Gluten-Free Swedish Cardamom Bread

A soft, buttery Swedish-style cardamom twist loaf, filled with cardamom sugar butter and topped with pearl sugar. A psyllium-based gluten-free yeast dough makes it possible to roll, fill and twist the dough by hand.

Prep: 35 min Cook: 40 min Total: 195 min Serves: 10

At a glance: This hard baking recipe yields 10 servings in about 3h 15m (35 min prep, 40 min cook). It uses 17 ingredients — including milk, instant yeast, granulated sugar — and walks through 9 steps. Updated October 24, 2026. Browse more baking recipes or return to all gluten-free recipes.

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Cross-Contamination Warning for Gluten-Free Swedish Cardamom Bread: When preparing this baking recipe, pearl sugar is usually just sugar, but some brands are packed in facilities with gluten, so check the label. Flour dust travels. Bake this on a day the kitchen is not also handling flour that contains gluten, use clean bowls, beaters and baking sheets, and keep the gluten-free flour blend in its own sealed container.

Gluten-Free Notes for Gluten-Free Swedish Cardamom Bread: Psyllium husk and a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend replace flour that contains gluten, letting the dough be rolled and twisted. Use psyllium, instant yeast, pearl sugar and a flour blend labeled gluten-free.

Scale Recipe:

servings

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Instructions

1 Whisk the warm milk, yeast, 1 tbsp of the dough sugar and the psyllium husk powder in a small bowl. Let it stand for 5 minutes, until thick and gel-like.
2 In a stand mixer bowl, whisk the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum (if using), the rest of the dough sugar, 2 tsp cardamom and salt. Add the psyllium gel, egg, egg yolk and 6 tbsp soft butter. Beat with the paddle on medium for 4 minutes into a soft, smooth dough.
3 Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. For easier rolling, refrigerate it for 30 minutes more.
4 Mix the filling: beat 4 tbsp soft butter with 1/3 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp cardamom and the cinnamon until spreadable.
5 On a sheet of lightly floured parchment, roll the dough into a 10x14-inch rectangle. Spread the filling over it, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Using the parchment to help, roll it up tightly from a long side.
6 With a sharp knife, cut the log lengthwise in half, leaving 1 inch joined at one end. Turn the halves cut side up and twist them over each other, then pinch the ends. Lift the twist into a parchment-lined 9x5-inch loaf pan.
7 Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes, until visibly puffy. About 20 minutes before it is ready, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
8 Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar or almonds. Bake for 35-40 minutes, laying foil over the top after 20 minutes, until deep golden and 190-195°F (88-90°C) in the center.
9 Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then on a rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Tips & Notes

Grind cardamom seeds yourself in a mortar or spice grinder. Pre-ground cardamom loses its aroma quickly, and fresh cardamom is what makes this bread taste Swedish.
Chill the dough before rolling if it sticks. Cold psyllium dough is much easier to roll into a neat rectangle and cut cleanly into the twist.
Use a sharp knife, not a serrated one, to split the filled log. A clean cut shows off the cardamom layers once the loaf is twisted and baked.

Common questions

Why does this cardamom bread use psyllium husk?

The psyllium husk powder lets this gluten-free yeast dough be rolled, filled and twisted by hand. Whisk the 2 tbsp of psyllium with the warm milk, yeast and 1 tbsp of the dough sugar, and let it stand 5 minutes until thick and gel-like before beating it into the flour blend with the egg, yolk and soft butter.

How do you shape the cardamom twist loaf?

Roll the chilled dough on lightly floured parchment into a 10x14-inch rectangle, spread the filling to within 1/2 inch of the edges, and roll it up tightly from a long side. Cut the log lengthwise with a sharp knife, leaving 1 inch joined, turn the halves cut side up, twist them over each other and pinch the ends.

What cross-contamination risk is specific to Gluten-Free Swedish Cardamom Bread?

Check milk, warmed to about 110°F, instant yeast, granulated sugar before they go into Gluten-Free Swedish Cardamom Bread. Pearl sugar is usually just sugar, but some brands are packed in facilities with gluten, so check the label. Flour dust travels. Bake this on a day the kitchen is not also handling flour that contains gluten, use clean bowls, beaters and baking sheets, and keep the gluten-free flour blend in its own sealed container.

Which gluten-free swaps does Gluten-Free Swedish Cardamom Bread use?

Gluten-Free Swedish Cardamom Bread relies on 2 tbsp psyllium husk powder, 2 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and 1/2 tsp xanthan gum. Keep those gluten-free-labeled products in place of a gluten-containing flour or sauce.

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