A wooden table is set with a glass of beer, a fork and a plate of meatballs with mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam and brown gravy.

Meatballs with mashed potato

Traditional Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberries – recipe

Swedish meatballs are as close to a national dish that we have in Sweden. Everyone has their own favourite recipe and many celebrity chefs serve their own versions in their restaurants.Most people will say that their mum’s recipe is the best of course! Why not impress your friends and cook your own Swedish meatballs with this easy recipe?

Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberries – recipe

A tray with a plate of cured salmon with dill and a few drink glasses.

Cured salmon

Cured salmon ('gravad lax') – recipe

Cured salmon, &#x27;gravad lax&#x27; or &#x27;gravlax&#x27;, is a marinated salmon dish and along with smoked salmon it&#x27;s hugely popular on the Swedish smorgasbord. It is often served with a mustard sauce called &#x27;Hovmästarsås&#x27;.Keep in mind that salmon should be frozen for 72 hours beforehand to kill any parasites. However, you can also cure it and freeze it afterwards. This is great if you are planning a big dinner and want to prepare a couple of days ahead.

Seen from above, a wooden table is set with a plate of potato pancakes and bacon, a jar of lingonberry jam and a glass of milk.

Potato pancakes

Potato pancakes ('Raggmunk') – recipe

Potato pancakes might sound unusual but it is a classic Swedish dish. Follow this easy potato pancake recipe and serve it with bacon and lingonberry jam for the full experience.

A sandwich cake covered in slices of radishes, presented on a plate in the outdoors.

Traditional sandwich cake

Savoury cake ('Smörgåstårta') – recipe

A Savoury cake? Yes, this is precisely what it is, and it’s delicious. The Sandwich cake, or &#x27;Smörgåstårta&#x27;, is a retro cake, hugely popular in the 70s and now having a revival as a Savoury cake served at parties. It looks like a cake, but instead of cream and sugary decorations, it can be decorated with radishes, dill, salmon, prawns or cucumber, to name a few toppings.

Traditional dishes

A rustic wooden table is set with a tray of typical Swedish Christmas treats such as lussebullar, nuts, and cups of mulled wine.

Christmas fika

Saffronbuns ('Lussekatter') – recipe

Along with gingerbread, saffron buns are a seasonal treat Swedes make for Advent and Lucia in the run-up to Christmas. This sweet, saffron-flavoured bun, known as &#x27;lussekatt&#x27; (directly translated as &#x27;Lucia cat&#x27;), is typically shaped into the letter ‘S’ to look like a curled-up cat, with raisins for decoration to resemble the cat’s eyes.

A table with gingerbread cookies in different shapes and a cup of mulled wine.

Gingerbread

Swedish Gingerbread ('Pepparkakor') – recipe

Making Swedish &#x27;pepparkakor&#x27; — or gingerbread cookies — is a tradition many Swedish families will do every Christmas. These spiced cookies are an integral part of Swedish Christmas celebrations like advent and Lucia.Bake your own gingerbread cookies with this easy gingerbread recipe. Whether you want to make gingerbread men or build a whole gingerbread house, this is where to start.

A table is set with Princess cake and pitcher of cordial.

Princess cake

Princess cake ('Prinsesstårta') – recipe

Princess cake is one of the most well-loved Swedish cakes, often served as a birthday cake or even as a wedding cake. It’s essentially a cream and marzipan cake, easily recognisable by its green colour and decorated with a pink rose. With this Swedish princess cake recipe, you can host your own Swedish fika!

Cinnamon buns

Cinnamon buns ('Kanelbullar') – recipe

Swedes love cinnamon buns so much that we have a special Cinnamon Bun Day on 4 October. Follow this recipe, and you can have your own cinnamon bun feast every day.

Close up picture of a bunch of ready baked Schackrutor (chessboards)

Chessboards

Chessboard cookies ('Schackrutor') – recipe

Recipe by top patisserie chef Mia Öhrn.

A plate with 'Chokladsnittar' (chocolate slices) cookies.

Chocolate slices

Chocolate slices ('Chokladsnittar') – recipe

A cookie jar with Swedish ‘hallongrottor’ (raspberry caves) cookies.

Raspberry caves

Raspberry caves ('Hallongrottor') – recipe

A piece has been carved out of a chocolate cake topped with chopped nuts.

Swedish 'kladdkaka'

Swedish sticky chocolate cake ('Kladdkaka') – recipe

This gooey chocolate cake is similar to mud cake or a sticky brownie and is great served with some whipped cream. Remember to allow the cake to cool properly before serving it. Then the cake gets the perfect sticky consistency!

Swedish 'semlor' in the making

Fat Tuesday-buns ('Semlor') – recipe

Bake your own Fat Tuesday-bun (&#x27;semla&#x27;) with this easy traditional recipe. A Swedish &#x27;semla&#x27; is a delicious sweet bun with an almond paste and whipped cream filling. Traditionally eaten for Lent (the Christian fasting period), &#x27;semlor&#x27; are now consumed from New Year&#x27;s until Easter.

A strawberry cake is placed on a Dollie in nature.

Swedish strawberry cake

Classic strawberry cake ('Jordgubbstårta') – recipe

An authentic Swedish strawberry and cream cake is essential for a <a id="8270" linktype="page">Midsummer</a> feast. It is quite an easy cake to make, essentially a sponge cake filled with vanilla cream and strawberry jam, and decorated with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Here’s an easy strawberry cake recipe to try at home.

Sweet treats

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Recipes

We have collected some traditional Swedish recipes so you can make your own. Happy cooking and baking!

All of sweden

Une table est dressée avec un verre de bière, une fourchette et une assiette dans laquelle il y a des boulettes de viande, de la purée de pommes de terre et de la confiture.

Boulettes de viande, purée de pommes de terre et confiture d'airelles

Un gâteau aux fraises est posé sur un chariot avec la nature en arrière-plan.

Gâteau aux fraises

Das Semlor Gebäck, das mit Marzipan und Schlagsahne gefüllt und mit Kardamom aromatisiert ist, wird mit Puderzucker bestreut.

Semlor

Une table avec des biscuits au gingembre et un verre de vin chaud épicé.

Biscuits au gingembre avec du glögg

Een tafel met speculaaskoekjes in verschillende vormen en een beker glühwein.

Peperkoek met glögg

Von oben fotografiert, steht auf dem Holztisch ein Teller mit Kartoffelpuffern und Speck, ein Glas Preiselbeermarmelade und ein Glas Milch.

Raggmunk

A plate with vegan meatballs, sauce, pickled cucumber, lingonberry jam and mashed potatoes.

Ein Teller mit veganen Fleischbällchen, Soße, eingelegter Gurke, Preiselbeermarmelade und Kartoffelpüree.

Vegane 'Köttbullar'

Een bord met vegan gehaktballetjes, saus, ingelegde komkommer, rode bosbessenjam en aardappelpuree.

Vegan gehaktballetjes

Vegan meatballs

Vegan meatballs with mash potatoes and cream sauce – recipe

Swedish meatballs, or &#x27;köttbullar&#x27;, has a cherished status in Sweden. Whether you&#x27;re taking a break at a furniture store or dining at a trendy restaurant, whether you lean towards the classic beef version or the vegan option, the Swedish national dish, featuring its meatballs, creamy mashed potatoes, irresistible gravy, and tart lingonberries is always a delightful choice.

Une part a été découpée dans un gâteau au chocolat garni de noix hachées.

Kladdkaka

Er is een stuk gesneden uit een chocoladetaart met daarop gehakte noten.

Zweedse 'kladdkaka'

Medelpad

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Ångermanland

Swedish Lapland – a culture-rich natural wonderland

Jämtland Härjedalen – a twin province with majestic scenery

Hälsingland – a world of cultural heritage and untouched nature

Gästrikland – a peaceful county by the Baltic Sea

Dalarna – a miniature Sweden rich in nature and culture

Stockholm – the capital of Scandinavia

Sörmland – a pleasure garden studded with castles

Uppland – where Swedish history comes to life

Värmland  – a lake-rich haven of natural beauty

Västmanland – magnificent nature and history close to Stockholm

Närke

Blekinge – a small county with great archipelago adventures

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Dalsland

Gotland – where Viking-era history meets unique natural scenery

Gothenburg – Sweden’s second largest city

Halland – a coastal haven for foodies and nature lovers alike

Malmö – a city of contrasts and an international melting pot

Skåne – a coastal county steeped in history

Småland – as Swedish as it gets

Västergötland

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Östergötland

Recipes of Sweden

Want to plan your holiday based on your interests? Select activities of choice or explore Sweden geographically.

Recipes

Traditional dishes

Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberries – recipe

Cured salmon ('gravad lax') – recipe

Potato pancakes ('Raggmunk') – recipe

Savoury cake ('Smörgåstårta') – recipe

Sweet treats

Saffronbuns ('Lussekatter') – recipe

Swedish Gingerbread ('Pepparkakor') – recipe

Princess cake ('Prinsesstårta') – recipe

Cinnamon buns ('Kanelbullar') – recipe

Chessboard cookies ('Schackrutor') – recipe

Chocolate slices ('Chokladsnittar') – recipe

Raspberry caves ('Hallongrottor') – recipe

Swedish sticky chocolate cake ('Kladdkaka') – recipe

Fat Tuesday-buns ('Semlor') – recipe

Classic strawberry cake ('Jordgubbstårta') – recipe

General

Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberries – recipe

Saffronbuns ('Lussekatter') – recipe

Chessboard cookies ('Schackrutor') – recipe

Classic strawberry cake ('Jordgubbstårta') – recipe

Fat Tuesday-buns ('Semlor') – recipe

Savoury cake ('Smörgåstårta') – recipe

Cured salmon ('gravad lax') – recipe

Raspberry caves ('Hallongrottor') – recipe

Swedish Gingerbread ('Pepparkakor') – recipe

Princess cake ('Prinsesstårta') – recipe

Potato pancakes ('Raggmunk') – recipe

Vegan meatballs with mash potatoes and cream sauce – recipe

Cinnamon buns ('Kanelbullar') – recipe

Chocolate slices ('Chokladsnittar') – recipe

Swedish sticky chocolate cake ('Kladdkaka') – recipe