These traditional Skoleboller Norwegian sweet buns, also called school buns, are pillowy-soft rolls seasoned with cardamon, filled with rich vanilla custard, and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze and coconut sprinkles. They’re similar to cinnamon rolls but with more bun and less filling. And they’re so incredibly scrumptious!
Skoleboller Norwegian Sweet Buns Recipe
Are you drooling yet?!?
Many counties have a go-to sweet roll. And in Norway, it’s these dreamy little Skoleboller sweet buns.
And trust me, they’re so good! They’re made with a sweet enriched dough — the same type of dough used in cinnamon rolls, brioche, and donuts. And then they’re filled with vanilla pastry cream before baking. And finally, they’re topped with sweet vanilla glaze and unsweetened shredded coconut.
They’re not as sweet or as spice-forward as a cinnamon roll. But they bring all the warm, comforting hygge vibes! Which makes them the perfect after-school treat (hence the name school buns or school bread) or holiday brunch dish.
Norwegian Sweet Buns Recipe Ingredients:
Plus, they’re pretty easy to make. Just make sure to build in time for the dough to rise (about 2 hours total). Here’s what you’ll need to make this mouthwatering treat.
- FLOUR: Use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- GRANULATED AND CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR: You’ll need granulated white sugar for the dough and vanilla custard cream. And confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar) is for the glaze.
- YEAST: I used Fleischmann’s RapidRise yeast, but any rapid rising yeast should work! If you don’t have rapid rise yeast on hand, you can also use regular yeast but you’ll have to double the rise time.
- GROUND CARDAMON: If you’re not familiar with cardamom, it’s a spice that is made from grinding the seed pods of the cardamom plant. The plant is in the ginger family, and cardamom has a warm, clove-like, and slightly citrusy flavor with a hint of fennel. And although the plant is from India, it’s a very popular spice in both sweet and savory Scandinavia recipes (thanks to the Vikings for first importing the spice).
- KOSHER SALT
- SALTED BUTTER
- MILK: Use full-fat milk for this recipe.
- EGGS
- CREAM: Cream is used in the custard cream.
- CORNSTARCH: This is used as a thickening agent in the vanilla pastry cream.
- VANILLA BEAN
- SHREDDED UNSWEETENED COCONUT
SHOP THE POST
How to Make Vanilla Custard School Buns:
This Skoleboller Norwegian custard buns recipe is pretty straightforward, but it does require a bit of planning and time. Here are some tips to make it easier!
- PLAN AHEAD: When you’re working with yeast, you have to give the dough enough time to rise. This is the secret to soft, moist rolls! So be patient. This dough’s first rise is about an hour. And then once you’ve formed the rolls, the dough needs another 45 minutes to rise.
- BEST TYPE OF PAN: These rolls are bagel-sized. To bake all 10 all at once, I’d recommend using a large sheet pan. You can also bake these in a pie or a rectangular baking dish like you’d bake cinnamon rolls. But the rolls do cook all squished together and lose their uniform shape.
- HOW TO TELL IF YOU’VE KNEADED THE DOUGH ENOUGH: The dough is ready when it’s smooth and you can stretch a piece of it between your fingers without it breaking. This is called the windowpane test and it determines if the gluten has sufficiently developed.
A Few More Recipe Tips:
- MAKE AHEAD: You can make both the vanilla pastry cream and the glaze can ahead of time. The cream can be made up to 3 days in advance and the glaze will last up to a week. Just keep both covered in the refrigerator. And when ready to use, bring it to room temperature and just give a stir to reconstitute the texture.
- STORING: These sweet buns are best served the day they’re made. But if you have any leftovers, you can store them covered and at room temperature for 2 days.
- FUN FACT: These sweet buns go by different names in different parts of Norway. In the west (where my family is from), they are called skoleboller (school buns) and in the east, skolebrød (school bread).
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Skoleboller Norwegian Vanilla & Coconut Sweet Buns
- Total Time: 3-4 hours (including rise time)
- Yield: 10 rolls 1x
Description
These scrumptious traditional Norwegian sweet buns are filled with vanilla custard and drizzled with a vanilla glaze and coconut sprinkles.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
FOR THE ROLLS:
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) Rapid Yeast
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
FOR THE VANILLA CREAM:
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 egg yolk
FOR THE GLAZE:
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
- 4 teaspoons whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Topping: shredded unsweetened coconut
Instructions
MAKE THE ROLLS:
- COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour (reserve the other 2 1/2 cups of flour), the yeast, the granulated sugar, cardamon, and the salt in a bowl. Mix to combine.
- WARM THE MILK AND BUTTER: In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the milk and butter for 30 seconds until the milk is warm and the butter is mostly melted. The mixture should be warm (100-110 degrees F) but not hot. If the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast and prevent your dough from rising. You can also do this in a saucepan on the stovetop.
- COMBINE: Add the warm milk and butter to the flour mixture. And then add 1 egg (the other egg will be used as an egg wash for the rolls). Beat on low speed, gradually increasing to high until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the bowl and add 2 1/2 more cups of flour, a little at a time, until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and form a ball.
- KNEAD THE DOUGH: Using your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, knead at a low speed for about 10 minutes until smooth, and you can stretch a piece of dough out between your fingers without it breaking. This is called the windowpane test, and it determines if the gluten has sufficiently developed. You can also knead the dough by hand on a well-floured surface, but it might take a bit longer.
- LET DOUGH RISE: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and place the bowl in a warm location. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about an hour. If using regular yeast, it could take 2 hours to rise.
- FORM THE ROLLS: When the dough is ready, transfer it to a floured surface and knead it for about 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces and then, using your hands, roll each piece into a ball. Place the balls onto a parchment-lined or buttered large baking sheet leaving space between the balls for the dough to rise (like you’re making cookies).
- LET RISE AGAIN: Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
- PREHEAT THE OVEN: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- FILL THE ROLLS: Use your thumb to create a dip in the center of the top of each roll. Fill each with 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla pastry cream. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg to make an egg wash. And then, brush the tops of each roll with the egg wash, avoiding the custard center.
- BAKE THE ROLLS: Bake each sweet bun until the rolls are cooked through, and the tops are golden brown, about 15-18 minutes. And then let the buns cool on a wire rack before frosting.
- FROST: Once the rolls are cooled to room temperature, spoon the tops with the vanilla icing and then sprinkle with coconut. Again, avoid the custard area. Serve immediately.
MAKE THE VANILLA PASTRY CREAM:
- COMBINE: While the rolls are rising, make the vanilla custard. To start, take 1 1/2 tablespoons of the milk and whisk it together with the cornstarch in a small bowl. Add the egg and whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- HEAT THE MILK, CREAM AND VANILLA: Add the remaining milk, the cream, and the sugar to a small saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out then the seeds with a knife or spoon. Add the seeds to the milk mixture and warm over medium heat to a simmer (don’t boil).
- WHISK IN EGG MIXTURE: Remove the milk mixture from the heat and slowly whisk it into the egg mixture. Go slow and keep whisking the entire time — you don’t want to scramble the eggs!
- STRAIN THE MIXTURE: Once it’s combined, strain the mixture back into the saucepan through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps. And then return the pan to the stove and bring it to a simmer.
- COOK: Simmer the mxiture, while continuing to stir it, until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Don’t boil it. Once done, spoon the pastry cream into a small bowl and let cool before using.
MAKE THE VANILLA GLAZE:
- Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until you get a thick glaze that you can easily spoon on top of the rolls. If it’s too thick, add a tad more milk. If it’s too thin, add a bit more sugar.
- Set aside until ready to use.
Notes
- MAKE AHEAD: You can make the vanilla pastry cream and the glaze can be made ahead of time. The cream can be made up to 3 days in advance and the glaze will last up to a week. Just keep both covered in the refigerator. And when ready to use, bring to room temperature and just give them a stir to constitute the texture.
- STORING: These sweet buns are best served the day they’re made. But if you have any leftovers, you can store them at covered and at room temperature for 2 days.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes plus 2 hours rise time
- Cook Time: 15-18 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Norwegian