Have you tried making sweet raisin buns at home yet? This Norwegian Raisin Buns recipe is an excellent one to start with! Soft and fluffy buns with a hint of cardamom — in no time!
This sweet raisin buns recipe is so easy to make — you don’t even need to soften the raisins.
The dough is not sticky, so kneading it with your hands will not be difficult.
Serve it with a cup of coffee or tea or dunk it in a glass of milk — enjoy it with your favorite beverage all year round.
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Ingredients
- Yeast – I always use active dry yeast to make these sweet raisin buns.
- Milk – full cream milk, if possible.
- Butter – unsalted, melted, and cooled.
- Flour – I strongly suggest using bread flour to get softer and fluffier Norwegian buns.
- Sugar – granulated white sugar is excellent for this recipe.
- Raisins – there is no need to soak them; add them directly into the Norwegian buns dough.
- Salt and ground cardamom – just use your favorite brand.
- Egg – you only need this for the egg wash to give your sweet raisin buns that lovely, golden color.
Preparation
Start making Norwegian raisin buns by preparing the dough for proofing.
Combine warm milk with yeast.
Set aside until it’s foamy and ready.
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and ground cardamom — using a large bowl or a stand-mixer bowl.
Add the cooled, melted butter and yeast mixture.
Mix, and knead until you form a smooth dough.
Add the raisins.
Combine the raisins evenly with the rest of the Norwegian buns dough — try to keep them intact in the process.
Form the dough into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl.
Cover with a kitchen cloth and set aside in a warm place until it doubles.
Punch the dough in the center to deflate and divide it into twelve portions.
Form each portion into a small ball and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper — keep some space between each ball.
Cover with a cloth and set aside until the sweet raisin buns double in size — it generally takes thirty to forty-five minutes.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (375°F).
Prepare the egg wash by combining the egg with three tablespoons of milk.
Brush each raisin bun with the egg wash using a pastry brush.
Place the baking tray in the lower part of the oven for twelve to fifteen minutes or until they turn darker in color.
Remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack.
Once they’ve cooled, serve and enjoy your Norwegian raisin buns!
Helpful tips
- You don’t have to marinate the raisins in any liquid.
Keeping them dry makes them less susceptible to breaking when combined with the Norwegian buns dough.
- If you do not have a stand mixer, it’s completely fine to prepare the dough manually and knead it with your hands.
- For a more precise measurement of each sweet raisin bun, use a weighing scale for the whole dough, divide it by twelve, then weigh each portion accordingly.
Recipe variation
- Other dried fruits. You can use this same recipe for making buns with sultana, currants, or even dried cranberries.
- Ground cardamom. If you noticed, I used cardamom seeds in the image of the ingredients on top; I just ground them myself.
But if it’s easier for you to purchase cardamom powder, use it instead.
Note that the cardamom aroma (and flavor) is more noticeable if you use cardamom seeds.
So how about it? Give these Norwegian raisin buns a try this weekend, and let me know!
IF YOU WANT MORE NORDIC RECIPES, YOU WILL LOVE THESE RECIPES BY COUNTRY!
📖 Recipe
Norwegian Raisin Buns Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For raisin buns dough:
- 250 ml milk (1 cup + 1 tablespoon), warm
- 2 & 1/4 teaspoons yeast
- 75 grams butter, melted (1/3 cup when melted)
- 400 grams bread flour (2 & 1/2 to 3 cups), plus more for dusting
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup raisins
For egg wash:
- 1 egg, beated
- 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Start by combining warm milk with yeast and setting it aside until it's foamy.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl (or stand mixer bowl): flour, sugar, salt, and ground cardamom.
- Add the cooled, melted butter and yeast mixture.
- Mix, and knead until you form a smooth dough.
- Add the raisins and incorporate them with the rest of the Norwegian buns dough — try to keep them intact in the process.
- Form the dough into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl.
- Cover with a kitchen cloth and set aside in a warm place until it doubles.
- Deflate the dough by punching it in the center, then divide it into 12 portions.
- Form each piece into a small ball and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, with some space between.
- Cover with a cloth and set aside until the sweet raisin buns double in size — it usually takes 30 to 45 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (375°F).
- Prepare the egg wash by combining the egg with 3 tablespoons of milk.
- Brush each raisin bun with the egg wash using a pastry brush.
- Place the baking tray in the lower part of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until they turn darker in color.
- Remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack for a few minutes.
- Serve and enjoy your Norwegian raisin buns!
Notes
- Cook’s Tip #1: I know it’s quite normal to marinate raisins with some liquid, but don’t do it for this raisin buns recipe — it helps keep them intact when mixing with the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook’s Tip #2: If you do not have a stand mixer, it’s completely fine to prepare the dough manually and knead it with your hands.
- Cook’s Tip #3: To ensure all your Norwegian buns are the same size, use a digital scale to weigh each portion before forming them.
Jessica
LOVE!!! I originally was looking for a recipe for these rolls I get at my local polish bakery, I stumbled across this recipe and I knew I had to try it. These turned out lovely and I’m saving this recipe for at least once or twice a month <3