Fastelavn pastry

Copenhagen’s “fastelavnbolle” hype turns February in to peak pastry-time

16.1.2024
Photo: Marc Skafte-Vaabengaard

It´s actually not until February 11 that Denmark celebrates the Carnival tradition called Fastelavn. But in the weeks before Fastelavn every pastry shop in Copenhagen is fully aware that it´s time for creamy and colorful fastelavnsboller – the hyped Danish carnival buns.

The bakeries in Copenhagen really know how to impress whether they serve the classical, the modern, the vegan, or make their own new takes on fastelavnsboller. In the last few years, there has been a true fastelavnsbolle craze in Copenhagen where the bakeries surpass themselves in new and creative ways of presenting fastelavnsboller – and in front of some of the most innovative bakeries you might have to wait in a long line to get your hands on the most beautiful fastelavnsboller.  

What is Fastelavn?

Fastelavn is a Carnival tradition that was originally held the evening before the Church's fast. It´s the Danish version of Halloween, where kids dress up and go trick-or-treating in the neighborhood singing a special song. The tradition with fastelavnsboller is that you are allowed to treat yourself before the fast begins, which earlier lasted until Easter. Now we just treat ourselves with fastelavnsboller and forget all about the fast.

Fastelavnsboller are typically divided into two different kinds. The old-fashioned fastelavnsboller are made with yeast and "remonce" inside. Remonce is a Danish invention and word and is thick paste made from butter and sugar. It is often referred to as "Lord Mayor filling" in English. The other kind of fastelavnsboller is made with Vienna pastry and cream inside with whatever kind of flavor the pastry chefs choose.

What the he** is a "fastelavnsbolle"?

To understand why people are willing to stand in long lines for a bite of this particular and popular pastry, we asked the Head of Pastry at Hart Bakery, Talia Richard-Carvajal, to explain what a “fastelavnsbolle” is and what the fuzz is all about. Because she sure baked a few of these herself (38.000 in 2021, to be exact).

Where to find the delicious pastry

Here is an overview of the bakeries in Copenhagen with a unique take on fastelavnsboller:

Meyers fastelavnsboller
Meyers PR

Meyers Bageri

Classensgade 33, 2100 København Ø
Jægersborggade 9, 2200 København N
Amagerbrogade 48, 2300 København S
Gammel Kongevej 107, 1850 Frederiksberg C

Meyers Bageri is one of the biggest pushers of fastelavnsboller in Copenhagen. This year they will sell four variants. Two of them are favourites from last year: the old-fashioned fastelavnsbolle and their fastelavnsbolle with prune compote, vanilla cream topped with lemon glaze and blue cornflower. What will be new at Meyers is their fastelavnsbolle made from Vienna pastry, pistachio remonce, rhubarb compote and vanilla crème and their Friday-fastelavnsbolle made from Vienna pastry topped with hazelnut mousse, coffee crème with Summerbird Amber chocolate put on a crunchy base of hazelnuts and chocolate.

Perron Banegaarden fastelavnsboller
Sofie Hvitved

Perron v. Banegaarden

Otto Busses Vej 45, 2450 København SV

Perron in Sydhavnen is based in the new area of Banegaarden. This year they are presenting four different kinds of organic fastelavnsboller: the classic old-fashioned one and three made from a base of Vienna pastry. One of them will be filled with wild Swedish blueberries and blackcurrant crème. The second one is filled with salted caramel, bergamot curd, lemon crème topped with pistachios. The third one will be filled with coffee and caramel ganache, mascarpone cream with Amber chocolate from Summerbird topped with a crunch of coffee and dark chocolate. Perron will this year also be making a fastelavnsbolle tasting every Saturday and Sunday in January and February, where customers can score the pastries.

Andersen & Maillard fastelavnsboller 2024
Eva Gudnason

Andersen & Maillard

Nørrebrogade 62, 2200 København N
Antwerpengade 10, 2150 Nordhavn

Every year the fastelavnsboller from Andersen & Maillard are among the best rated fastelavnsboller in the city. This year they continue their success with two different kinds of fastelavnsboller, that they came up with last year: ”We serve the classical fastelavnsboller in two different flavors. One with vanilla cream, blackcurrant jam, and whipped cream, and one with chocolate/orange ganache with whipped cream”.

Lagkagehuset fastelavnsboller
Lagkagehuset

Lagkagehuset

Several locations in and around Copenhagen.

The fastelavnsboller at Lagkagehuset are extremely popular. They serve the old-fashioned kind and have several different flavours with cream. After last year’s success with their vegan fastelavnsbolle “Hindbærballede”, Lagkagehuset will this year introduce a new version of the vegan fastelavnsbolle which is called “Bergamotteballade”. It is made from a crunchy vegan pastry dough topped with a sour bergamot fromage, sweet passionfruit fromage and topped off with lyophilized passionfruit powder and dried cornflower. And at Lagkagehuset, they know that we all need lots of fastelavnsboller during the dark months of January and February: “Our fastelavnsboller are perfect for hygge on cold winter days,” they say.

Juno the bakery
Juno the bakery

Juno the Bakery

Århusgade 48, 2100 København Ø

This year it´s the Swedish inspired Semla fastelavnsbolle you can enjoy at Juno the Bakery. The cardamom brioche forms the base together with rich almond marzipan, Polynesian vanilla syrup and bitter almond. The fastelavnsbolle from Juno the Bakery is topped with roasted almonds and a generous amount of lightly whipped cream.

Andersen bakery fastelavnsbolle pastry
Daniel Rasmussen

Andersen Bakery

Thorshavnsgade 26, 2300 København S

Fastelavnsboller at Andersen Bakery are like little works of art in all kinds of colors and flavors. They are made on a base of butter-baked croissant bun with a center of either cream or mascarpone foam topped with a crispy almond biscuit. Andersen Bakery is a Japanese-Danish bakery that opened in 1959, when the Japanese baker Shunsuke Takaki arrived in Copenhagen. The Japanese sense of aesthetics is also present in the hyped fastelavnsbolle, which this year comes in a total of 7 varieties. This year they will have following flavours: orange with chocolate crumble and mascarpone foam, raspberries with pistachio cream, nougat and salt caramel with chocolate crème, rhubarb with vanilla crème, roasted almond with vanilla cream, blackcurrant and lemon verbena with mascarpone foam, apple and yuzy with vanilla crème.

Cakenhagen fastelavnsboller
Cakenhagen

Cakenhagen

Vesterbrogade 3, 1630 København

Nimb’s patisserie Cakenhagen will this year sell fastelavnsboller inspired by Tivoli’s harlequin plaid. They will be available with the following flavours: blackcurrant and licorice, caramel apple, peach melba, nougat, irish coffee, and lemon.

Colourful fastelavnsbolle Hart
Hart Bakery

Hart Bakery

Gammel Kongevej 109, 1850 Frederiksberg
Galionsvej 41, 1437 København K
Istedgade 61, 1650 København V
Høkerboderne 17, 1650 København V
Refshalevej 159A, 1432 København K
Victor Borges Plads 2, 2100 København Ø

Hart Bakery is in a league of its own when it comes to fastelavnsboller full of colors and flavor. This year, they will keep their two staples: the old-fashioned one and their blackcurrant version. Hart Bakery will also introduce a new type called The Passion Fruit Olive Oil Fastelavnsbolle. The Passion Fruit Olive Oil Fastelavnsbolle is made with a classic croissant dough, dipped in passionfruit syrup, and filled up with mascarpone and passionfruit olive oil curd. The bun is topped with almond flakes.

semla fastelavnsbolle Rondo
Daniel Rasmussen

Rondo

Sjællandsgade 7, 2200 København

The bakery Rondo on the corner of Sjællandsgade and Prisesse Chalottes Gade in Nørrebro are treating us with old-fashioned and Swedish-inspired fastelavneboller this year: “Our fastelavnsbolle this year is the classical Swedish semla. A delicious cardamom fastelavnsbolle with almond cream and vanilla whipped cream”. Rondo only uses organic ingredients for their fastelavnsboller.

La Glace fastelavnsboller
Daniel Rasmussen

La Glace

Skoubougade 3, 1158 København

La Glace is the oldest pastry shop in Denmark, and it is always popular, often with lines of people in front of the windows waiting for their taste of heaven. Fastelavnsboller is also a big thing at La Glace, which creates new versions every year. This year, La Glace will be a part of the Copenhagen Light Festival, which will have a special light installation in their windows created by light artist Jacob Helenius. The light installation will also be the theme for their fastelavnsboller, which will be made in the colours pink, green and orange.

Format Designmuseum Danmark fastelavnsboller
Format

Format

Bredgade 68, 1260 København

Designmuseum Denmark’s café Format will serve two very innovative fastelavnsboller in terms of look created by their new pastry chef Boglárka Megyesi. They are both made from a laminated pastry. One first one is filled with cherry jam and crème diplomat dusted with dehydrated cherry on top. The second one is filled with a hazelnut crème and whipped crème with chopped hazelnuts sprinkled on op.

Københavns Bageri fastelavnsboller
Københavns Bageri

Københavns Bageri

Flaskehalsen 22, 1778 København V

The bakery Københavns Bageri located in The Carlsberg City District cultivates and salutes the original Danish baking radition and has since their opening in 2023 received a lot of attention on their kringle, a special type of Danish pastry. This year one of their fastelavnsboller will also be a Kringle fastelavnsbolle. It is made from a crispy butter baked pastry filled with their special Kringle remonce, almond nougatine, prune ad plum compote and rum crème. They will also have the old-fashioned type, which at Københavns Bageri is a soft and airy cardamom dough filled with almond remonce and Crème Diplomat lastly dipped in dark chocolate glaze.

Collective Bakery Coffee Collective
Coffee Collective

Collective Bakery

Nørrebrogade 176, 2200 København N

Coffee Collective’s bakery Collective Bakery will this fastelavns season bake two types of buns: the classic old-fashioned one and the Semla. Collective Bakery’s classic fastelavnsbolle is filled with both jam and vanilla custard. They are afterwards glazed with a chocolate ganache made from Danish Friis-Holm chocolate and topped with dry raspberries and a bit of salt. Their Semla fastelavnsbolle will at Collective Bakery also incorporate coffee, as they mix espresso in their almond paste and top them off with espresso grounds. Their Semla is only available in their bakery from Friday-Sunday, while the classic one is also available at all Coffee Collective coffee bars.

Rug Bakery fastelavnsboller
Anthony Bogdan

Rug Bakery

Tietgensgade 39, 1704 København V

The artisanal bakery Rug Bakery located in the hotel Villa Copenhagen will this year be selling three types of fastelavnsboller. The classic old-fashioned type, the semla and a maritozzo. The maritozzo is originally an Italian cream bun and this fastelavns season Rug Bakery will create its own take on the sweet pastry, which will be a brioche bun filled with kumquat and blood orange Chantilly cream.

Apotek 57 Frama
Chiara Barla

Apotek 57

Fredericiagade 57, 1310 København K

The bakery and eatery Apotek 57, located in Frama’s charming flagship store will this year introduce three different flavours of their fastelavnsbolle.  One will be with orange cream and pistachio praline, one with Friis-Holm chocolate cream and hazelnut praline and one with cardamom and almond cream, caramelized almond and pear compote. All of the pastries have the same base of brioche buns with whipped cream.

Leckerbaer fastelavnsbolle 2024
Leckerbaer

Leckerbaer

Ryesgade 118, 2100 København Ø

At Leckberbaer you can this year experience a fastelavnsbolle, or cream puff as Leckerbaer calls them, inspired by our Queen Margrethe II, who abdicated in January. The fastelavnsboller is decorated as Daisy flowers due to the Queen’s nickname Daisy. Leckerbaer’s fastelavnsboller are choux pastries with a base of vanilla cream and come in four different flavours: passionfruit, blackcurrant, apple/yuzu and rhubarb.

 

Mirabelle lazy bakery
Valentina Vitasovic

Mirabelle Spisería

Guldbergsgade 29A, 2200 København N

The Sicilian eatery and former bakery Mirabelle Spisería has, with their new concept Lazy Bakery, created Italian versions of the Danish fastelavnsbolle. At Mirabelle Spisería, the fastelavnsbolle is made from a brioche bun and comes in either a pistachio or lemon flavour.

Fastelavnsboller - press photos

Download a selection of pictures related to gastronomy in Copenhagen. Press photos - Fastelavnsboller. The photographer must be credited. 

Fastelavnsboller in the making at Perron

Press photos: Fastelavnsboller

Photo: Daniel Rasmussen
Giuseppe Liverino

Senior Manager – Press & PR

glv@woco.dk