Best Scandinavian Recipes (2024)

Best Scandinavian Recipes (1)

Think Scandinavian inspiration and think interior design, mid-century furniture and winter-ready textiles. But our Nordic neighbours are making waves in the kitchen too, with an emphasis on fresh seasonal ingredients and simple cooking foodies all over the world are falling for Scandinavian flavours.

Scandinavian cooking isn't just for winter, either. Sure, Swedish flavours of cinnamon and nutmeg cry out for a cosy night in but we do the cuisine an injustice to write it off during the summer months. Countries like Sweden, Norway and Denmark cherish light; fresh; frothy flavours too. Dishes rely on the locality and freshness of their ingredients to add flavour, not a heavy hand from the chef in the kitchen.

Salmon gravlax atop rye bread served with a cucumber yoghurt or an open sandwich with roe and garden herbs are both things of beauty, and perfect examples of the light touch Scandinavian cuisine has.

Add some Scandi-style to your kitchen with our favourite Scandinavian recipes. From easy breakfast dishes and fish recipes to beautiful rye bread and cinnamon cookies, it’s all about Scandi-cool right now.

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1

Bill Granger’s Gravlax

Best Scandinavian Recipes (3)

A big platter of gravlax served with a variety of rye breads and crackers is a perfect, elegant dinner – and takes barely any effort.

Recipe available here.

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2

Potato Rosti with Mackerel and Hens Egg

Best Scandinavian Recipes (5)

Valentine Warner's golden potato cake with mackerel and egg makes for a traditional Scandinavian breakfast but it’s also great served up as lunch or a light dinner.

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3

Smoked Salmon On Rye With Avocado And Peas

Best Scandinavian Recipes (7)

This open-sandwich will make a filling and healthy lunch.

Recipe available here.

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4

Rye Bread

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Nothing beats a freshly baked loaf and this traditional Swedish bread is best served with cured meat or fish and relish. Start preparing the night before to leave enough time for the dough to rise.

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5

Vanilla panna cottas

Best Scandinavian Recipes (11)

This light Scandinavian recipe by Trine Hahnemann tastes of winter – it’s the combination of orange zest and figs that does it. They’re handy to have up your sleeve as the panna cotta bases can be made a couple of days in advance.

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6

Cinnamon Cookies

Best Scandinavian Recipes (13)

The cinnamon sprinkled on these cookies gives them a wonderfully warming taste. Stack them in a glass jar decorated with ribbon for a lovely homemade food gift.

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7

Salmon scotch egg

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This Scandinavian take on the Scotch egg is coated in salmon and breadcrumbs then fried until golden. Perfect for picnics and lunch boxes, it’s a really delicious way to enjoy eggs.

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8

ScandiKitchen's Golden Glogg

Best Scandinavian Recipes (17)

This version of glogg is made with white wine, and is light on the palette and wonderfully warming, yet refreshing – perfect for a winter drinks party served with some canapés.

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9

Roast pork with spices and crisp crackling from 'Scandinavian Christmas'

Best Scandinavian Recipes (19)

Give your Sunday Lunch a Scandi-style makeover with this beautifully flavoured pork dish. Crisp golden crackling gives way to succulent meat making this the ultimate weekend treat or dinner party dish.

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10

Rye crisp bread

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Valentine Warner’s rye crisp bread makes a healthy snack or accompaniment to cheeses and dips. Pack for a light lunch and top with tinned fish for an authentic Scandinavian combination.

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11

Spiced Christmas Cake

Best Scandinavian Recipes (23)

This is a typical Scandinavian afternoon tea cake eaten all through the winter months. Decorate with white chocolate shapes for a special occasion and serve with a cup of tea.

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12

Spiced Quince Ham

Best Scandinavian Recipes (25)

Don’t just keep a ham for Christmas. This quirky quince version is just as delicious as the Scandi festive classic, ham with a mustard crust. Make sure you tell your butcher what the meat is for, and let him know it shouldn’t be pre-cured. The ham can be cooked up to two days before roasting.

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13

Pytt i pana

Best Scandinavian Recipes (27)

This is what Swedes make with their Sunday roast leftovers. Have sweet pickled beetroot or cucumber on the side, and don’t forget a glass of cold Scandinavian lager – bliss.

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14

Bacalao cod stew from 'Valentine Warner Eats Scandinavia'

Best Scandinavian Recipes (29)

This is a Scandinavian take on a Puerto Rican fish stew using salted cod, peppers and sliced potato. With a little forward planning it’s simple to make and is delicious on a chilly autumn day.

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15

Chocolate Marzipan

Best Scandinavian Recipes (31)

Marzipan is one of the staples in Scandinavian festive cooking. You can make variations on this theme by replacing the walnuts with prunes, orange zest, dates or raisins, or substitute any other liqueur you like for the cognac.

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16

Scandinavian salmon casserole

Best Scandinavian Recipes (33)

This traditional Scandi recipe is perfect to warm your co*ckles on a cold winter’s night. The smoked salmon in this casserole makes it particularly tasty. Serve with some warm crusty bread and steamed seasonal vegetables.

Best Scandinavian Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What food is Scandinavia famous for? ›

Generally, though, this is a hearty cuisine based on fresh, local ingredients. While Scandinavian cuisine comes with plenty of traditional dishes that immediately spring to mind—gravlax, cinnamon buns, waffles, reindeer, and aquavit—there's a sophisticated food movement now in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

Why is Scandinavian food so good? ›

Scandinavian cuisine focuses on the food as it comes from the earth rather than doing too much to transform it. There's always plenty of fresh seafood from the waters of the North Atlantic, which becomes inspiration for culinary brilliance. Presentation is a huge focus in Scandinavian dining.

What is Scandinavian cooking style? ›

Scandinavian cuisine emphasizes fresh, seasonal ingredients, simplicity, and a balance of flavors. While some dishes lean towards simplicity, others showcase complex flavors, particularly in traditional celebrations and festive occasions.

What is the new Nordic cuisine? ›

New Nordic Food is food produced with care and with a focus on taste and diversity, forgotten varieties and breeds, old processing methods and new ideas in the kitchen.

What is the most popular Scandinavian food? ›

Think of a smørrebrød as a sort of open sandwich that's one of the most famous and best Scandinavian dishes to try.

What is a typical Scandinavian breakfast? ›

An open-faced sandwich is a very common Scandinavian breakfast. It can be as simple as a piece of rye bread with butter and a slice of cheese, or you can spruce it up a bit with toppings like cucumber, apples, sliced egg, or bell pepper. Chopped chives or dill are never a bad idea.

What is a Scandinavian sandwich? ›

The Scandinavian open sandwich (Danish: smørrebrød, Norwegian: smørbrød, Swedish: smörgås or macka) consists of one piece of buttered bread, often whole-grain rye bread (Danish: rugbrød, Swedish: rågbröd, Finnish: ruisleipä), topped with, for instance, cheese, cold steak, ham, turkey, shrimps, smoked salmon, caviar, ...

What are the three main cuisines of Scandinavia? ›

The three main cuisines of Scandinavia are Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian, each with its unique flavors and dishes that reflect the geographical and cultural diversity of the region.

What is Nordic vs Scandinavian style? ›

Understanding the differences can help you curate your ideal living space. Scandi design emphasizes minimalism and functionality. Nordic design embraces handcrafted tradition and coziness. Their origins and cultural influences shape their unique characteristics.

Are eggs part of Nordic diet? ›

Lean meats, such as skinless poultry, and eggs are acceptable in moderation, although most Nordic Diet proteins are derived from fish and plant alternatives, such as legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Why is Nordic food so salty? ›

Scandinavians love salt, it's as easy as that, and the food industry therefore use salt diligently. ”If you ask people in the industry why there's so much salt in the food, they say it's because people want it that way.

What is the Nordic diet? ›

The ND is designed to provide better health-related quality of life. As its name implies, the ND is a dietary pattern focusing on the consumption of traditional, organic, plant-based, and local foods originating from the Scandinavian countries including Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark (26).

What food did Scandinavians bring to America? ›

The Scandinavian immigrants brought many food traditions to North Dakota. You might be familiar with foods such as lutefisk, lefse, Swedish meatballs, rømmegrøt, pickled herring, pickled beets, rye bread and a variety of baked goods.

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