7 Popular Swedish Snacks (That Are Fantastic)
How many of us enjoy snacking? If you’re in Sweden, the perfect time to enjoy a snack is during what the Swedish people call fika. If you don’t already know, fika is the concept of taking a break sometime during your day to wind down. Many take this time to enjoy a traditional Swedish snack, such as a pastry and a cup of coffee. Anyway, what I have for you today are some popular foods from Sweden that many people eat during fika (or any time of day, actually). Check out some of these DELICIOUS Swedish snacks below to learn more.
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1. Raggmunk – Swedish Potato Pancakes
Raggmunk is a Swedish pancake made primarily from potatoes, flour, and eggs.
There are actually 4 different versions of these pancakes in Sweden. Take a look at the list below to see what I mean.
- Raggmunkar – These are thin potato pancakes that look a lot like crepes. You make these using a wheat flour pancake batter, milk, egg, and raw shredded potatoes. To cook them you’ll need to fry them in butter.
- Potatisplättar – These Swedish potato pancakes are similar to the one above except you use cooked potatoes instead of raw.
- Rårakor – These potato pancakes are more like hash browns in that you’ll use shredded raw potatoes and fry them in butter (no eggs or flour).
- Potatisbullar – These are thick fried patties of mashed potatoes and eggs covered in breadcrumbs. Also, in case you did not already know this, many people in Sweden actually buy these pre-made.
What to Serve with Swedish Potato Pancakes
Many Swedish people enjoy serving and eating potato pancakes (all variations) with fried unsmoked bacon and lingonberry jam.
2. Knäckebröd – Swedish Crispbread
This is a dry flat cracker that’s made primarily from rye flour. Knäckebröd is derived from a similar bread that’s thicker called spisbröd.
Traditional Swedish rye crispbread consists of a round flat loaf with a hole in the middle. Why the hole, you may ask? Well, that’s to make it easier for storage! These bread would be hung on a long pole leaving more space in the kitchen.
To get a better understanding of what I mean, please take a look at this EXCELLENT video by ScandinavianToday. In this video, they show you just how easy it is to make this popular Scandinavian snack from Sweden.
Ok, so what if you don’t want to actually take the time to make this Swedish crispy rye bread? Well, you can sometimes find it at your local grocery store!
Although we are not Swedish, my family loves eating them with jam!
Our favorite brand is Wasa.
By the way, if you’re looking for healthy crispbread options, please check out this article by Eat This, Not That. They tell you about the best crispbread brand according to a nutritionist.
What to Serve With Swedish Crispbread (Knackebrod)
Many people in Sweden enjoy eating their Knäckebröd with any of the following ingredients spread on top:
- Butter
- Cheese
- Peppers
- Cucumbers
- Jam
3. Kardemummabulle – Swedish Cardamom Buns
Another popular Swedish snack is cardamom buns, which are shaped in knots. The name for them in Sweden is kardemummabulle.
These are sweet buns made of a sweet Indian spice called cardamom.
People in Sweden normally make them in either one of two ways:
- Cardamom seasoning all throughout the buttery dough
- Cardamom filling
If you ever have the chance to try these one day, enjoy yours with a cup of coffee or tea 😉
To make these at home, check out the basic ingredients you’ll need to make these sweet Swedish cardamom buns below:
- Milk
- Yeast
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Ground cardamom
- Egg
4. Smørrebrød
Another one of the more popular Scandinavian snacks you’ll find if you ever visit Sweden are what they call smorrebrod.
The BASIC translation for this Scandinavian sandwich is “butter bread” and it’s actually a SUPER common Scandinavian snack.
It’s an open-faced sandwich that’s very common in not only Sweden but in Denmark and Norway, too. In Sweden, it typically consists of rye bread topped with a spread of butter, cold cuts, meat (like smoked salmon), and cheese or spread.
Here, take a look at the video below by Pro Home Cooks to gain a better understanding of what I mean.
Now, doesn’t that look SOOOO delicious!?
5. Blåbärssoppa – Swedish Blueberry Soup
Ok, so this Swedish blueberry soup may not be commonly eaten as a Swedish snack. However, I would TOTALLY eat it as a snack in between meals!
(I mean… I totally eat cereal as a snack in between meals… so…)
Please note: although the Swedish use bilberries for this recipe, AKA European blueberries, North American blueberries are a good enough substitute.
Check out the following ingredients that are typical for Swedish blueberry soup (or Swedish blueberry drink if you choose to consume it that way):
- Bilberries (European blueberries)
- Sugar
- Water
- Potato starch
Also, you can eat it hot or cold and it can be eaten as a soup or a drink (as mentioned previously).
Check out the video below by Tastemade to see how delicious this is! Also, you’ll see that it’s a SUPER easy Swedish recipe!
If you’re interested in printing out this recipe, here’s the link to the YouTube channel. Just click on where it says “SHOW MORE” for the full recipe.
6. Prinskorv – Swedish Sausage
The literal translation of this Swedish sausage is prince sausage. This is a Swedish sausage that’s smaller in size and is normally sold in links.
And, it’s primarily made of spiced pork and veal.
Oh, and it’s especially popular to eat this Swedish food during Christmas time!
Also, I must add, that many Swedish people cook this meat by frying it in a frying pan. They serve it with a good amount of mustard, too.
What to Serve With Swedish Sausages
Depending on the time of year, many people enjoy eating these sausages with the following foods:
- Ham
- Pate
- Potatoes
- Pickled beets
- Meatballs
- Herring
- Salad
7. Limpa – Swedish Rye Bread
This is a very popular Swedish bread you make from rye and it has a subtle orange and spice taste.
YUM!
FYI, these are some of the basic ingredients that many Swedish limpa bread recipes require:
- Brown sugar
- Dark molasses
- Butter
- Grated orange zest
- Salt
- Aniseed
- Caraway seeds
- Fennel seeds
- Water
- Active dry yeast
- All-purpose flour
- Rye flour
Interested in trying out this recipe? Check out this GREAT video below by YouTuber Foodgeek (look for his written recipe in the link below the video):
Click here for Foodgeek’s recipe for Swedish Limpa.
Related Articles
Popular Swedish Snacks FAQ
In case you’re curious, here are some answers to frequently asked questions related to Swedish snacks.
What is the most popular snack in Sweden?
Dumle is one of the most popular snacks in Sweden. It’s a kind of chocolate-covered chewy toffee candy that a company called Fazer markets. Dumle is produced in Malmö, Sweden.
If you’re interested in trying it for yourself, you can purchase it on Amazon by clicking on this link.
What are some Swedish snacks?
Other than those Swedish snacks mentioned above, here is a list of other popular snacks from Sweden:
- Mazariner (Almond tart)
- Småkakor (Cookie)
- Rulltårta (Roll cake)
- Kokstoppar (Coconut macaroons)
- Prinsesstårta (Swedish green princess cake)
- Cheez Doodles (Swedish cheese puffs)
What do Swedes typically eat?
Many Swedish households consume the following foods in a typical Swedish diet:
- Crispbread
- Pickled herring
- Lingonberries
- Crayfish
- Räksmörgås
- Ӓrtsoppa och pannkakor (Pea soup with pancakes)
Final Thoughts On Swedish Snacks
And that’s a wrap! I hope you seriously consider making at least one of these Swedish treats. Did any of them stand out to you? Which ones? If so, please let me know in the comments below!
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