Scandinavian inspired recipes from fika treats like cardamom buns and visiting cake to salmon soup and Swedish meatballs. Delicious comfort food, Nordic style!
Sure, you’ve baked spritz cookies during the holidays, and maybe you’ve had a Swedish meatball or two, (thanks Ikea), but do you really know what Scandinavian food is all about?
These Scandinavian/Nordic recipes run the gamut from light, bright, and minimal all the way to uber cozy and comforting ~ and that’s what’s so exciting about Nordic cuisine, it’s got it all covered, and more. Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden have made an art out of cozy cold weather cooking, but this region is also known for its brilliant spring and summer recipes. If you happen to have some Nordic DNA, share your favorite recipes in the comments!
CHOPPED STEAK WITH BACON AND MUSHROOM GRAVY
This classic shopped steak skillet is a Danish recipe straight from Mormor’s kitchen. Served with a big plate of boiled parslied potatoes, this chopped steak is a meal fit for a (Viking) king.
FINNISH SALMON SOUP (Lohikeitto)
One of my favorite Nordic recipes, this pretty soup has a light creamy broth infused with dill and allspice, and of course, chunks of tender salmon. I make a quick fish stock, which is essential for the flavor, using the salmon skin. Waste not want not 🙂
SWEDISH CARDAMOM BUNS (KARDEMUMMABULLAR)
Swedish Cardamom Buns is a classic Scandinavian recipe ~ they’re soft, plush sweet rolls with a fragrant cardamom sugar filling. This easy knotted pastry is beyond delicious and so easy to make, I?ll hold your hand through it, step by step!
ROAST CHICKEN WITH POTATOES, APPLES, AND BROWN CABBAGE
I guarantee this aromatic meal is like no chicken you’ve had before ~ it’s become a winter staple in our house. It brings together everything we love about Scandinavian recipes into one delicious pot!
SARAH BERNHARDT COOKIES
Sarah Bernhardt Cookies are a little known Scandinavian cookie with a dramatic flair ~ they’re gluten free, too!
LINGONBERRY JAM TART WITH CARDAMOM
The combination of tart jam with warm cardamom all wrapped up in a buttery shortbread crumble is irresistible!
SWEDISH VISITING CAKE
Swedish Visiting Cake is a buttery, almond-infused cake that is simple and elegant ~ the perfect excuse for a Swedish style fika coffee break!
TOASTED MUESLI
Technically more Alpine than Scandinavian, but too perfectly in the Nordic breakfast spirit to leave out. Muesli is a delicious cold cereal made by soaking rolled oats (along with totally optional but totally recommended add-ins like dried fruits, nuts, and seeds) in milk or a mixture of milk and yogurt. See my recipe for Bircher-muesli here.
RASPBERRY ALMOND DANISH
A shortcut version of the Danish breakfast favorite, this recipe puts this classic pastry within everyone’s reach!
GRATED POTATO CASSEROLE
Finnish-style grated potato casserole (riivinkropsu) is easy, wholesome, and cozy alongside everything from meatballs to roast chicken to salmon!
NORWEGIAN RHUBARB AND ALMOND CAKE
This lovely breakfast cake hails from Norway where rhubarb thrives in the chilly climate.
SWEDISH MEATBALL MEATLOAF
This recipe is fabulous, and takes no more effort than the same old loaf you’ve been making for years. It’s basically a giant Swedish meatball, complete with all the trimmings.
SWEDISH STYLE GINGER COOKIES
Crisp ginger cookies decorated for the snowy season with a pretty ~ but super easy ~ decorating technique.
SCANDINAVIAN STYLE RICE PUDDING WITH CRANBERRIES
A Scandi style Christmas dessert that feels right all year long. Sub spring and summer berries in season.
TRADITIONAL SWEDISH PEPPARKAKOR
This traditional Swedish Pepparkakor Recipe makes deliciously crisp spice cookies with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and clove. They’re a Scandinavian Christmas tradition and they’re absolutely fabulous!
SPRUCE TIP TEA
A simple vitamin C rich infusion of the bright green spruce shoots that appear in spring!
SWEDISH MEATBALLS
These Swedish cocktail meatballs are the more sophisticated, toothpick-able versions of the ones you get at Ikea ~ they’re delicate and tender, with that classic lightly spiced gravy that drives everybody mad.
SWEDISH MEATBALL NOODLE BOWLS
A modern way to enjoy these iconic meatballs ~ so good and so comforting. Kids love this!
SWEDISH SUGAR COOKIES
A classic cookie that spans the seasons ~ just swap out the sprinkles to match your mood!
CREAMY SALMON SOUP WITH LEMON
Fish soups like this creamy salmon soup are a highlight of Nordic cuisine. Compared to American or Mediterranean soups they tend to be a bit lighter, both in texture and flavor.
SHAVED VEGETABLE SALAD
I was influenced by Scandi minimalism in this colorful salad ~ it proves that just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you can’t have a bit of fresh crunch in your diet.
SCANDINAVIAN WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE (Kladdkaka) ~ Yellow Days
This classic sticky chocolate cake comes straight from the sidewalk cafes of Sweden, and the pages of the Fika and Hygge cookbook. You can use your favorite type of chocolate for this cake.
SWEDISH BREAKFAST PUFFS
Swedish Breakfast Puffs are cloud-soft and dunked in butter, then cardamom sugar for the perfect morning bite. Think bite-size doughnut meets muffin meets tea cake (if you love my Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins or my Cinnamon Toast Muffins, you’ll love these!)
7-LAYER SMOKED SALMON DIP
This beautiful Scandinavian inspired layered salmon dip is a stunning appetizer for any gathering. I?ve given you suggestions for the layers, but you can definitely customize it, there are so many possibilities.
HASSELBACK POTATOES
These accordion-sliced, baked potatoes were first served in the 1950s at the Hasselbacken restaurant in Stockholm, and the name stuck!
MIDSUMMER AQUAVIT COCKTAIL ~ Honestly Yum
A beloved Nordic spirit, Aquavit (water of life) is a neutral alcohol, like vodka, flavored with caraway, and sometimes dill, fennel, coriander, citrus and anise. Everybody drinks it up North. Skoal!
NORDIC OPEN FACED SMOKED SALMON SANDWICHES
Open faced sandwiches are a way of life in the North. This beautiful Nordic recipe makes a lunch or light dinner, and the toppings are endlessly variable. Move over avocado toast!
CARDAMOM SPRITZ COOKIES
Spritz cookies are a beloved Scandinavian recipe and we Americans love them too! These cookies are particularly popular in Sweden and Norway, where they’re known as “spritsar” or “sprut kaker”, respectively.
So many great ideas, but trouble do
Can’t open many of the recipes. I tried the Lingonberry jam tart and it is fabulous, though extremely sweet. Many of the recipes wouldn’t open for me so I will go into Pinterest and type in the names of those I sought and hope I can find them.
You ROCK, girl! Love all your recipes! It is an inspiration for my daily cooking.
Love you. Thanks a million for all the delicious food you inspire me to cook.
Janete Fors
🙂 this makes my day!
Sue, your photography is stunning. Each photo is a mouthwatering vision. Now, only one request, if you will move to NYC and cook for me everyday I’ll retire from my kitchen! EE
Lol, I’m so sick of cooking by the end of the day Ellen, leftovers are my go-to!
I have made several of these recipes and they have been soooo good. Thank you for this post.
where are the actual reciepes for printing?
Click on the names of the dishes, India, it will take you to the recipes.
As a half Swede, half Icelander and who grew up in Denmark…I must make a few corrections.
Pönnukökur means pancakes in Icelandic and are like crêpes (thin, eaten with something sweet), eaten with sugar/jam and whipped creap, but it is NOT a traditional Icelandic breakfast. On the other hand, we do eat something called skonsa (in singular), skonsur (in plural) for breakfast (though only at my grandparents’ and as a luxury. It’s hardly a daily or even weekly or monthly thing to have for breakfast) that are thicker (almost like American pancakes) and eaten with something savoury, e.g. cheese and ham. So if you’re referring to the savoury meal and breakfast, it’s skonsur. If you’re referring to Icelandic-style pancakes, it’s pönnukökur, but not a breakfast.
Secondly, Lussekatter…oh my God, it literally hurt in my Swedish heart when I read “cinnamon buns”. WHAT?! Nooooooooo! Swedish cinnamon buns (kanelbullar) are amazing! But kanelbullar does NOT equal lussekatter (which are also amazing)- at all! Lussekatter are safron buns and should never – EVER – be combined with cinnamon. Furthermore, Lussekatter are season specific: they are only eaten around Christmas (more specifically on Lucia Day, the 13th of December) while kanelbullar (actual cinnamon buns) can be eaten whenever.
I wouldn’t quite say that these recipes represent “what Nordic food is really about”, e.g. beetroot risotto? We eat beetroot but we don’t really make things of it, like the famous Polish/Russian beetroot soups etc. And risotto is VERY far from the Nordic kitchen. Some of these recipes may come from the fancy “New Nordic kitchen”, which is admittedly very in, but again, that doesn’t represent what we traditionally eat or ‘what it’s all about’. Just something for the readers (and blogger) to be aware of when dreaming of traditional vs new Nordic/non-Nordic cuisine! 🙂
such cool recipes and Ideas! I am glad I stumble upon your webpage! It is beautiful! I will definitely follow your recipes!
Welcome in Stacie 🙂
Lovely collection and very nordic. The lusekatte are quite unusual but I bet she have (several) more traditional recipes on her webside. My mom used to make “gravet laks” all the time as my dad bought home lots af lovely salmons from Greenland (probably the best in the world). It is very easy to make, but you need to have a good fish.
What a wonderful recipes. I know a few a them I live in Sweden…Other will trie in a soon future
Thanks for visiting Gosia!
What a beautiful collection! It will be fun to try a lot of these. My grandparents were from Denmark and I wish I’d spent more time cooking at my grandmother’s side!
Thanks for the link Inger ~ my great grandmother made red cabbage and it was a staple on all our holiday tables, she added a shredded apple to hers. I love the idea of getting the caramelization at the bottom of the pan, what a great idea.
You can make this in so many ways and there is no right or wrong version as long as it do not turn dry, bitter or undercooked. In Denmark its a tradition to ad currant juice, and in recent years (since the 90s) it is often made with xmas spices for Christmas. People are sure this is a very old tradition, but its really not. Up until the 1990s it was made with sugar, vinegar and currant juice and not much else. The dish itself is quite old (from around 1900 and the youngest dish on a traditional danish Christmas table) but all the additions of appels, honey and spices are younger.
but not all from the 1990 I should add. Appels are eg older.