Danish Kringle - The Recipe Critic (2024)

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This Danish Kringle is full of almond flavor, baked until golden, and then drizzled with a vanilla glaze. This can be eaten for breakfast or dessert, and everyone will love it!

I love a delicious baked Danish. Check out some more of my favorites like this Cheese Danish, this Apple Danish or this yummy Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish!

Danish Kringle - The Recipe Critic (1)

What is a Danish Kringle?

A Danish Kringle is a delicious pastry that comes from Denmark. It is made with a buttery dough that is filled with a creamy filling. The dough is shaped into an oval (this recipe makes 2!), baked until golden, and then topped with a sweet almond vanilla frosting.

This Danish Kringle is a copycat of the classic Kringle that Trader Joe’s sells around Christmastime! My kids go crazy over this treat, and if they are lucky, they can eat it for dessert or breakfast! You’ve got to try it. I love using my homemade marzipan in this recipe to make it even more delicious!

Ingredients in a Danish Kringle

These ingredients are classic, and you probably have most of them in your pantry! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all of the exact measurements.

Dough

  • Bread Flour: This helps give this Danish Kringle the perfect texture.
  • Sugar: This is what makes the recipe sweet!
  • Active Dry Yeast: 1 packet is just the right amount!
  • Salt: The salt enhances all of the flavors in the dough.
  • Butter: I use unsalted butter in this recipe. Keep it in the fridge so it stays cold until you use it.
  • Milk: I use whole milk in this recipe.
  • Egg: This helps bind all of the ingredients together.

Filling

  • Marzipan: You can make this from scratch with this marzipan recipe, or you can buy it pre-made from the store to save time!

Egg wash

  • Egg White and Water: Mixing these two ingredients will create an egg wash to make this Danish Kringle nice and golden brown.

Frosting

  • Powdered Sugar: This creates a sweet flavor that dissolves easily, making it nice and creamy.
  • Water: This helps turn the sugar into a glaze.
  • Vanilla and Almond Extract: These flavor the frosting, adding to that almond flavor.
  • Sliced Almonds: These are optional and can be used as a topping on this Danish Kringle.

How to Make A Danish Kringle at Home

This recipe makes TWO kringles so it’s perfect for serving a crowd. You can even make the dough ahead of time and bake it fresh when you are ready!

Make the Dough

  1. Mix Dry Ingredients with Butter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Pour the flour mixture, along with the cubed butter, into a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.
  2. Pulse: Pulse the food processor until the butter has been evenly distributed and nearly broken down. You should still see some small chunks of butter throughout.
  3. Combine: In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. Add the flour mixture to the liquids and, using a wooden spoon, stiff spatula, or your hands, mix the wet and dry ingredients together thoroughly.
  4. Knead and Chill: Knead the dough together and shape it into a long rectangle. Cut the dough in half lengthwise. Place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  5. Roll the Dough: Once the dough has chilled, place it on a lightly floured surface, and using a rolling pin, roll each section of dough out into a long rectangle, about 6 by 24 inches.

Add the Filling

  1. Prep: While the dough is chilling, preheat an oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
  2. Roll Marzipan: Separate the marzipan in half, roll each half out to the length of the dough, and smash it slightly flat. Lay the marzipan into each section of dough. If it is a little too long after flattening, you can trim it to fit inside the dough.
  3. Fold: Fold one side of the dough over the marzipan and the remaining section of dough over the top of that, using a bit of water to secure the seam. Flip the kringle over to place the seam on the bottom.
  4. Shape into Oval: Shape each length of the kringle into an oval, joining the ends together by fitting one side into the end of the other, and seal the seam with a bit of water. (My ovals were about 12 by 9 inches from the longest points to the widest points).
  5. Bake: Place each kringle on its own sheet pan, egg wash the top of each kringle, and bake them one at a time for 20-25 minutes until the kringle is golden brown. Keep the kringle in the fridge while it waits to bake.

Make the Glaze

  1. Whisk: Once the kringles are fully baked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature. While they are cooling, make the frosting by whisking together the powdered sugar, water, almond, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl.
  2. Drizzle: Once the kringles are cooled, drizzle the frosting across each kringle, sprinkle the sliced almonds across the tops, and enjoy!
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Variations

This Danish Kringle is so delicious as is, but you can easily change it up to make it your own!

  • Change the filling: This kringle is a classic almond kringle, but you can get creative and use other fillings such as cherry pie filling, apple pie filling, pumpkin, cheesecake, and more!
  • Save time: If you are short on time, store-bought marzipan can be used instead of homemade marzipan.
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Storing Leftovers

This Danish Kringle can last a few days (if you don’t eat it all in one night!), and here is how you can store it properly.

  • Storing your baked Danish Kringle: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for a week.
  • Can I make this ahead of time? Yes! The kringle can be assembled and kept covered in the fridge overnight and baked fresh the next day.
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More Delicious Almond Recipes to Try!

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Danish Kringle Recipe

By: Alyssa Rivers

This Danish Kringle is full of almond flavor, baked until golden, and then drizzled with a vanilla glaze. This can be eaten for breakfast or dessert, and everyone will love it!

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

chill time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 slices

Ingredients

Dough

Filling

  • 2 cups marzipan

Egg wash

Frosting

Instructions

Make the Dough

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Pour the flour mixture, along with the cubed butter into a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.

  • Pulse the food processor until the butter has been evenly distributed and nearly broken down. You should still see some small chunks of butter throughout.

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. Add the flour mixture to the liquids and, using a wooden spoon, stiff spatula, or your hands mix the wet and dry ingredients together thoroughly.

  • Knead the dough together and shape it into a long rectangle. Cut the dough in half lengthwise. Place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

  • Once the dough has chilled, place it on a lightly floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll each section of dough out into a long rectangle, about 6 by 24 inches.

Add the Filling

  • While the dough is chilling, preheat an oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit and prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.

  • Separate the marzipan in half, roll each half out to the length of the dough and smash it slightly flat. Lay the marzipan into each section of dough, If it ends up being a little too long after flattening you can trim it to fit inside the dough.

  • Fold one side of the dough over the marzipan and the remaining section of dough over the top of that, using a bit of water to secure the seam. Flip the kringle over to place the seam on the bottom.

  • Shape each length of the kringle into an oval, joining the ends together by fitting one side into the end of the other, and seal the seam with a bit of water. (My ovals ended up being about 12 by 9 inches from the longest points to the widest points).

  • Place each kringle on its own sheet pan, egg wash the top of each kringle and bake them one at a time for 20-25 minutes, until the kringle is golden brown. Keep the kringle in the fridge while it waits to bake.

Make the Glaze

  • Once the kringles are fully baked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature. While they are cooling, make the frosting by whisking together the powdered sugar, water, almond and vanilla extract in a medium bowl.

  • Once the kringles are cooled, drizzle the frosting across each kringle and sprinkle the sliced almonds across the tops, and enjoy!

Notes

Store the kringle at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.

The kringle can be assembled and kept covered in the fridge overnight and baked fresh the next day.

Store bought marzipan can be used in place of homemade marzipan.

This recipe is for a classic almond kringle, but you can get creative and use other fillings such as cherry, maple, pumpkin, cheesecake, and more!

Nutrition

Calories: 257kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 171mgPotassium: 88mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 256IUVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: Danish

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

Read More About Me

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Danish Kringle - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

Should Kringle be refrigerated? ›

Kringle stay fresh a long time although we recommend 7 days at room temperature, 10 days in the refrigerator, or 6 months in the freezer. We seriously doubt it will last that long, since they are quite delicious, but it's always nice to know you have options!

Does Trader Joe's sell Danish kringles? ›

You can now get the O&H raspberry danish kringle. This was packed with a sweet raspberry filling served in their signature flaky pastry, topped off with an icing. Which danish kringle is your favorite?

What's the difference between a Kringle and a Danish? ›

What is the difference between a Danish and a Kringle? A Kringle is a “Danish". “Danish pastry” or a “Danish” is an umbrella term for various types of buttery, flaky pastry. A Kringle is a pastry made with layers of sweet, flaky pastry, filled with fruit, nut or gourmet filling and topped with sweet icing.

Is a Danish Kringle dessert or breakfast? ›

There is no wrong answer! Whenever you are in the mood for Kringle; morning, noon, or night is the right time. In Denmark, many breakfasts begin with Kringle; many afternoons include a Kringle as a snack, and a warmed-up Kringle on cold nights tops off dessert time before bed.

How long do kringles last in the freezer? ›

How long do Kringles stay fresh? Kringle will stay at its best for about 5 days at room temperature or six months in the freezer. If you don't plan on eating your Kringle Gift for a few days, put it in the freezer, and when ready thaw at room temperature for about an hour.

Can Kringle sit out? ›

Kringle can be left out on counter for 3-4 days. If you are not going to consume within that period, place in freezer in plastic packaging. Freeze for up to 6 months. To warm: Heat oven to 350° and put Kringle (unfrozen) in for 3 minutes.

Why are Kringles so cheap at Trader Joe's? ›

TJ's buys wholesale from suppliers. Think of a guaranteed order of a 100,000 pieces of a baked good a month (I made that number up). With that kind of income for suppliers guaranteed, they can produce certain flavors at a better price point, add to it wholesale pricing.

Does Aldi have Kringles now? ›

The Kringle that Aldi sells is less expensive and appears to be just as authentic as the Kringle sold at TJ's. Racine Danish Kringles is a third-generation bakery in Racine, Wisconsin specializing in Kringles. The bakery that makes the Kringle that Trader Joe's sells, O&H Danish Bakery, is also located in Racine.

Does Costco sell Kringles? ›

Racine Danish Kringles are sold in Pick N' Save, Meijer's, Piggly Wiggly, Woodman's, Costco, Hy-Vee, Jewel Food Stores, Sendik's and many specialty stores, just to name a few.

Do they eat Kringle in Denmark? ›

Kringle (/ˈkrɪŋɡəl/,) is a Northern European pastry, a variety of pretzel. Pretzels were introduced by Roman Catholic monks in the 13th century in Denmark, and from there they spread throughout Scandinavia and evolved into several kinds of sweet, salty or filled pastries, all in the shape of kringle.

What does Kris Kringle mean in German? ›

/ˌkrɪs ˈkrɪŋɡl/ /ˌkrɪs ˈkrɪŋɡl/ ​a US name for Father Christmas. It comes from the German word Christkindl, meaning Christ child, because German children believe that the baby Jesus brings presents during the Christmas season.

Why are kringles oval? ›

Bakers adopted an oval shape to do away with the unfilled, overlapping parts of the traditional shape. If you're interested in trying Danish kringles, here's what you need to know before you look for a local bakery that makes them.

What is Easter Kringle? ›

Celebrate Easter with delicious Kringle. We start with our brown sugar and cinnamon filling and layer it with our Grandma's famous carrot cake. We then add a cream cheese frosting and garnish this with carrot cake pieces that'll keep you hopping all day long.

What flavor is Wisconsin Kringle? ›

You'll find the Kringle is smothered with just the right amount of white frosting and filled with everything from popular favorites like pecan and almond to custard chocolate chip or red velvet for the more adventurous.

Why is it called a Kringle? ›

Kringle started out as the Nordic version of a pretzel, possibly made as early as the 13th century by Roman Catholic monks, especially in Denmark. Its name derives from the Old Norse “kringla” meaning a circle or oval. Danish immigrants brought the treat with them when they settled in Racine in the late 19th century.

Do you have to refrigerate Uncle Mike's Kringle? ›

To Store. Kringles arrive ready to enjoy! Upon arrival, place kringles at room temperature or in the freezer, do not refrigerate.

Does a Danish need to be refrigerated? ›

Food Safety Precautions. The freshness of Danish pastries impacts both their flavor and safety. They shouldn't be stored at room temperature for more than two days to prevent bacterial growth. For longer storage, they should be refrigerated in airtight containers and consumed within seven days.

How to eat frozen Kringle? ›

Yes, kringle can be frozen up to four months. Freeze in the double wax bag that they come in. Just take out of the freezer and thaw to eat at room temperature or it can be enjoyed warmed up in the oven. Conventional Oven: Warm at 350° F for five minutes.

Can I freeze Trader Joe's Kringle? ›

It's worth noting that Kringles freeze perfectly, so stock up now while you can (with as many as Trader Joe's will let you buy).

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