Introduction

In our recent round-up review of NYC’s best new bakeries, we spotted an interesting, burgeoning dessert trend — cardamom buns.  Accompanying a wave of Swedish, Danish and other Scandinavian-inspired bakeries opening in NYC from just before the pandemic to now, this unassuming brown bun is gaining a viral following.  Although we are still ambivalent about this particular pastry, we are rounding up the best cardamom buns we have had so far in the city.  We will keep updating this list, so be sure to bookmark and revisit!  Wishing all our fellow dessert lovers a very happy start to the autumn season!

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Fabrique

•   Dessert destination: Fabrique, Chelsea, Manhattan.
•  Budget: $.
• Best for:  This Swedish bakery import bakes the softest-textured cardamom bun in the city.

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Ole & Steen

• Dessert destination: Ole & Steen, multiple locations including Flatiron.
•  Budget: $.
• Best for:  Studded with almonds and raisins, this nugget of a cardamom bun from the international offshoot of Danish bakery chain, Lagkagehuset, has the strongest cardamom and cinnamon flavour, but also the driest texture compared to others on this list. 

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La Cabra

• Dessert destination:  La Cabra, East Village, Manhattan.
•  Budget: $.
• Best for:  Another Danish bakery import, La Cabra offers the most chewy morsel on this list.  The slightly sweet inner dough is seemingly as equally fragranced with cardamom as its sticky surface.  

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Smor

• Dessert destination:  Smor, East Village, Manhattan.
•  Budget: $.
• Best for:  Smor’s cardamom bun is similar to La Cabra’s in terms of chewy bagel-like texture, but less sticky.  It is our favourite cardamom bun in NYC so far, with La Cabra’s a very close second :). 

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