Finnish meatballs in cream sauce are a traditional home-cooked meal made with ground beef, breadcrumbs, cream, onion, and a few simple spices. The meatballs are browned in butter and finished in a creamy sauce made with beef broth and cream. They are usually served with potatoes and vegetables, along with lingonberry jam and something pickled on the side.
This is the way my mom made Finnish meatballs when I was growing up. She served them with a simple cream sauce, always with potatoes and some vegetables. Cooked carrots or peas were common, and there was usually something pickled on the table too, either cucumbers or beets. And, of course, lingonberry jam. It is a very Finnish combination, and one I still like today.
The Meatballs I Grew Up with
My mom made meatballs occasionally when I was a child. They were not an everyday meal, but when they appeared on the table, I knew what the rest of the plate would look like: meatballs, potatoes, vegetables, and the sauce spooned over everything.
There is nothing complicated about these meatballs. The mixture is seasoned with white pepper, black pepper, and allspice, which gives them the familiar flavor I associate with Finnish meatballs. Cream and breadcrumbs keep the mixture soft, while finely chopped onion adds flavor without taking over.
I usually make them with ground beef, but Finnish meatballs can vary quite a bit from one family to another. Some recipes use a mixture of beef and pork, and some include potato in the meat mixture.
My grandmother had her own version. She added mashed potato to the meatball mixture and served the meatballs with a traditional brown sauce. You can find her recipe here: Grandmother’s Finnish Meatballs with Brown Sauce. It is interesting to see the difference between the two recipes, even though both come from my family.
A Simple Cream Sauce
The cream sauce starts in the same pan where the meatballs were cooked. This is one of my favorite parts of the recipe because the browned bits left in the pan become part of the sauce.
A little butter and flour form the base, followed by beef broth and cream. The sauce is seasoned with black pepper and allspice, just like the meatballs. I also like to add a little mustard to the sauce. My grandmother used mustard in her meatball recipe, and I liked that addition, so I started adding it to my mom’s recipe as well. It is optional, but I think it works especially well with the cream sauce.
Once the sauce is ready, the meatballs go back into the pan and warm through in the sauce.
The result is a mild, creamy sauce that works especially well with potatoes. I like to keep it fairly simple rather than adding lots of extra ingredients.
What to Serve with Finnish Meatballs
For me, potatoes are optional when it comes to this meal. My mom always served meatballs with some kind of potato, whether boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes.
Vegetables were always there too. Cooked carrots and peas were two of the most common choices, but you can use whatever vegetables you like. Steamed cauliflower, green beans, or a simple vegetable mix all work well.
There was usually something sharp and sour on the table as well. Pickled Cucumbers or pickled beets balance the creamy sauce and meatballs nicely. And then there is lingonberry jam, which is a classic addition to Finnish meatball dinners.
You do not need all of these things to make a good meal, but this is the combination that takes me back to my childhood table.
Finnish Meatballs Are not just for Dinner
Although I usually serve these meatballs with cream sauce, the meatballs themselves are useful in other ways too.
They make a good buffet food served on their own. You can make them ahead and serve them at room temperature or warm, depending on the occasion. They are also good in a sandwich, especially when you have a few leftover meatballs in the refrigerator.
This is one reason I like making a slightly larger batch. The traditional dinner is one option, but the leftovers can easily become something else.
Making the Meatballs
I let the meatball mixture rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before shaping the meatballs. This gives the breadcrumbs time to absorb the cream and makes the mixture easier to handle.
Wet your hands before shaping the meatballs so the mixture does not stick too much. I make mine fairly small, around 4 cm (1½ inches) in diameter.
Brown the meatballs in butter in a large frying pan. You do not need to get every side deeply browned, but a little color adds plenty of flavor. Once they are cooked, set them aside while you make the sauce in the same pan.
If you prefer to use the oven, the meatballs can also be baked and then added to the sauce. This is particularly handy when making a larger batch.
A Taste of Finnish Home Cooking
Finnish meatballs are one of those dishes that can look slightly different depending on who made them. There are different recipes, different seasonings, and different ways of serving them. But the basic idea is simple: small meatballs, potatoes, vegetables, and a good sauce.
This version is my mom’s way of making them, with a creamy sauce and the familiar combination of allspice and pepper. It is not a fancy dish, and that is part of what I like about it. It is the kind of food that belongs on an ordinary family table and still brings back memories years later.
Serve the meatballs with boiled or mashed potatoes, cooked vegetables, lingonberry jam, and Pickled Cucumbers or beets for the full Finnish experience.
If you’d like to try another family version, take a look at my Grandmother’s Finnish Meatballs with Brown Sauce. You can also find more Finnish recipes in my Finnish Recipes collection.
Share the Recipe
Finnish Meatballs in Cream Sauce
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Large frying pan
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 500 g 1.1 lb ground beef
- 1 egg
- 2 dl ¾ cup + 1 tbsp cream
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 dl ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp white pepper or more to taste
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter for frying
Cream Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 5 dl 2 cups + 1 tbsp lukewarm beef broth, made from stock cubes or homemade
- ½ –1 tsp salt to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper or to taste
- ½ –1 tsp ground allspice to taste
- 2 dl ¾ cup + 1 tbsp cream
- 1 –2 tsp mustard optional
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- Mix the breadcrumbs and spices in a bowl. Add the cream and egg, and mix well.
- Add the finely chopped onion and ground beef. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Cover and let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Shape the mixture into meatballs with moistened hands. Place the meatballs on parchment paper while you prepare the rest.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Let the butter melt and foam.
- Add the meatballs in batches. Fry, shaking the pan occasionally so they brown evenly on all sides. Once browned, reduce the heat and continue cooking until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Transfer the meatballs to a bowl and set aside while you make the sauce.
Make the Cream Sauce
- Add the flour to the same pan and stir well, incorporating the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Gradually add the lukewarm beef broth, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil. Add the cream and let the sauce gently simmer over low heat.
- Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and allspice to taste. Add the mustard, if using.
- Return the meatballs to the sauce and let them heat through.
- If the sauce is too thick, add a little more cream or beef broth until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve the meatballs with boiled or mashed potatoes and vegetables. Lingonberry jam and pickled cucumbers or pickled beets are also traditional accompaniments.
Notes
- The recipe makes about 28 meatballs when shaped into 4 cm (1½-inch) meatballs.
- Let the meatball mixture rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to make it easier to shape and give the breadcrumbs time to absorb the cream.
- You can use homemade beef broth or broth made from stock cubes.
- If the sauce becomes too thick, thin it with a little cream or beef broth.
- Adjust the amount of black pepper and allspice to your taste.
- You can also cook the meatballs in the oven. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15–20 minutes, or until cooked through.
