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Fastelavn is almost here
Fastelavn seems to come around so quickly every year. It must feel that way because Christmas takes up so much time and energy, and then January seems to fly by because we’re all getting back into the swing of things, and suddenly it’s time for fastelavnsboller! We can’t complain, though. This is by far the best way to get through the cold and dark winter months, by eating lots of delicious pastries, especially fastelavnsboller. And luckily, we’ve put together our top fastelavnsboller recipes for you to check out, no matter if you’re an experienced or inexperienced baker.
What are fastelavnsboller?
You may not know what exactly fastelavnsboller are. Good news! We wrote a blog post all about the history of fastelavnsboller, so you can learn lots of fun facts to share with people. But here’s the short summary: fastelavnsboller are basically a sweet bun filled with cream or other fillings. They come in lots of different flavors and can look very different depending on who bakes them. The Scandinavian countries also have different types; for example, Sweden has semlor. You can watch our video here to learn about some of the different types we’ll talk about today:
In Denmark, fastelavnsboller have become a very special seasonal item at almost every bakery. The traditional ones have always been around, but now, it’s popular to come up with new flavor combinations and ideas, and people share these widely on social media. There’s even a Fastelavn Bun Run half-marathon that takes you to different bakeries in Copenhagen, where you get to eat a bun at each stop. Honestly, it sounds terrible to participate in, but I bet it would be fun to watch 😆
Today’s post: Our fastelavnsboller recipes
So, in today’s post, we wanted to share with you how you can make your own fastelavnsboller at home, since you may not be lucky enough to be in Denmark at this time of year. And no matter what level of baker you are, you can definitely make at least one of the recipes below. Half the fun is coming up with ideas of your own for delicious fastelavnsboller, so feel free to riff on the fastelavnsboller recipes below and create your own.
Beginner: Traditional Fastelavnsboller
These vanilla custard-filled buns are the stuff of dreams. We call them old-fashioned or traditional, because you fill them with custard before baking. For more modern fastelavnsboller, you bake the buns without custard, which you then either split in half and fill with various fillings, or you poke a hole in the bottom and fill them like a donut. These old-fashioned ones give you the fluffiest dough, and the custard still stay deliciously creamy and smooth in the center. The best part is that some of the custard almost soaks into the dough, so you really do just end up with a deliciously soft bun full of vanilla flavor.
Fastelavnsboller (Danish Carnival Buns)
These pastry cream filled cardamom buns are one of the most delicious treats – they're fluffy, creamy, sweet, and just taste absolutely amazing! In Denmark, we eat these in the lead-up to one of our favorite holidays as children – Fastelavn!
Check out this recipe
Beginner: Chocolate Fastelavnsboller
Now, if you like the sound of the old-fashioned fastelavnsboller, and you’re a chocolate lover, these are perfect for you. We turn the vanilla pastry cream in the middle into a chocolate custard, which has both cocoa powder and melted chocolate in it to give you all the richness you need in a chocolate filling. Then, the dough also has cocoa powder in it, as well as some espresso to really complement and bring out that chocolate flavor. They’re definitely decadent – that’s for sure – but I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Fastelavn than to truly embrace the nature of the holiday, which is to eat delicious and rich food.
Chokolade Fastelavnsboller (Chocolate Danish Carnival Buns)
A chocolate dream of a Fastelavn bun, perfect if you're looking for a fun twist on the traditional Nordic Carnival buns!
Check out this recipe
Intermediate: Choux Pastry Raspberry Fastelavnsboller
For an intermediate baker, these choux pastry raspberry fastelavnsboller are a great project. Choux pastry can be a little bit more challenging than a regular yeasted enriched dough, like the one in the two beginner recipes. That’s because you have to get the dough to the right consistency, and then it has to bake up nice and airy, with a crispy exterior and a soft and fluffy interior. There are a few ways it can go wrong, which is why our recipe has all the tips and tricks you’ll need to get a perfect end result. And the best part? Our filling was inspired by raspberry cheesecake, so it’s sweet and creamy and tangy and everything you could ever want in a fastelavnsbolle.
Choux Pastry Raspberry Fastelavnsboller
These cheesecake-inspired choux pastry raspberry fastelavnsboller are sure to be a hit with anyone this winter!
Check out this recipe
Advanced: Hazelnut and Salted Caramel Fastelavnsboller
If you really like a challenge, then this is the recipe for you. These fastelavnsboller are made with wienerbrødsdej, or Danish pastry dough. Why is this so difficult? Well, it’s laminated dough, meaning you have to fold sheets of butter into the pastry. This can be tricky because the butter has to be at the exact right temperature. It can’t be too cold, or it will crack and leave chunks in the dough, instead of those nice thin sheets that you want. It can’t be too warm, or else it’ll just leak out of the dough entirely and you’ll be left with huge gaps where the butter was supposed to be.
So, needless to say, it’s definitely one for the brave bakers out there. However, once you make it, we can promise you it’ll be the best fastelavnsbolle you’ve ever had. And that’s all thanks to the fillings! A salted caramel sauce and a hazelnut remonce, which work perfectly to balance out the buttery and flaky pastry. If this doesn’t sound like exactly what Fastelavn is about, I don’t know what does!
Hazelnut and Salted Caramel Fastelavnsboller
A flaky and buttery Danish pastry bun, filled with a sweet hazelnut paste, whipped cream, and salted caramel sauce. Fancy, delicious, impressive…can it get any better?
Check out this recipeWhich one will you try out?
As I’m sure you can tell by how many fastelavnsboller recipes we’ve developed, we love them. And we think they’re so fun to bake at home, especially as a way to participate in the holiday when we don’t usually get to go to Denmark around this time of year. So, what is your favorite type of fastelavnsbolle? Let us know in the comments. And if you had to choose one from this post, which one would you try making? Thanks for reading, and we hope this post reminded you to make some fastelavnsboller this year!
