St. Lucia Buns Recipe

These St. Lucia Buns, also called lussekatter, are traditional Swedish saffron buns made for St. Lucia Day on December 13. They’re soft, lightly sweet, flavored with saffron and cardamom, and shaped into the classic curled S with raisins tucked into each end.

This recipe is extra special to our family because it came from Lorin’s great-grandmother Johnson, who immigrated from Sweden and brought several of her Swedish recipes with her. We still make these the way our family loves them, including grinding the saffron threads with a little sugar before adding them to the dough for their beautiful golden color and delicate flavor.

Two rises keep the buns soft and fluffy, while the saffron and cardamom give them their signature Swedish flavor. Our family version is finished with a simple glaze for a little extra sweetness. For more Swedish favorites, try our Swedish Pancakes, Pepparkaka, and Swedish Limpa Bread.

Why You’ll Love Them + Why They Work:

Family Recipe. This Swedish recipe came from Lorin’s great-grandmother and has been passed down through the family.
Plenty to Share. One batch makes 24 buns for St. Lucia Day, Christmas morning, or holiday gatherings.
Soft + Light. Two rises help create a fluffy, tender texture.
Saffron Gives Them Their Color. Saffron creates the golden color and floral flavor that makes lussekatter so recognizable.
Cardamom Adds Warmth. A little cardamom complements the saffron without overpowering it.

Ingredients for St. Lucia Buns recipe on a kitchen counter.

St. Lucia Buns Ingredients

Active dry yeast (2 packages active dry yeast): Helps the dough rise into soft, fluffy buns. Be sure the yeast becomes foamy before continuing.
Warm water (½ cup warm water, 105–115°F): Activates the yeast. Using the proper temperature helps ensure a successful rise.
Lukewarm milk (⅔ cup lukewarm milk, scalded and cooled): Adds richness and creates a soft, tender crumb. Scalding helps improve the texture of enriched dough.
Sugar (½ cup, divided): Sweetens the dough and feeds the yeast. Use 1 teaspoon of this sugar to grind with the saffron threads.
Butter (½ cup butter, softened): Adds rich flavor and keeps the buns soft and tender.
Large eggs (2 large eggs): Provides structure, richness, and a beautiful golden color.
Ground cardamom (½ teaspoon ground cardamom): Gives the buns their signature warm Scandinavian flavor.
Saffron threads (½ teaspoon): Gives the buns their traditional golden color and delicate floral flavor. Grind the threads with 1 teaspoon of the measured sugar using a mortar and pestle until finely crushed before adding them to the dough.
Salt (1 teaspoon salt): Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the dough.
All-purpose flour (4½ to 5 cups all-purpose flour, divided): Gives the buns structure while keeping them soft. Add only enough flour for a soft, workable dough.
Raisins (raisins): Adds the traditional decorative finish while providing little bursts of sweetness.
Softened butter (softened butter, for brushing): Keeps the tops soft and adds buttery flavor before and after baking.
Powdered sugar (1 cup powdered sugar, sifted): Creates a smooth, sweet glaze for the cooled buns.
Milk (2 tablespoons milk, just enough to thin): Thins the glaze until it reaches the smooth drizzling consistency. Water may also be used if preferred.

How to Make St. Lucia Buns

Seasonings for making St. Lucia Buns in a pestle.

Prepping the batter for making St. Lucia Buns.

Yeast mixture for making St. Lucia Buns in a bowl.

Wet ingredients in a bowl for making St. Lucia Buns.

SAFFRON. Add the saffron threads and 1 teaspoon of the measured sugar to a mortar and pestle. Grind until the saffron is broken down into a fine powder. Set aside.

YEAST. In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let sit for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.

DOUGH. Stir in the lukewarm milk, remaining sugar, softened butter, eggs, cardamom, ground saffron mixture, and salt.

Dough for St. Lucia Buns recipe in a mixing bowl.

Add 3 cups of flour and with the dough hook, mix until smooth. Gradually stir in 1 1/2 to 2 more cups of flour, just until the dough is soft and easy to handle.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 6 – 8 minutes).

RISE. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour).

St. Lucia Buns in balls ready to be rolled and shaped.

SHAPE. Punch down dough. Divide into 24 pieces and shape each loosely into a short log. Cover and let rest for about 10 minutes before rolling into ropes. Roll each piece into an 8- to 10-inch rope and shape into an S. Curl both ends inward to form a loose coil and place buns onto greased baking sheets. Place one raisin in the center of each coil.

RISE. Brush tops lightly with softened butter. Let rise until noticeably puffy and close to doubled in size (about 30–45 minutes).

St. Lucia Buns topped with raisins on a baking sheet.

BAKE. Bake at 350°F for 18 – 20 minutes, or just until lightly golden. Do not over-bake, or the buns can dry out quickly. Brush with butter after baking if you’d like the rolls to be even softer.

If the raisins begin to darken before the buns are finished baking, loosely tent the pan with foil for the last few minutes.

Glaze for St. Lucia Buns in a white bowl.

St. Lucia Buns glazed on a baking sheet.

Our family version finishes the buns with a simple powdered sugar glaze for a little extra sweetness.

GLAZE. In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar with a little water or milk to create a thin glaze. Drizzle or spread over cooled buns.

Best fresh. These buns are softest the day they are baked. Warm leftovers briefly before serving.

Kristyn’s Recipe Tips

Keep the dough soft, add flour slowly so rolls don’t turn dense.
Don’t skip the rises, that’s what makes them fluffy.
Shape loosely, tight coils can keep them from puffing nicely.
Brush with butter while warm for extra softness.
Let cool before glazing so the glaze sets instead of melting.

St. Lucia Buns glazed and served on a cutting board.

Recipe FAQ

Why is my dough sticky?

Enriched dough should stay soft and slightly tacky. Add flour a little at a time only if the dough is too sticky to handle, because too much flour can make the buns dense.

Can I make these without saffron?

You can use a tiny pinch of turmeric for color, but it will not give the buns the traditional flavor of saffron.

How to store St. Lucia buns?

Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Warm briefly to soften before serving.

How to freeze?

Freeze baked rolls (unglazed is best) for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, warm if desired, then glaze.