Wondering what a typical Swedish breakfast is? Keep reading then and find out if you can take some excellent tips from the Swedes!

If only we could keep eating Swedish cinnamon buns … 😉
Unlike in other non-Nordic countries, we don’t usually have pancakes for breakfast, either.
But cinnamon rolls are definitely common for breakfast — especially when it’s Cinnamon Bun Day!
CHECK OUT THE REST OF MY SWEDISH CUISINE SERIES!
What do Swedes eat for breakfast?
The traditional Swedish breakfast is relatively healthy. It always has at least two of these items:
- fresh fruits
- cheese or cured meat
- fresh vegetables
- bread, porridge, or cereal
- coffee or tea
That’s only the basics, of course.
As expected, we all have our favorites — like that Swedish caviar in a tube (but that’s a different story 😉 ).
Porridge
Oatmeal or porridge is very common for Swedish breakfast.
Serve it with some fresh fruits or a dollop of marmalade and a cup of coffee, and you’re off to a good start.
Muesli cereal
Muesli cereal is quite big here if we are to base it on the varieties available in every supermarket.
We love combining it with filmjölk, which is like a light yogurt, and it comes in plain or different flavors.
Sandwiches
Sandwiches are either open-faced or the ones with buns.
Although there is a wide variety of ingredients used, these are the typical ones used to prepare a sandwich for a Swedish breakfast.
- Cheese – usually slices of hard cheese, but soft cheese is not uncommon.
- Cured meat, cold cuts, boiled eggs, or shrimp.
- Fresh vegetables – slices of bell peppers, cucumber, and tomatoes are some of our favorites.
- Bread – this could be a bun, a slice of sourdough bread, or a piece of Swedish cracker.
- Butter – we rarely use mayonnaise; butter is what we love to spread on the bread (or cracker) instead.
- Leafy greens – lettuce, rucola, baby spinach, etc.
- Fresh fruit – not all the time, but slices of avocado are quite common.
Ostfrallor (Swedish Cheese Buns)
These cheese buns are so easy to make at home, even without a stand mixer — and they’re also excellent for freezing.
So, you can just heat these buns in the oven when you’re ready to use them for your breakfast.
And, of course, a cup of tea or freshly brewed coffee to round everything up.
You prefer some fruit juice instead? That’s not a problem, either. We also love having a glass of orange juice on the side.
Lastly, cakes (or sweets) are alright occasionally, but not the ones loaded with icing or cream.
Like Swedish cinnamon buns, this cardamom cake is great for breakfast because it’s not overly sweet. Instead, you get the perfect balance of spice, sugar, and cake in every bite.
So, give them a try, and let me know if you have a favorite among these typical Swedish breakfast choices — completely understandable if you still say kanelbullar! 🙂
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