--- title: "Knäckebröd: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "Knäckebröd is Swedish crispbread, a thin, dry, crunchy rye bread that keeps for months. How Swedes eat it and what to use instead outside Sweden." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/knackebrod" --- # Knäckebröd Knäckebröd is Swedish crispbread, a thin, dry, crunchy rye bread that keeps for months. How Swedes eat it and what to use instead outside Sweden. Also called Knackebrod, Knäcke, Crispbread, Swedish crispbread, Hårt bröd. _Knäckebröd_ is Swedish crispbread. It is a thin, flat, very dry bread, usually made from wholegrain rye flour, water and salt, and baked until it snaps. It tastes nutty and a little sour, and it is crunchy rather than soft. Because it holds almost no water, it is [shelf-stable](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/shelf-stable) and keeps for months. ## How to use it Swedes eat knäckebröd every day, most often like an open sandwich: * Spread with butter and top with cheese, sliced egg, cucumber, ham or _kaviar_, a sweet smoked fish roe spread. * Spread with [messmör](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/messmor), a sweet whey spread. * Serve it with soup, pea soup in particular, or with pickled herring on the [smörgåsbord](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/smorgasbord). * Break it into pieces as a snack with cheese. There are many kinds: thin and thick, rye or wheat, plain, with seeds, and round with a hole in the middle. The hole goes back to when the bread was baked a few times a year and stored on a pole near the ceiling. ## Substitutes Outside Sweden, rye crispbreads are sold in most supermarkets, often near the crackers. Other good swaps are rye crackers, seeded flatbread crackers and Norwegian _flatbrød_. Water crackers or other plain crackers work as a base for toppings but lack the rye taste. To make a simple seeded crispbread at home, mix 1 dl (100 ml) each of rye flour, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and flax seeds with 1 teaspoon salt, ½ dl (50 ml) oil and 2½ dl (250 ml) boiling water. Spread it very thin between two sheets of parchment paper and bake at 150°C (300°F) for about an hour, until fully crisp. Cut it into squares while warm. ## How to store it Keep it in a closed tin or bag in a dry cupboard. If it goes soft, crisp it again in the oven at 150°C (300°F) for 5 minutes and let it cool. ## In recipes Recipes may call it _knäcke_ or _hårt bröd_. Crumbled knäckebröd is sometimes used as a crunchy topping or in place of breadcrumbs. Most crispbread contains rye or wheat, so it contains [gluten](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/gluten). Gluten-free versions are made from seeds and oats labeled gluten-free. ## Recipes that use it 18 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://images.arla.com/recordid/96776480-959C-4832-AA2D66F5E7CEE336/kryddsill-med-brynt-smor-visp.jpg?width=1300&height=525&mode=crop&format=webp)Kryddig sill med vispat brynt smörwww.arla.se · 30 min](https://www.arla.se/recept/kryddsill-med-brynt-smor-visp/) * [![](https://images.arla.com/recordid/CFEEC735-D331-42B5-BA2399C5702A209B/klassisk-gubbrora.jpg?width=1300&height=525&mode=crop&crop=(0,326,0,-205)&format=webp)Klassisk gubbrörawww.arla.se](https://www.arla.se/recept/klassisk-gubbrora/) * [![](https://images.arla.com/recordid/9BCC0247-8E5D-4AB7-A9C8401A68C4E07F/snabb-frukost.jpg?width=1300&height=525&mode=crop&format=webp)Snabb frukostwww.arla.se · 5 min](https://www.arla.se/recept/snabb-frukost/) * [![](https://images.arla.com/recordid/582CF4CE-8C97-48A7-A2C5E37A3994BE9D/ostdipp.jpg?width=1300&height=525&mode=crop&format=webp)Ostdippwww.arla.se · 10 min](https://www.arla.se/recept/ostdipp/) * [![](https://images.arla.com/recordid/7D401CE8-0A24-4004-8DD256F9BD1E05F5/picture.jpg?width=1300&height=525&mode=crop&crop=(0,304,0,-227)&format=webp)Lerpottasillwww.arla.se · 30 min](https://www.arla.se/recept/lerpottasill/) * [![](https://images.arla.com/recordid/452BD0CA-F6D9-4504-A4D41012B7C3DC4B/picture.jpg?width=1300&height=525&mode=crop&crop=(0,419,0,-112)&format=webp)Ädelosthummuswww.arla.se](https://www.arla.se/recept/hummus-med-kvibille-adel/) * [![](https://images.arla.com/recordid/F04D3B3A-D357-4B7E-83B8F1D242E3C901/morotsomelett-med-artskott.jpg?width=1300&height=525&mode=crop&format=webp)Morotsomelett med ärtskottwww.arla.se · 20 min](https://www.arla.se/recept/morotsomelett-med-artskott/) * [![](https://images.arla.com/recordid/A9F8CD52-A236-4112-8FB645EA757D9E00/skinksmorgas-med-mimosa.jpg?width=1300&height=525&mode=crop&format=webp)Skinksmörgås med mimosawww.arla.se · 10 min](https://www.arla.se/recept/skinksmorgas-med-mimosa/) * [![](https://images.arla.com/recordid/30B61A58-CA28-4D5F-B04855647DB4E8A9/kalsoppa-med-frikadeller.jpg?width=1300&height=525&mode=crop&crop=(0,326,0,-205)&format=webp)Kålsoppa med frikadellerwww.arla.se](https://www.arla.se/recept/kalsoppa-med-frikadeller/) * [![](https://images.arla.com/recordid/887341D2-F876-4489-8392232B216A85A9/paprikafarskost-och-skinka-pa-knacke.jpg?width=1300&height=525&mode=crop&format=webp)Paprikafärskost och skinka på knäckewww.arla.se · 10 min](https://www.arla.se/recept/paprikafarskost-och-skinka-pa-knacke/) * [![](https://images.arla.com/recordid/69948E55-29BA-4FC7-A840BD5346923BD5/vispad-brie.jpg?width=1300&height=525&mode=crop&crop=(0,206,0,-325)&format=webp)Vispad briewww.arla.se · 70 min](https://www.arla.se/recept/vispad-brie/) * [![](https://images.arla.com/recordid/01385BAC-2D41-4F14-9EFA5370D432FD06/musli-pa-knackebrod.jpg?width=1300&height=525&mode=crop&format=webp)Müsli på knäckebrödwww.arla.se · 10 min](https://www.arla.se/recept/musli-pa-knackebrod/) ## Related terms * [MessmörMessmör is a soft, brown Swedish spread made by boiling down whey. It tastes sweet, salty and caramel-like. What to use instead outside Sweden.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/messmor) * [SmörgåsbordA smörgåsbord is a Swedish buffet of herring, cured salmon, meatballs, cold cuts, salads and warm dishes, eaten in set rounds. See the order to eat it in.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/smorgasbord) * [Shelf-stableShelf-stable food can be stored unopened at room temperature, like canned goods, dried pasta and UHT milk. Many of them need the fridge once opened.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/shelf-stable) * [FikaFika is the Swedish break for coffee and something sweet, such as a cinnamon bun, shared with others. See what is served and how to do it at home.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/fika) * [GlutenGluten is the stretchy protein network that forms when wheat flour meets water. It gives bread its chew and structure, and too much makes cakes tough.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/gluten) [More in nordic ingredients](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/nordic-ingredients)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)