MoMo & Coco

NYC’s Best Cardamon Buns Updated: Fabrique, La Cabra, Smor, Ole & Steen, Watchouse, Lucky Lucky

Introduction

Cardamom buns erupted on the NYC dessert scene in 2022. See our past review here. Fast forward three years, and we think it deserves an updated list review. We consequently recently munched our way through old and new bakeries in NYC, and after much debate and reflection, we add and recommend two new additions to the list of the best cardamom buns in NYC. Check it out and do let us know if you have any other favourites that you would recommend!

Smor

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

La Cabra

  • ☑ Dessert destination:  La Cabra, East Village, Manhattan.
  • ☑ Budget: $.
  • ☑ Best for:  A 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.  

Watchouse

  • ☑  Dessert destination: Watchouse, Midtown Manhattan, Manhattan.
  • ☑ Budget: $.
  • ☑ Best for: One of the newest bakeries to open in NYC, Watchouse offers one of the most fragrant cardamom buns, with a distinctive cinnamon lean. Texture wise, it lies somewhere between La Cabra’s and Fabrique’s buns. 

Fabrique

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

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. 

Lucky Lucky

  • ☑ Dessert destination: LuckyLucky, Union Square, Manhattan.
  • ☑ Budget: $.
  • ☑ Best for: Lucky’s cardamom bun is an easy pick-me-up between shopping trips in the Union Square/Flatiron area. Being lightly scented and with a brioche-like bite texture, it’s overall pleasing without being utterly mind-blowing.  

Leave a comment