Laskiaispulla: Finland’s Beloved Shrove Tuesday Bun
Around the World in 80 Bakes: Stop #40 — Laskiaispulla
Every February in Finland, as winter lingers and cafes fill their counters with cardamom-scented dough, one treat takes centre stage: the laskiaispulla. This soft wheat bun filled with whipped cream and jam, or almond paste, marks the arrival of laskiainen, or Shrove Tuesday.
Today across Finland, Shrove Tuesday traditions still include sledding, pea soup, and of course laskiaispullat. Finnish news coverage also reminds readers that the bun itself arrived in Finland through Swedish influence, even though it is now firmly part of Finnish winter culture. Older folk traditions linked Laskiainen with hopes for a good flax harvest and children would slide downhill while shouting “pitkiä pellavia” (“long flax”), symbolising prosperity for the coming year (STT, Finland, 17 February 2026).
You may already be familiar with the tradition from our earlier articles on the history of semla and our classic laskiaispulla recipe. But this year’s bun season shows how this Nordic favourite continues to evolve while remaining deeply rooted in tradition.
A Season That Starts Earlier Each Year
In recent years, laskiaispulla season has begun earlier than before. Bakeries now start selling the buns in January, with demand building steadily toward Shrove Tuesday.
This year, Finnish media reports that premium buns with flavours like pistachio cream and cookie-style fillings have become especially popular, with some selling for nearly €10 and drawing queues outside bakeries.
As one recent food feature shows, the humble Shrove bun has become both a seasonal comfort and a small luxury, something people look forward to each winter (MTV Uutiset, Finland, 31 January 2026).
A Bun Tradition Beyond Finland
The excitement is not limited to Finland. Across the Gulf of Finland, Tallinn has embraced the tradition with a city-wide Shrove bun festival, where cafes and bakeries offer dozens of creative variations.
One travel writer has already sampled more than thirty different buns this season alone, describing the city as a “pullaparatiisi”, a paradise for bun lovers (MTV Uutiset, Finland, 7 February 2026).
This shows how a traditional pastry can travel across borders while keeping its seasonal meaning intact.
A Shared Nordic Winter Treat
Laskiaispulla belongs to a wider family of Shrove buns across Northern Europe. Sweden’s semla, Denmark and Norway’s fastelavnsbolle, and Estonia’s vastlakukkel all celebrate the same moment in the calendar: the indulgence before Lent.
While Swedish semlor traditionally feature almond paste, Finnish buns often include raspberry jam, a small difference that continues to spark friendly debate every February.
What remains unchanged is the comfort of a soft cardamom bun filled with cream, enjoyed during the coldest part of the year.
Tradition, Trend, and the Joy of Winter Baking
Despite modern variations and social-media-worthy creations, the essence of laskiaispulla remains simple. It is a seasonal marker, something people eat not just for flavour, but for tradition.
Whether bought from a neighbourhood bakery, enjoyed after winter sledding, or baked at home, the laskiaispulla continues to bring a sense of warmth to the Nordic winter.
If you’d like to try making them yourself, you can find our classic recipe here:
And to learn more about the bun’s Nordic cousin, read our article on semla:
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