milk, and be sure the butter has cooled after melting. The 20-minute kneading time in the mixer warms the dough, so making sure the milk and butter are not too hot will prevent the dough from overheating, which can adversely affect the yeast.
6 hours
1 hour active
For the dough
-
390
grams (3 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Directions
-
01To make the dough, in a stand mixer with the dough hook, mix both flours, the sugar, yeast, cardamom and salt on low until combined, about 30 seconds. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the milk and butter. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients, followed by the egg yolk. Mix on low until the ingredients form a rough, sticky dough, 2 to 3 minutes.
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February 17, 2024
Perfect for a snow day!
Wow! I have been searching for the perfect recipe for these and I found it! I made the dough the night before and baked them the next morning. My only deviation from the recipe was to add a little bit of nutmeg and a pinch of cinnamon to the butter filing and to sprinkle the buns with demera sugar instead of white sugar. WOW!!
December 5, 2023
Fantastic buns that make any day great
The best cardamom bun recipe that I’ve made. The precise directions and illustrations made it easy to follow.
November 25, 2023
Amazing cardamom buns!
We made these for a family Thanksgiving brunch this year and they were a huge success. Thanks Milk Street!
November 14, 2023
Better than cinnamon rolls
I make this frequently and it is a huge hit with friends and family alike. Two things I do differently is I use European butter and after brushing with egg white, I sprinkle Swedish pearl sugar on the top for a nice textural contrast.
September 23, 2023
Make ahead advice?
Can others advise on making these ahead? Aside from the rest of the dough in the fridge, can I also cold proof in the fridge after filling and shaping, before the bench proof?
These are incredible. The first time I followed the directions exactly. The second time I made sure to continue kneading the dough until it passed the "windowpane test" which took another few minutes beyond the 20 recommended. The texture was so much better the second time around: stretchy and chewy interiors. The second time around I used half pre-ground cardamom, and half cinnamon in the filling. It was so tasty but the cardamom fragrance was absolutely nowhere near when I ground the seeds myself. Still well worth making though. The best part is always the bottom of these buns. Some sugar from the filling turns into a thin, buttery, caramel crust.
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I am not a baker. But my daughter used to make cardamom bread during Christmas, and when I saw this recipe, I figured I would give it a try. I made these buns following the recipe exactly. I even went as far as getting cardamom in the green pods, removing the seeds, and grinding them in a mortal and pestle.
Let's just say that these were so incredibly tasty that it's been suggested that I don't need to wait until next Christmas to make more. They are just the right balance of sweet and a little savory. I made them the day before Christmas. and a quick microwave, maybe 10 seconds, made them so delicious on Christmas morning. As I mentioned, I am not a baker and so cannot offer up any advice or changes to the recipe, as everyone, including me, was thrilled with the result.
The only thing I would change, is that I need to take more time with the mortar and pestle to grind the seeds finer. A couple of the buns had seeds that were a little too large and needed to be remove. But I will say that freshly ground cardamom is so good!