Danish pastries are much like Danish people: polished, unassuming, and quiet. I’ve also noticed that Danes love neutrals (they stan a tan trench coat) and that’s another way to view their pastries. In the bakeries of Copenhagen you’ll find a hundred shades of brown, from caramel to coffee to tan to toast. Beauty appears in a classic silhouette with few frills or fuss.

I knew I would miss Copenhagen’s wonderful pastries the minute I left. So I decided to take pastries home with me! But how could I choose? In an ideal world I would have filled an entire suitcase with baked goods. Alas, there was neither enough time nor suitcases nor stomach space to take everything home. I had to triage my pastry selection.

The first requirement was portability. Could the pastry survive a 24-hour trip home to the United States? That meant no fruit, cream, or meat (buh-bye sausage rolls). The second consideration was obsession. Was this pastry spectacular or forgettable? I had to schlep it across the Atlantic, so it had to be 100% drool worthy. The third and final consideration was freshness. Would the pastry reheat well? Once home, those buns would be tottering on the cusp of staleness. Would a quick trip to the oven revive them? These were my *very important criteria* and any pastry that didn’t make the cut was cut. Hi-yah! (that’s the sound of me cutting through a pastry with my bare hands). It was a brutal process.

There was one more consideration: time. I only had a few hours to hit every bakery on my list. Luckily I had visited several great bakeries that week and now I knew which bakeries were worth a second trip. So I plotted my course on Google Maps, strapped on my trusty dusty backpack, and leapt onto my rental bike. First up: Hart Bageri.

HART BAGERI

Hart Bageri is delightful. It was still strawberry season when I visited, and plump red berries beckoned from atop delicate éclairs and cakes. Although tempting, I was here for one thing only: the cardamom croissant. This pastry is caramelized, cardamom laced, and buttery to the extreme. And, since it’s made from leftover classic croissant dough, it’s a beautiful example of how kitchen scraps can be turned into something even better than the original. As far as I can tell, squares of croissant dough are doused in cardamom butter, nestled in a muffin tin, and baked. Afterwards the bottom is dipped in sugar, which makes them even more sublime. It’s a wonderful pastry mashup of croissants and cardamom buns. I predict that if you love butter you will love this. And who doesn’t love butter?! I ordered five, shoved them in my backpack, and went on my way. One bakery down, two to go!

I actually passed over the cardamom croissant on my first trip to Hart Bageri because it looked squat and craggy. Thankfully my sister insisted we try one and, by the end of the trip, she declared this her favorite pastry in Copenhagen. But if cardamom croissants don’t float your boat, Hart Bageri makes a slew of other treats. I spotted glossy red raspberry bars (hindbærsnitter), spandauer topped with summer berries, classic croissants, and plump Polish sausage rolls. Their bread is considered some of the best in the city. Head baker Richard Hart helmed Tartine Bakery in San Francisco before René Redzepi coaxed him to Denmark by promising two things: a position baking bread for Noma and his own eponymous bakery. I’ve eaten Tartine’s morning buns pre and post Richard Hart and I have to say, the buns were better when he worked there. His trans-Atlantic jump is San Francisco’s loss and Copenhagen’s gain.

JUNO THE BAKERY

I still daydream about Juno the Bakery’s cardamom buns. Their buns are world famous, yet I never predicted they would be so swoon worthy. I figured a flaky croissant would top my personal list of “favorite pastries in Copenhagen” but this delectably squishy bun really did it for me.

Juno’s cardamom buns are moist, buttery, and lightly caramelized on bottom. They are perfectly soft with a slight chew. No crumbs, no flakes, just perfection. And the cardamom? Amazing! Cinnamon may take all the glory in the U.S. but Scandinavia knows how to handle cardamom. The spice level sailed past “not enough cardamom” and pushed right up against “this is waaay too much cardamom.” It was just right.

Juno is located on a quiet street with a small courtyard. Through the bakery door a large vase of graceful flowers greets customers. To the left is the kitchen, where bakers handle cardamom dough with practiced ease. To the right is a sparkling glass case filled with baked goods. My sister and I selected one slice of citrus loaf cake and a small cake topped with cooked peaches and cream. We sat in the courtyard and a light breeze tousled the bushes, sending sun and shadows flitting across our table.

As I bit into my cardamom bun I noticed how the dots of cardamom suspended in dough resembled twinkling stars in a swirling night sky. Romantic, yes? Well you want to know what was less romantic — the pigeons! A pigeon landed on my table and fixed its beady eyes on my last glorious bite so I snatched at the bun, shoved it in my mouth, and took a triumphant swig of black coffee. Aha! I thought. I am victorious. Then I swiped at the pigeon and hit my coffee cup instead. All right all right so Juno the Bakery had loads of pigeons (aka sky rats) which I hate. But these buns are worth a battle any day, I promise. Don’t skip Juno the Bakery. You’ll be glad you went.

ANDERSEN & MAILLARD

The third and final stop on my pastry tour was Andersen & Maillard. I first spotted a chocolate croissant on their Instagram account several years ago and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Their elegant croissant contains two types of chocolate. First, a shiny strand of chocolate dough swirls throughout the pastry. And, concealed at the center, is a solid sphere of smooth, rich chocolate ganache. It’s gorgeous! It’s heavenly! And it was a totally impractical choice to cart home. Here’s why…

Before I left Copenhagen, I packed all of the pastries in a big paper bag with handles. Then I gingerly carried that bag onto the plane as if it contained a ton of dynamite. Unfortunately the delicate laminated dough couldn’t escape some wear and tear on the 24 hour flight. Once home I opened the bag and realized the chocolate croissants arrived smushed. Darn.

Second, I accidentally melted the chocolate, which was 100% my fault. I microwaved the croissant for ten seconds, picked it up to take a bite, aaaand melted chocolate splooshed all over the plate. Argh! Obviously I know that chocolate melts and I also know that pastries need to be reheated. Day old croissants should ideally be reheated in the oven, which will snap those buttery layers to attention and breathe new life into them. But I was impatient so I stuck it in the microwave, which changed the texture from a chocolate truffle to chocolate soup. I still ate it; I dragged the dough through a pool of melted chocolate and it tasted fine. So if you find chocolate fountains delightful, go for it! Otherwise, don’t bother lugging this one home. It tastes best at the source. I’d recommend you grab a chocolate croissant from Andersen & Maillard, stand on the street corner, and turn your face towards the sun (or more likely the clouds lol it’s Copenhagen after all) and take a big, luscious bite of this ludicrously delicious pastry. And then tell everyone at home how good it was and you’re so sorry you couldn’t bring them any muhahaha.

ALICE BAKERY

To be honest, there is another pastry that continues to dance through my dreams. The brunsviger!!! The brunsviger from Alice Bakery is one of the best pastries I’ve ever experienced. Imagine if a cinnamon roll and focaccia had a baby. It’s not savory like focaccia but the wide rectangles of dimpled dough remind me of that. The base is actually made of a combination of brioche dough and croissant dough, which makes some bites soft and chewy like a cinnamon roll and others peel away with the beautiful layers of a croissant. Smooth espresso caramel is poured over the top of the dough and, as it bakes, the caramel pools into the dough’s dimples and crevices to create pockets of gooey caramel. The espresso’s sharpness tempers the caramel’s sweetness and orange zest adds a lively citrus pop. Now answer me honestly: does that sound good or does that sound goo0OO0ood? Answer: it hits all the right notes.

I tried to make it to Alice Bakery before their brunsviger sold out for the day. Alas, my short little legs couldn’t pump the bike pedals fast enough. I was literally sweating when I showed up (adorable) so I cooled down with an ice cream bar instead (delicious). But if I had made it to Alice in time I would have ordered several brunsviger to bring home.

And the winner is…

So, which pastry takes the cake? When it comes to portability, durability, and obsess-ability the Hart Bageri cardamom croissant was the winner. It remained buttery and moist yet didn’t get squashed while traveling. It wins my vote for “most portable” and “most moist” (say that five times fast) and it was my family’s favorite.

Although my sister and mom preferred the Hart Bageri croissant, the Juno cardamom bun has my heart. Unfortunately the buns became dry on the trip home. I tried to prevent this by lovingly wrapping each individual bun. Alas, my efforts were futile. Once home, these buns definitely had to be consumed alongside coffee or tea to offset the dryness, which was fine by me.

So if you’re thinking about visiting Copenhagen… and if you (like me) fall for the city’s pastries… I recommend bringing a taste of Copenhagen home with you. Pastries are the best souvenir! Or just stock up for the plane ride home. Which reminds me… if you’re looking for a killer plane breakfast, go to April Coffee and buy a travel size envelope of pour-over coffee. Then, when other passengers are eating sad rubbery eggs and spongey bread, whip out your bun(s) ask the flight attendant for hot water for the coffee, and chow down. Happy Eating!