My guide to the best Semla’s in Stockholm

The Swedish pastry named ”Semla” plays a huge part of Swedish traditions. This bun-shaped pastry shows up in various forms in bakeries all over the country every winter. Apart from the original semla, I’ve seen them as wraps, cronuts, oatmeal, milkshakes and lattes, all promised to taste like this infamous pastry. This post was originally the result of an excursion where a few friends and I tried out some of the most well-known versions of the classic Semla in Stockholm. Since then, I’ve continuously been updating this post with new semla’s the are worth mentioning.

Below I’ma also sharing my all-time favourite, so you won’t have any trouble deciding where to go if you can only have one semla this year. I’ve also added tips of other selma-related treats for those of you who don’t appreciate the classic version.

What is in a semla?

The Swedish semla consists of a cardamom-spiced wheat bun which has its top cut off, and is then filled with a mix of milk and almond paste topped with whipped cream. The cut-off top serves as a lid and is dusted with powdered sugar. 

The bakeries

Valhallabageriet

This was the worst semla in the group. It was definitely okay, but it didn’t really match up with the others quality-wise. The bread felt a bit dry and burned, the almond paste didn’t feel smooth, the lid was too small and the whipped cream was overdone. Other than that, the lines were really long at the bakery and there is really nowhere to sit. I would not recommend this one.

Ritorno

The semla itself was good, they had included whole almonds, which gave an edge to an otherwise quite soft pastry. Both whipped cream and almond paste were great too. The venue was, however a bit dated in my opinion. I would consider it old and dated, with a slightly odd smell which made me uninterested in coming back.

Tössebageriet

One of the Stockholm classics, that also invented the wrap version of the classic semla. Today, the wrap is a bestseller despite costing a hefty 64 SEK. The bread that is used for the wrap is a bit to rough for my taste, and it also had a consistency that I didn’t really appreciate. Other than that, the wrap was good. I liked the almond paste and whipped cream, and the fact that it all blends together really softly. Both the wrap and the classic semla has a touch of vanilla taste, which is quite unique for a semla.

I preferred the classic semla here. It was perfectly soft, the elements of the ingredients blended together well and it had a great consistency. I would list it as the second best semla in this group. This would probably be my go-to place for a Semla, as the place I list as number one can be a little inconvenient to visit.

Bullar & Bröd

Apparently, this one has been awarded ”Semla of the year” by a newspaper in Stockholm, but despite that it didn’t really appeal to me. The lid was too small (I really don’t like when they cut the lid), they weren’t that generous with the almond paste, and it felt more dry than creamy as a whole. It also felt as if they weren’t very fresh and had been there for quite a while before we got them

Lillebrors Bageri

Last but not least, the winner of the 2018 challenge. You’ll find these goodies in a tiny bakery near S:t Eriksplan. Be early because they run out of their stock quite fast. Everything about this one is perfect. The bread is soft, the cardamom taste is just enough, not too much nor too little whipped cream and it all comes together great.

What sets this one apart from the others are the Spanish whole almonds that are inside along with the almond paste. They provide an exciting, nutty contrast and it adds some roughness to an otherwise very soft piece of cake. I really appreciated this innovative addition to an otherwise very classic pastry.

Spin-off concepts of the classic Semla

Other than Tössebageriet’s wrap-version of the classic semla, there are plenty of options for those who don’t appreciate the concept of a classic semla, or for those who just want to try something new.

The Red Velvet Semla at Lindquists Konditori

Lindquists Konditori is a classic bakery with a beautiful window display at Odengatan in central Stockholm. It has been around for many years, they always have plenty of tasty and beautiful-looking pastries to offer, and the Semla-Season is definitely when they take their opportunity to shine.

In February 2021, I announced this as the best semla that I’ve had so far during that year. While I do enjoy and appreciate a classic semla, I must say that I actually tend to lean towards semla-concepts that aren’t the classic semla. I love trying out new things like the chocolate semla or a semla latte.

This particular semla is a Red Velvet Semla, with almond mass filling and whipped cream cheese instead of regular whipped cream. It’s huge and definitely on the heavier side. I promise that you don’t want to see food for hours after trying this one. I find that the whipped cream cheese is a lot more interesting than regular whipped cream, which contributes a lot to making the whole semla a lot tastier. 

The concept of Red Velvet has its origins in the US, but I’ve seen it grow in popularity in Sweden over the past five years. My first time trying it was as a regular sponge cake with cream cheese frosting in New York back in 2009, and I fell in love with the concept right away. The unique red shade was originally due to usage of Dutched, anthocyanin-rich cocoa, but it’s more common to use red food colouring to achieve the unique shade. The Red Velvet Desserts are extra popular during traditionally red holidays such as Christmas, and of course Valentine’s Day.

Have you tried the Swedish semla? Please share your experience in the comments.