Soft, handmade potato dumplings filled with slowly fried salt-cured pork, sweet onion, allspice, and white pepper, served with nutty browned butter and freshly stirred lingonberries. This is the Swedish Cravings version of one of Småland’s most cherished dishes.
For this recipe, I would not combine Småland and Öland styles. They are two distinct traditions and deserve to remain that way.
Småländska kroppkakor are made primarily from cooked potatoes, while Öländska kroppkakor contain mostly grated raw potato, are generally darker and denser, and require a considerably longer cooking time. Since Swedish Cravings comes from Småland, our signature version should proudly follow the Småland tradition.
The classic foundation is simple: floury potatoes, egg, flour, salt-cured pork, onion, and allspice. Traditional Swedish recipes serve them with melted or browned butter and stirred lingonberries.
Our improvements come through technique rather than reinventing the dish: carefully dried potatoes, restrained flour, slowly rendered pork, deeply softened onion, freshly crushed allspice, a small amount of pork fat in the dough, and browned butter scented very gently with allspice.
The Swedish Cravings Signature
The best kroppkaka should be tender and distinctly potato-based—not rubbery, floury, or heavy.
Our version focuses on:
- Floury potatoes cooked in their skins for fuller potato flavour.
- Potatoes thoroughly steamed dry before being pressed.
- Chilling the pressed potatoes before forming the dough.
- Using only as much flour as necessary.
- Traditional salt-cured pork rather than ordinary smoked bacon.
- Slowly rendered pork so the filling stays juicy.
- Onion softened in the rendered pork fat.
- Freshly crushed allspice and white pepper.
- A spoonful of rendered pork fat in the potato dough.
- Browned butter poured over the dumplings immediately before serving.
- Freshly stirred lingonberries rather than overly sweet jam.
The result remains unmistakably Småländsk—just more carefully balanced.
Ingredients
Makes 12 kroppkakor and serves 4–6
Potato Dough
- 1.2 kg floury potatoes, preferably similar in size
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 175–225 g all-purpose flour, plus extra for shaping
- 25 g potato starch
- 1½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground white pepper
- 1 tbsp rendered pork fat from the filling
Pork Filling
- 350 g Swedish rimmat sidfläsk or unsmoked salt-cured pork belly
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 1½ tsp whole allspice berries
- ½ tsp freshly ground white pepper
- 1 tbsp butter, only if the pork releases very little fat
Salt-cured or smoked pork belly is traditionally used in kroppkakor, with onion and allspice forming the characteristic filling.
Stirred Lingonberries
- 300 g fresh or frozen lingonberries
- 80–100 g granulated sugar
- Small pinch of fine sea salt
Browned Butter
- 175 g unsalted butter
- 2 lightly crushed allspice berries
- Small pinch of fine sea salt
For Serving
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- Additional stirred lingonberries
- Cold cream, optional
Prepare the Potatoes
Step 1 – Cook the Potatoes
Scrub the potatoes but leave their skins intact.
Place them in a large saucepan and cover with cold, lightly salted water.
Bring gently to a boil and cook until completely tender when pierced with a knife.
Cooking them in their skins reduces water absorption and preserves more potato flavour.
Drain immediately.
Allow them to stand uncovered for approximately 5 minutes, letting excess moisture steam away.
Peel while still warm.
Step 2 – Press and Cool the Potatoes
Pass the warm potatoes through a potato ricer directly onto a large tray.
Spread the pressed potato into a thin, even layer.
Do not mash with a blender or food processor, which can make the potatoes gluey.
Let the potatoes cool completely.
For the best texture, cover and refrigerate them for 4 hours or overnight. Traditional cooked-potato recipes likewise cool the potatoes before combining them with egg and flour.
Prepare the Filling
Step 3 – Toast the Allspice
Place the allspice berries in a dry frying pan.
Toast gently for approximately 30–45 seconds, just until fragrant.
Crush them finely using a mortar and pestle.
Freshly crushed allspice is much more aromatic than pre-ground spice, so use it carefully.
Step 4 – Render the Pork
Cut the pork into very small cubes, approximately 5–7 mm.
Place it in a cold heavy frying pan.
Cook over medium-low heat, allowing the fat to render slowly.
The pork should become golden around the edges but remain slightly juicy rather than dry and brittle.
Transfer one tablespoon of the rendered fat to a small bowl and reserve it for the potato dough.
Step 5 – Cook the Onion
Add the finely diced onion to the pork and remaining fat.
Cook gently for 7–10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion is very soft and lightly golden.
Add butter only when the pan is unusually dry.
Season with:
- Crushed allspice
- White pepper
Cook for another minute.
Taste before adding any salt. Salt-cured pork may already provide all the seasoning required.
Transfer the filling to a bowl and cool completely.
A cold filling is much easier to enclose inside the potato dough.
Make the Stirred Lingonberries
Step 6 – Stir the Berries
Combine the lingonberries, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
Stir firmly until some berries break and begin releasing their juice while plenty remain whole.
Let them stand for 30–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until glossy and lightly syrupy.
Keep the flavour pleasantly tart. The berries must balance the rich pork and butter rather than behave like a very sweet dessert jam.
Prepare the Potato Dough
Step 7 – Mix the Dough
Place the cold pressed potatoes in a large bowl.
Add:
- Egg
- Egg yolk
- Potato starch
- Salt
- White pepper
- Reserved pork fat
Mix gently with your hands.
Add 175 g flour and fold until the dough just begins holding together.
Test a small piece in your hand. It should be soft and slightly tacky but capable of being shaped.
Add more flour only one tablespoon at a time when necessary.
Classic cooked-potato recipes warn against excessive mixing, and this is important: too much handling or flour creates dense kroppkakor.
Shape the Kroppkakor
Step 8 – Divide the Dough
Lightly flour the work surface.
Shape the potato dough into a thick roll.
Divide it into 12 equal pieces.
Keep the pieces covered with a clean towel while working so the surface does not dry.
Step 9 – Fill Each Kroppkaka
Lightly flour your hands.
Flatten one portion into a thick disc approximately 9–10 cm wide.
Create a shallow cup in the centre.
Add approximately 1 generous tablespoon of cold pork filling.
Bring the edges up around the filling.
Pinch the seam firmly closed, checking that no pork breaks through the surface.
Roll gently between your palms into a round, slightly flattened dumpling.
Do not compress it aggressively.
Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Cook the Kroppkakor
Step 10 – Prepare the Water
Bring a wide saucepan of generously salted water to a gentle simmer.
The water should move quietly.
A vigorous rolling boil can damage the dumplings.
Step 11 – Test One First
Cook one kroppkaka before adding the rest.
Lower it carefully into the simmering water.
When it rises to the surface, cook for another 5 minutes.
Småländska kroppkakor made from cooked potato commonly cook for approximately 10–12 minutes in total, or around five minutes after floating.
Remove and cut it open.
Check that:
- The dough holds together.
- The centre is hot.
- The texture is tender.
- The seasoning is balanced.
When the test dumpling feels too soft, add a little more flour to the remaining dough.
Step 12 – Cook in Batches
Cook the remaining kroppkakor in batches, leaving plenty of space around them.
Stir once very gently after lowering them into the water so they do not stick to the base.
Once they float, continue cooking for approximately 5 minutes.
Lift them out carefully with a slotted spoon.
Let them drain on a clean kitchen towel or wire rack.
Prepare the Browned Butter
Step 13 – Brown and Infuse the Butter
Place the butter and two lightly crushed allspice berries in a saucepan.
Melt over medium heat.
Continue cooking until the milk solids turn golden brown and the butter develops a deep nutty aroma.
Remove it from the heat immediately.
Add a tiny pinch of salt.
Let it stand for two minutes, then remove the allspice berries.
The butter should carry only a faint warm spice aroma. It must not taste strongly of allspice.
Serve the Swedish Way
Place two or three warm kroppkakor on each plate.
Cut one open so the fragrant pork filling is visible.
Spoon the hot browned butter generously over the dumplings.
Serve with:
- Stirred lingonberries
- Finely chopped parsley
- A little cold cream, when desired
Cold, unwhipped cream is traditionally served with some regional versions—particularly Öländska kroppkakor—while browned or melted butter and lingonberries are classic accompaniments to the cooked-potato Småland style.
The Swedish Cravings Signature Texture
A properly made kroppkaka should have:
- A soft but stable potato shell.
- A clear flavour of real potato.
- No raw flour taste.
- Juicy pork filling.
- Sweet, tender onion.
- Warm allspice aroma.
- A surface that holds together without becoming rubbery.
The dumpling should yield easily beneath the fork.
It should never bounce.
Swedish Cravings Tips
- Use floury potatoes for the best cooked-potato dough.
- Cook the potatoes in their skins.
- Let them steam dry thoroughly.
- Rice them while warm, then chill completely.
- Cool the pork filling before shaping.
- Use as little flour as the dough permits.
- Test-cook one dumpling before committing the whole batch.
- Keep the water at a gentle simmer.
- Never crowd the saucepan.
- Serve immediately with hot browned butter.
- Fry leftovers in butter the following day until deeply golden.
Frying boiled kroppkakor in butter is also a common and excellent way to serve or reheat them.
Storage and Freezing
Cooked kroppkakor can be refrigerated for up to three days.
Reheat them by:
- Gently simmering in water
- Warming in the oven
- Halving and frying in butter
Both raw and cooked kroppkakor can be frozen for approximately 2–3 months in airtight packaging.
Freeze uncooked dumplings separately on a tray before transferring them to a container.
Cook from frozen at a gentle simmer, allowing additional time after they rise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Småländska and Öländska kroppkakor?
Småländska kroppkakor use cooked potatoes and have a lighter, softer dough.
Öländska kroppkakor use mostly finely grated raw potatoes, commonly mixed with a small amount of cooked potato. They are generally denser, darker, and may require around an hour of cooking.
Can I use bacon?
Yes, but ordinary smoked bacon produces a stronger smoky flavour.
For an authentic Småland-style filling, use rimmat sidfläsk or lightly smoked Swedish pork belly.
Why did my kroppkakor fall apart?
The dough may contain too little flour, the potatoes may have retained too much water, or the water may have boiled too vigorously.
Always test-cook one dumpling first.
Why are my kroppkakor heavy?
Too much flour or overworking the dough are the most common causes.
The dough should contain only enough flour to hold the potatoes together.
Can they be made one day ahead?
Yes.
Shape and refrigerate them well covered, or boil them and fry them gently in butter before serving the next day.
Shop Authentic Swedish Favourites
At Swedish Cravings, we celebrate the regional foods and family traditions that make Swedish cooking so distinctive.
Serve your kroppkakor with authentic Swedish favourites such as:
- Swedish lingonberry preserves
- Swedish crispbread
- Swedish butter
- Swedish coffee
- Traditional Swedish sweets
Everything is selected to help you create an authentic taste of Sweden wherever you live.
A Taste of Småland
Kroppkakor are not elegant restaurant food.
They are something deeper.
They belong to old kitchens, autumn harvests, flour-dusted hands, large pots of simmering water, and families waiting around the table while the butter begins to brown.
For Swedish Cravings, this recipe is especially meaningful. It comes from the food traditions of Småland—the same region we call home.
Our Signature version stays faithful to that heritage: cooked floury potatoes, salt-cured pork, onion, allspice, browned butter, and bright lingonberries. The refinements are quiet—the potatoes are dried more carefully, the pork is rendered slowly, the onion is given time to become sweet, and the flour is kept to an absolute minimum.
The result is tender, comforting, deeply satisfying, and proudly Småländsk.
Happy cooking, smaklig måltid, and welcome to the taste of Småland and Swedish Cravings.
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