Meet Wisconsin’s official state pastry! This Danish Kringle Recipe tastes EXACTLY like the real thing, but it has been adapted so you can make it at home.
Kringle is a popular Danish pastry often filled with fruits, nuts, jams, or other flavors. In the United States, Kringle took root in a city just south of Milwaukee: Racine.
My in-laws live in Racine, and my mother-in-law makes the most delicious Kringle I’ve ever eaten. And now you can make it too!
How do you make a Kringle?
Classic Kringle are shaped into an oval. However, this recipe yields two rectangle Kringle that you can decorate differently if you choose.
Once you’ve made the crust, top it with a sweet almond paste filling. The filling is open, uncovered, when you put it in the oven. It will bake up golden brown and puffy, and then the filling will settle in to the crust.
Drizzle the frosting directly over the baked filling.
If you wind up in Racine, Wisconsin, the most famous bakery is O&H Bakery. Stop in or order their delicious Kringle online anytime!
Danish Kringle Recipe
For the crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter cut into small pieces and chilled (1 stick)
- 2 tablespoons ice water
For the filling:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
For the icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon butter softened
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Sprinkles or sliced almonds for decorating, optional
To make the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour and chilled butter pieces. Using a knife or pastry cutter, cut into dough until pea-sized crumbs form. Sprinkle with ice water, stirring with a fork until soft dough forms.
- Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a 3-inch x 12-inch strip and press on to ungreased baking sheet. Set aside.
To make the filling:
- In a medium saucepan, combine water and butter; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately stir in flour. Whisk until smooth.
- Add eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Stir in almond extract.
- Divide the filling between the two crusts, spreading to 3/4-inch from the edge of the crust. Bake until golden brown and puffy, 50 to 60 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool completely, at least 1 hour. The topping will shrink and fall as the Kringle cools.
To make the icing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, butter, and almond extract smooth. If the frosting seems to thick, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth enough to drizzle.
- Drizzle each Kringle with icing. Top with sprinkles or sliced almonds if desired.
Oh darn! I wish I’d read the comments first. I had what I thought was way too much filling, since I didn’t realize the “filling” in this recipe forms a crust of sorts. I’ve left the “extra” out and folded over the actual crust. I guess I’ll try again.
Hi, I haven’t tried the recipe yet. My question is how do you make the cheesecake flavored Kringle? That’s the only flavor I have had. But I will try this recipe so I know how the original Kringle tastes.
Hi Karen! I haven’t made a cheesecake-flavored Kringle so off the top of my head, I don’t know for sure. I googled it and nobody seems to have a recipe for it either! Here’s what I DO have – a recipe for Ina Garten’s cheese danishes. The filling is probably pretty close to what you might want (although if you hear “cheese Danish” and you’re like NOOOOOPE then maybe not). Here is the recipe for her filling. It makes 8 cheese danishes, what you would get from 2 sheets (1 box) of puff pastry.
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 extra-large egg yolks (she uses extra large eggs, I never do, I would say maybe 3 large egg yolks?)
2 tbsp ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp lemon zest
She creams together the cream cheese and sugar first in a mixer, then adds everything else. She says – don’t whip it, mix until just combined.
I don’t know if this would be the right amount of filling or if it’s even what you want. But it’s worth a try if you have the time and the energy.
Good luck Karen! Please let me know what happens! :) Thanks. -Meggan
Meggan, Quick question. Anxious to try your Kringle recipe. I buy kringles whenever Trader Joe’s has it and want to make it too. The kringles i buy seem to have a top crust, but your recipe doesn’t sound like there is a top crust. Is that correct? Thanks in advance for explaining. Jan minot
Hi Jan, this kringle doesn’t look much like the ones at Trader Joe’s but it tastes the same. It’s true my recipe doesn’t have a top crust, but after you put the icing on top, you don’t even notice. The filling puffs up and then sinks and somehow works like a top crust. And then like I said, you put icing on top anyway. I’m thinking of reworking this recipe so it looks/sounds like a traditional Kringle so people aren’t confused. Sorry for the confusion! Thank you! If you need anything else, just let me know. -Meggan
My mother made this but spread raspberry preserves on top, then drizzled with the white powder icing. She said she got her recipe from one of her Jewish friends. We lived in Westbury, New York. I’ve been looking for this for decades. Thank you!
Wow! That’s incredible to hear! :D -Meggan
Is the icing with water or milk!m? Ingredients say water but recipe says milk 😫 I just made the Kringle and it’s cooking, onto the icing now. I think I’ll use milk and water lol.
Hi Tara, I’m SO SORRY. It could honestly be either one. I was changing all my icing recipes from milk to water so they wouldn’t require refrigeration (if you make the icing with milk, the kringle should “technically” be refrigerated if you follow CDC guidelines), but I changed only the ingredients, not the instructions. I’m an idiot. I’m sorry about that. So originally it was milk, but there isn’t much of a difference in taste if you use water. Sorry again. -Meggan
I have a lot of left over filling….is that normal?
I made this at Christmastime and it came out soooooo good!!! I didn’t think I was making it correctly until I figured out I had to zigzag the filling. My only problem is that you mentioned ‘topping with a sweet almond filling’ but gave no instructions for adding it. I have almond filling and am going to try placing it on top before putting the whole thing in the oven. My grandfather (long since passed) was of Danish decent so I thought I would surprise my 93 yo mother with this for a little taste of her ancestral heritage. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
I’ve made this for years and just pile all the filling on and comes out great….everyone wants a piece or 3 lol
Meggan i have mastered this wonderful Kringle … My friends and family request it every Holiday making it for xmas …. Thank you. . Merry Christmas
I just made this. I don’t feel there is enough crust for the amount of filling. The filling puffed up nicely. I will try this again and maybe dbl the crust. It smells wonderful. It was very easy to make! Thank you for sharing!
Yes it tasted really good but my eggs made it yellow and I don’t think the filling went into crust …
I am making it again today to master it …
Wish me luck !!
I am so glad it was not a complete disaster, ha ha ha! I do think with baking sometimes it takes a try or two to get it right (at least for me it does…). So thanks for giving it another try. You must use really nice eggs if they changed the color of the crust! Good luck and take care, thanks again for reporting back!
Isn’t there supposed to be some sugar in the filling?
Hi Kathy, no sugar in the filling. I pulled out the original copy of the recipe just to make sure it’s not a typo. The recipe is correct as written. It works. I don’t know why…. but it works. Maybe it’s the frosting. Sorry for the confusion!
It seems strange that there is no sugar in the filling. Is that correct?
Hi Kathy, no sugar in the filling. I pulled out the original copy of the recipe just to make sure it’s not a typo. The recipe is correct as written. It works. I don’t know why…. but it works. Maybe it’s the frosting. Sorry for the confusion!
My crust doesn’t seem to be puffing it still has 20 min left…. not feeling confident …
Hi Tani I was just wondering if your kringle turned out! Sorry for being creepy and nosey… I hope it was a success. Merry Christmas!
Don’t give up yet! A lot Can happen in 20 minutes.
Hope it turns out ?
It’s in the oven !
Hope it turns out ?
Got it in the oven hope it turns out ?
I hope so too! Please feel free to report back if you have time… thanks Tani!
This is Devine and simple to whip up. 😍😍
I am from Racine! Love O&H! I am going to try this recipe and see how it stacks up to the real thing!
Oh boy does this ever look good. Gotta try this one. Love the puff pastry result. Happy Thanksgiving.