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These cardamom buns are made with a soft yeasted dough that’s layered with butter, brown sugar, and of course, cardamom. After shaping they are topped with Swedish pearl sugar and baked in a muffin tin. A burst of cardamom flavor will fill you with warmth as you devour these sweet rolls.

cardamom buns on a cooling rack

OVERVIEW

My cardamom buns are a variation on my classic cinnamon roll recipe. The dough starts out the same but they couldn’t taste more different. They are packed with tons of wonderful cardamom flavor.

I’m a big fan of cardamom! If you are unfamiliar, cardamom is a slightly peppery spice with a floral aroma. These buns do not include any frosting because they truly do not need it. They are soft, sticky, and full of warmth.

To set these buns apart, I like to bake them in a muffin tin. It gives the buns a unique shape by lifting them up and out of the pan while baking. How gorgeous!

cardamom buns on a cooling rack

Swedish Cardamom buns

You may have heard of Swedish cardamom buns also known as kardemummabullar. This recipe is very similar to a traditional Swedish bun but the Swedes tend to shape their buns in a twisted braid-like shape.

As a nod to the traditional recipe, I like to top my buns with Swedish pearl sugar before baking.

How to make cardamom buns

These cardamom buns are made with the same dough as my classic cinnamon rolls with the addition of cardamom. The filling is also similar with the exception of swapping the cinnamon for cardamom.

Sweet rolls, like these cardamom buns and cinnamon rolls, are made with an enriched dough. This master recipe for enriched dough is used to make not only sweet rolls but also soft dinner rolls, donuts, loaf breads, and more.

Make the dough

adding yeast to warm milk
activated yeast in warmed milk

Warm the milk to about 110-115°F/43-46°C. Add the yeast and a pinch of sugar to the warmed milk and stir to combine. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until you see some bubbles and foaming. 

This step is called “proofing the yeast”. It’s optional but it’s a good way to test your yeast to make sure that it’s active before using. If you do not see any bubbles or activity then either your yeast is dead or your milk is too hot.

mixing the dough together
mixing the dough together

Add all of the dough ingredients into a large mixing bowl including the milk/yeast mixture. The order in which everything is combined doesn’t make a difference. Just weigh everything in the bowl and mix with a spoon, your hands, or in a stand mixer until everything starts to come together.

kneading dough by hand
kneading dough by hand

The dough can then be kneaded by hand or in a stand mixer with the dough hook. Knead for 8-10 minutes by hand or 6-8 minutes with a mixer until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Add more flour as needed while kneading the dough. When the dough is finished being kneaded it will be still be slightly sticky to the touch but should feel smooth and elastic and stand tall when rounded into a ball.

Move the kneaded dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, and cover with a piece of plastic wrap, a damp cloth, or a shower cap (my preference) to bulk ferment until doubled in size: about 1 hour for instant yeast and 2 hours for active dry yeast.

Shape the dough

slicing log into 12 pieces

After the dough has bulk fermented, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle. Spread the soft butter all over the dough leaving about ½ inch (1.2 cm) of the dough free from filling at the bottom long edge. Combine the cardamom and brown sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle over the top of the butter.

Starting on the long edge that does have filling, tightly roll the dough up into a log. Pinch the clean edge to the log to seal. Use a serrated knife or bench knife to divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Now cut each quarter of the log into 3 equal pieces to get 12 rolls. 

raw cardamom buns in a muffin tin

Transfer the cut rolls into a greased muffin tin and cover with plastic wrap. 

If preferred, you can bake these buns on a sheet pan or in a rectangle shaped baking pan as you would with traditional cinnamon rolls. I personally like to bake these buns in a muffin tin to get a more unique shape.

If you’re up for it, try this fun shaping technique to make a twisted bun!

Let proof for about 45 minutes if using instant yeast and about 75 minutes if using active dry yeast. 

Bake

proofed cardamom buns ready for the oven

After proofing, brush the buns gently with an egg wash and coarse sugar. I love using Swedish pearl sugar. Bake on 350°F/ 175°C for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

To reheat any leftovers, place a bun in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds.

a cardamom bun pulled apart

Prep & Storage

How to Prep Ahead: Cardamom buns can easily be prepped ahead of time! After shaping and placing in a muffin tin, wrap the pan in plastic wrap. Store in your refrigerator or freezer until ready to bake.

How to store in the freezer: Freeze the unbaked shaped cardamom buns for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, move the pan to your refrigerator and let thaw overnight. About 2 hours before baking, take it out of the refrigerator and let come to room temperature and rise. You can place the pan next to a heating oven to speed up the process. When the dough is doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap, brush with the egg wash and coarse sugar, and bake.

How to store in the refrigerator and make overnight cardamom buns: Refrigerate for up to 16 hours. If it sits in the fridge for too long, the filling will start to liquify and leak out.

About 2 hours before baking, take it out of the refrigerator and let come to room temperature and rise. You can place the pan next to a heating oven to speed up the process. When the buns are doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap, brush with the egg wash and coarse sugar, and bake.

cardamom buns in a muffin tin

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try these other delicious sweet roll recipes.

cardamom buns on a cooling rack
Yield: 12 large buns

Cardamom Buns

Prep Time 40 minutes
Proofing Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes

These cardamom buns are made with a soft yeasted dough that's layered with butter, brown sugar, and of course, cardamom. After shaping they are topped with Swedish pearl sugar and baked in a muffin tin.

Ingredients

FOR THE DOUGH

  • 240 grams (1 cup, 240 milliliters) milk, dairy or non-dairy will work fine
  • 7 grams (2 ¼ teaspoons, 1 package) active dry or instant yeast
  • 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
  • 480-600 grams (4-5 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 85 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

FOR THE FILLING

  • 56 grams (¼ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 200 grams (1 cup) brown sugar, I prefer dark brown
  • 1 tablespoon ground cardamom

FOR THE TOPPING

  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • Swedish pearl sugar or coarse turbinado sugar

Instructions

Make the Rolls

  1. Warm the milk (227 grams / 1 cup) to about 110-115°F/43-46°C. Add the yeast (7 grams/ 2 ¼ teaspoons), and ½ teaspoon of sugar and stir to combine. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until you see some bubbles and foaming. 
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add flour (480 grams/ 4 cups), the rest of the sugar (50 grams/ ¼ cup), salt (1 ½ teaspoons), ground cardamom (2 teaspoons), butter (85 grams/ 6 tablespoons), eggs (2 large), and the yeast/milk mixture. Use clean hands to mix together until a sticky dough forms.
  3. If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a floured countertop. Dust flour over the top of the dough and knead the dough by hand for about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If kneading with a stand mixer, fit the mixer with a dough hook and knead at medium speed for 6-8 minutes. Add more flour as needed while kneading the dough. When the dough is finished being kneaded it will still be slightly sticky to the touch, but feels smooth and elastic and should stand tall when rounded into a ball.
  4. Move the kneaded dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, and cover with a piece of plastic wrap, a damp cloth, or a shower cap (my preference) to bulk ferment until doubled in size, about 1 hour for instant yeast and 2 hours for active dry yeast.
  5. After bulk fermentation, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and roll it out into a rectangle about 18 x 12-inches (46 x 30 cm) in size.  
  6. Spread the soft butter (56 grams/ ¼ cup) all over the dough leaving about ½-inch of the dough free from filling at the bottom long edge. Mix the ground cardamom (1 tablespoon) and brown sugar (200 grams/ 1 cup) together and then evenly distribute on top of the butter.
  7. Starting on the long edge that does have filling, tightly roll the dough up into a log. Pinch the clean edge to the log to seal. 
  8. Use a serrated knife to divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Now cut each quarter of the log into 3 equal pieces to get 12 rolls. 
  9. Transfer the cut rolls into a greased muffin tin and cover with plastic wrap. Proof the rolls for about 45 minutes if using instant yeast and about 75 minutes if using active dry yeast. 
  10. Position an oven rack to the center position. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
  11. Combine the egg (1 whole) and the water (1 tablespoon) together and whisk vigorously until well combined and very smooth. Brush gently over the rolls and sprinkle Swedish pearl sugar or coarse turbinado sugar over the top of each roll.
  12. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature.

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© Baker Bettie