Skoleboller (pronounced sku-lah-BALL-air) are a custard-filled, coconut-topped Norwegian cardamom sweet roll whose name roughly translates to "school bread or school buns".
As some of you may know, I worked in a bakery in Norway for a year and a half.
My shift often started before the bakery opened for the day and one of my favorite parts of the morning shift was stepping out of my car, crunching across the dark, frozen parking lot to pull open the heavy back door to the bakery.
On the other side: An instant flood of warmth and the smell of freshly baked cardamom sweet rolls.
I'd shout a greeting up the elevator to the baker on the second floor who'd start lowering icing-oozing, still-warm pastries for me to place in the display case.
Always piled high was the Norwegian favorite: Skoleboller.
What are skoleboller?
Skoleboller, also called skolebrød, are a cardamom sweet roll filled with custard and topped with a powder sugar glaze and sweetened shredded coconut.
It's believed these sweet rolls were first made by a woman in Oslo named Gerda Nielsen, whose son made them famous in the 1940s after he began selling them to local schools.
How to make skoleboller
First, make the custard filling.
Combine all of the custard ingredients except the yolks and cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring to a near boil.
Whisk the yolks and cornstarch together, then add a little of the hot liquid, whisking continuously.
Pour back into the saucepan and cook until thick.
Second, make the dough.
Combine yeast, warm milk, and 1 teaspoon of sugar; let proof for 5 minutes.
Mix dough ingredients (except for the butter) in a stand mixer for 10 minutes.
Add butter and knead for 10 more minutes.
Rise until doubled in size.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll to form balls.
Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets, make an indent in the center and allow to double in size.
Add a few tablespoons of custard to the center of each roll and bake at 420F for 10-12 minutes.
Finally, top with icing and shredded coconut.
Stir together the powdered sugar and water to form a glaze.
Pipe or drizzle that onto the cooled rolls and roll in shredded coconut.
A note on substitutions:
If you're not into coconut, it's just as traditional to make these sweet rolls without it. Simply glaze them with the icing and skip the coconut.
Expert tips
- Working ahead: The custard filling for this recipe can be made up to 3-4 days in advance.
- Getting dough to rise: Cold temperatures can affect rise times. If your home is on the cool side, you can help your dough rise by placing it in a warm oven. I like to turn my oven on for 1-2 minutes before putting the dough in to rise. You never want to turn the oven on while the dough is inside it.
- How to get perfectly browned sweet rolls: The secret to perfectly browned sweet rolls is brushing them with an egg wash before baking.
- Overnight sweet rolls: Don't have time to make these in one go? Simply make the dough and allow it to rise overnight in the refrigerator. To use, bring the dough to room temperature (about 30-60 minutes), divide into 12 pieces and continue.
Storage
Store in an airtight container for up to two days.
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Recipe
Skoleboller
Skoleboller are a custard filled, coconut topped Norwegian sweet roll.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 12 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Norwegian
Ingredients
For the custard filling:
- 1 vanilla bean
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 egg yolks
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup milk
For the dough:
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar + 1 teaspoon
- 2 tsp cardamom
- 1 cup milk, warmed
- 1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) instant yeast
- 1 egg
For garnishing:
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
Instructions
- Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean.
- In a small saucepan, combine the vanilla extract, sugar and milk for the custard filling. Cook, stirring frequently, until almost boiling.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the cornstarch.
- Pour some of the hot milk mixture into the egg, whisk, and pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
- Continue to cook until the custard thickens to a pudding-like consistency.
- Pour the custard into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap pressed down against the surface of the custard and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast. Allow to proof for 5 minutes or until frothy.
- Add the flour, remaining sugar, cardamom and egg to the bowl.
- Using a dough hook, knead the dough on medium for 10 minutes.
- With the mixer on low, add cubes of the room temperature butter.
- Knead on medium until a smooth, elastic dough forms (about 10 minutes).
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1 hour).
- Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Gently roll each piece until a smooth ball forms.
- Using your finger or a spoon, create an indent in the center of each.
- Allow to rise in a warm place on parchment paper lined baking sheets until almost double in size (about 30-40 minutes).
- Spoon a few tablespoons of the custard into the center of each roll.
- Bake at 420F for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
- In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and water to form a glaze.
- Pipe the glaze onto the cooled sweet rolls and coat with shredded coconut.
Notes
- Working ahead: The custard filling for this recipe can be made up to two days in advance.
- Getting dough to rise: Cold temperatures can affect rise times. If your home is on the cool side, you can help your dough rise by placing it in a warmed oven. I like to turn my oven on for 1-2 minutes before putting the dough in to rise. You never want to turn the oven on while the dough is inside it.
- How to get perfectly browned sweet rolls: The secret to perfectly browned sweet rolls is brushing them with an egg wash before baking.
- Overnight sweet rolls: Don't have time to make these in one go? Simply make the dough and allow it to rise overnight in the refrigerator. To use, bring the dough to room temperature (about 30-60 minutes), divide into 12 pieces and continue.
- Storage: These sweet rolls can be stored in an air tight container for up to two days.
Sources:
Pastry recipe adapted from Passion 4 Baking (Norwegian)
Filling recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 275
- Sugar: 18.1g
- Sodium: 61mg
- Fat: 7.9g
- Saturated Fat: 4.6g
- Carbohydrates: 45.5g
- Fiber: 1.2g
- Protein: 5.8g
- Cholesterol: 69mg
Keywords: Norwegian sweet roll, skolebrød, skoleboller
Update Notes: This post was originally published in September of 2013 but was republished with updated photos, directions and tips in February of 2022.
Sue says
They look delicious!
The Simple, Sweet Life says
Thank you Mumsie! And now you can make these for Grammy next time she visits (or you visit her)! 🙂 Think she grew up with something like skolebrød?