Soft and golden Nordic-style bagels with warm cardamom and a touch of brown sugar. A cozy breakfast or fika treat!
Ingredients
- 50 g unsalted butter 🧈
- 2 large eggs 🥚
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (approx. 360 g)
- 2 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp sea salt 🧂
- 200 ml 20% cream 🥛
- 0.7 cup brown sugar (about 140 g)
- 12 green cardamom pods 🌿
- Wheat bran (optional, for extra fiber) 🌾
- ½ cup warm water (for yeast)
- Extra egg + splash of cream (for brushing)
Instructions
- Toast and grind the cardamom. Toast whole cardamom pods in a dry pan for 1–2 min until fragrant. Crack open, extract seeds, and grind finely in a mortar. You’ll need ~1.5 tsp.
- Activate the yeast. Stir the yeast and a pinch of sugar into warm water. Let sit 5–10 minutes until frothy.
- Make the dough. In a large bowl, sift 2 cups of flour with salt. Add bran and cardamom. In another bowl, beat eggs with warm cream, add yeast mixture and brown sugar. Mix with dry ingredients. Then stir in melted butter.
- Knead. Gradually add remaining flour. Knead 8–10 minutes until dough is soft and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours.
- Shape the bagels. Deflate dough, divide into 20 pieces. Roll each into a rope and connect ends to form a bagel. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment.
- Let rise again. Cover with damp cloths and rest for 30–40 minutes.
- Brush and bake. Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F). Brush bagels with beaten egg mixed with a splash of cream. Bake 18–20 min until golden brown.
- Cool slightly and serve warm with butter, honey or Scandinavian jam. 🧈🍯
Notes
💡 Chef’s Tips from a Nordic Soul
- Use freshly ground cardamom – the aroma is a game-changer.
- Bran is optional, but adds lovely texture and fiber.
- No stand mixer? Hand-kneading is therapeutic — just turn on some Sigur Rós and embrace the rhythm. 🎶
- These bagels freeze beautifully. Just warm them up in the oven for 5 minutes.
🧁 Serving Suggestions
- Serve warm with butter & cloudberry jam 🍓
- Dip in spiced tea or gløgg 🍷
- Toast and top with cream cheese & smoked salmon for a Nordic twist 🐟
- Add a sprinkle of pearl sugar before baking for a Swedish fika feel 🍬
🥯 Scandinavian Cardamom Bagels: Cozy Rings of Nordic Joy 💛❄️
You know, some recipes just smell like home. And for me, these soft, fragrant Scandinavian cardamom bagels are exactly that. 🏡 As a chef who's madly in love with the North — its pine forests, its snowy silence, and its love for all things baked — these golden rings are more than just breakfast food. They're comfort baked into a circle. 🍂🥯🌿 A Bit of Spice, a Lot of Heart
Cardamom is the soul of Nordic baking. Used in everything from buns to cookies, it gives these bagels a subtle citrusy warmth that whispers, not shouts. 😌 These bagels aren’t like the dense, chewy kind from New York. They’re softer, buttery, slightly sweet, and gently kissed with crushed cardamom pods. Traditionally, you'd find them in Swedish or Norwegian bakeries, often eaten warm with a slab of butter and a mug of strong coffee ☕ or gløgg 🍷. I first tasted them at a winter market in Bergen — snowflakes falling, mittens on, biting into a freshly baked bagel so fragrant it stopped time. That’s when I knew: I need to bake these forever. 😍 Norwegian recipes