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These Cardamom Buns are super soft and flavorful with the aromatic spices of cardamom and cinnamon. Easy to make and fun to shape, they are perfect to have as a quick snack or as a nice little breakfast. Slightly sweet, but very soft and buttery, so what’s not to love?

I found about cardamom buns from the internet and something about them made me want to try it myself. They just looked pretty with their swirls of dough and the recipe seemed simple enough. Once I did try it, it was hard to not keep eating them. They are so soft that it feels that you are eating air.

The added kick of the cinnamon and the cardamom made it even better. When I tell you how good my kitchen smelled when they were baking, it will make your mouth water.

My technique for twisting them into bun shapes is definitely not perfect, but it is fun to experiment and create these rustically beautiful Swedish Cardamom buns.

Important note: This post contains affiliate links, but it does not affect my opinion of the products. I used all of these and love these products. You can read my full disclosure here.

What is cardamom?

Cardamom is widely used in Eastern European, Asian, and Middle Eastern cuisine. It can be used in both sweet and savory applications. In this case, it is more sweet.

There are two main types of cardamom; green and black. We are using green cardamom pods or cardamom powder in this recipe and the smell and aroma is quite strong, but pleasant with the hints of mint and citrus. I tried this recipe with both the ground spice and using whole pods and grinding it myself and the smell was similar to tea tree oil to me. But the taste is similar to nutmeg.

It’s actually the third most expensive spice in the world, after vanilla and saffron, and it is used in garam masala, as a spice mix for poultry and red meat, in curries, drink, and of course, baked goods.

If it’s your first time trying it, start with a little and if you feel like it needs more, add some more. Never be afraid to expand your palate.

Main Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour. I used all-purpose for this recipe and it is a very soft dough. I haven’t tried it, but you can experiment with gluten-free all-purpose dough.
• Sugar. I used organic cane sugar for this recipe, but you can use any granulated sugar you want.
• Cardamom. This gives a unique spice to the cardamom buns. It is similar to nutmeg or cinnamon, which we are also adding. You can use ground cardamom or get whole green pods and ground it yourself.
• Instant Yeast. I use Instant yeast which can be added directly to your dry ingredients. If you only have Active dry yeast, add it to warm milk, mix, and let sit until it becomes frothy. Then add it to the dry ingredients.
• Non-dairy milk. I used oat milk, but you can use any type that you like.
• Vegan Butter. I use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, but use any vegan butter that does not melt at room temperature.

Procedure

First, we have to make the dough. In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, cardamom, yeast, and salt. Whisk to combine.

In a saucepan, heat the milk and butter until it is warm to the touch. You want to still be able to stick your finger in and not get burned. If you want to be exact, the temperature should be between 120 Degrees F- 130 Degrees F. This is to activate the yeast.

You know you did it right if as soon as you pour some of the liquid into the dry ingredients, tiny bubbles will appear on the surface.

Once all the ingredients are mixed together, knead by hand for 5-8 minutes. The dough will be impossibly sticky and want to mold to your hands, but with a little bit of elbow grease, it should become less sticky and hold its shape. Use a little bit of flour to help the process along, but not too much.

If you want to use a stand mixer, mix on medium for 5 minutes with a dough hook and then finish kneading by hand for the last 3-5 minutes until the dough is ready. You will know it is when it becomes very smooth and when you push a finger in, it bounces back.

Put it in a lightly oiled bowl and put in a warm place to proof for 2 hours. I put it in my oven with only the oven light on. Don’t forget to put a wet towel on top of it.

While you are waiting, put together the filling by creaming the butter with a fork and adding the other ingredients.

Once it’s done proofing, punch it down and put it on a lightly floured surface. Roll with a rolling pin into a long rectangle. Put the filling (you probably won’t use all of it) on one half and fold it across. After that use a pizza cutter to cut into 2 cm long strips.

Shape the buns in any way you want. I looked at various videos online to help me shape my buns.

Place finished buns on an oven tray with aluminum foil on the bottom. Let proof for another 45-60 minutes.

Before it goes in the oven. brush the maple syrup wash on top. Be very gentle or you will deflate them! Bake for 15-20 minutes or until it is nice and golden.

Enjoy warm, but if you have leftovers, cool them and store them in an airtight container. They should last about 3 days.

If you tried this recipe, let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear from you!