7 Easy Norwegian Recipes

I’ve shared a lot of Norwegian recipes here, and while I love them all, there are definitely some that I make more often than others. While I do enjoy diving into a long, multi step recipe like Sarah Bernhardt cookies, when I’m short on time (or energy) there are some quick and easy Norwegian recipes I’ll opt for instead. Here they are!

Eplekake (Norwegian Apple Cake)

Eplekake, or Norwegian apple cake, is such a popular cake here in Norway largely because it’s so quick and easy to make. Eplekake is a classic vanilla sponge cake topped with sliced apples, cinnamon, and sugar. Interestingly there are no apples in the cake batter, as they are all placed on top of the cake. I’ve shared my eplekake recipe here.

Rømmegrøt (Sour Cream Porridge)

One of my favorite Norwegian dishes is rømmegrøt, or sour cream porridge. And I love that it only takes 15 minutes to make!

Rømmegrøt is a porridge made with sour cream, milk, and a bit of flour, and then topped with cinnamon and sugar. Norwegians usually serve rømmegrøt with a glass of raspberry juice on the side, as well as sometimes cured meat and Norwegian flat bread. I’ve shared my rømmegrøt recipe here.

Sandnøtter (Norwegian Shortbread Cookies)

Sandnøtter are a light shortbread cookie that are especially popular in Norway as Christmas cookies. A lot of Norwegians make vanilla sandnøtter, but my family always makes a lemon version of sand cookies, which I personally think is so much better.

The lemon makes these cookies quite refreshing and appropriate for other times of year outside of Christmas as well. They’re made with potato starch instead of flour, which gives them such a lovely crumbly texture. I’ve shared my sandnøtter recipe here. 

Fiskesuppe (Creamy Fish Soup)

Creamy fish soup, or fiskesuppe, is a Norwegian favorite, and there are so many different versions here in Norway. Some are quite complex with lots of ingredients, but this fish soup is simple and easy to whip up in under 30 minutes.

In fact, this fish soup recipe is so easy and delicious that it’s probably the recipe on this blog that I make the most often. I’ve shared my Norwegian fish soup recipe here.

Fårikål

Fårikål, literally “mutton in cabbage” is a traditional Norwegian stew made from mutton (or these days often lamb), cabbage, whole black pepper corns, and a bit of salt and water. It’s usually served with a side of boiled potatoes, and it tastes even better the next day.

Fårikål is incredibly easy to make – you simply place all the ingredients in a pot and let it cook for 2.5 hours, and then you have a delicious stew! I’ve shared my fårikål recipe here.

Pannekaker (Norwegian Pancakes)

I’m the biggest fan of Norwegian waffles, but if you don’t have a Norwegian waffle iron, you can make Norwegian pancakes instead! Norwegians make thin, soft pancakes a lot like French crêpes.

I like to fill them with smoked salmon and cucumber for lunch, or I’ll make sweetened pancakes with cardamom filled with berry jam. Or you can make half of the batch savory and half sweet! I’ve shared my Norwegian pancake recipe here.

Lefse with Kling

Lefse is perhaps the most famous Norwegian food, at least amongst Norwegian Americans. Lefse is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread made with flour and sometimes potatoes, which is filled with butter and sugar to make kling. It’s often eaten as a snack or sweet dessert. 

While Americans usually make lefse with potatoes, in Norway it’s much more common to make lefse with wheat flour. This lefse recipe from Telemark uses semolina to make a deliciously soft lefse, and it’s much easier and faster to make than potato lefse. And then I will fill the lefse with butter and sugar to make kling!

Kling is actually one of my favorite Norwegian desserts, but I don’t really like the store bought version, so if I want to enjoy it I have to make it myself. I’ve shared my lefse and kling recipe here.