Danish Kringle

4.8
(151)

A Danish kringle is a holiday pastry that is beautiful and delicious. This recipe is from my father-in-law's mother, who was born and raised in Denmark. It looks like a complicated braid but is simply created by crisscrossing strips of dough. You can make the dough at least 1 to 2 days in advance — it's easy to make and doesn't require yeast.

A Danish kringle on a serving plate, cut into wedges
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Prep Time:
45 mins
Cook Time:
30 mins
Additional Time:
8 hrs 30 mins
Total Time:
9 hrs 45 mins
Servings:
12
Yield:
2 (10-inch) kringles

A Danish kringle has a flaky pastry crust braided around a sweet, creamy filling.

Danish Kringle Ingredients

Believe it or not, this impressive Danish kringle is easy to make with basic ingredients you likely already have on hand. Here's what you'll need:

  • For the crust: all-purpose flour, salt, cold butter, and sour cream
  • For the filling: an egg, cream cheese, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and chopped walnuts
  • For the glaze: confectioners’ sugar and water
close up view of a Danish Kringle on a wooden cutting board
myoldasskitchen

How to Make a Danish Kringle

You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here's a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this traditional Danish kringle:

1. Make the pastry: Cut butter into sifted flour. Stir in sour cream, then cover the dough and chill it overnight.
2. Make the filling: Mix softened butter, brown sugar, and some of the walnuts in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Assemble the kringle: Assemble, fill, and braid the kringle according to the detailed instructions in the recipe.
4. Bake the kringle: Place on a prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown. Mix the confectioners' sugar and water, then drizzle the glaze over the cooled kringle.

To make the pastry crust by hand: Sift flour into a large bowl. Cut in cold butter with 2 knives or a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in sour cream and mix well to form a sticky dough. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.

Close up of fruit-filled Danish kringle with almonds and icing
Scott M

How to Store a Danish Kringle

Store your homemade Danish kringle in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.

Wreath-shaped Danish kringle with red and green sprinkles
shannon

Can You Freeze a Danish Kringle?

Yes, you can freeze a kringle (before you ice it). Simply wrap it in at least two layers of storage wrap and at least one layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Add the icing after it is totally thawed.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"What a good recipe (and so easy) for any time of year," raves Allrecipes Allstar Jan Mowbray. "Made the dough last night; shaped and baked it this morning. I used cherry pie filling instead of the mixture posted — delicious."

"I made this recipe for Christmas Eve and dessert on Christmas Day — family and friends took slices home for the next day's breakfast," says Grace Hill. "Just fabulous and easy."

"Super delicious," according to MSelvidio. "After trying a few fillings, I've decided that I like fruit preserves the best. Putting a bit of vanilla extract into the glaze also gives it extra flavor."

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings

Pastry:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup cold butter, cubed

  • 1 cup sour cream

Filling:

  • 1 large egg

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 1/4 cups chopped English walnuts, toasted, divided

Glaze:

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar

  • 2 tablespoons water, or as needed

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients.

    Ingredients to make Danish kringle

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. To make the pastry: Place flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until pieces are pea-sized.

    A food processor with flour, salt, and butter

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Add sour cream and pulse to form a sticky dough. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.

    A flat round disc of sticky dough wrapped in plastic wrap

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

    A parchment paper-lined baking sheet

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. To make the filling: Place egg yolk in a medium bowl; set egg white aside for egg wash.

    A large glass bowl with an egg yolk, and a small glass bowl with egg whites

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Add cream cheese, brown sugar, and cinnamon; beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

    A large bowl of cream cheese, brown sugar, and cinnamon being mixed together with a hand mixer

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Stir in 1 cup toasted walnuts until well combined.

    A bowl of cream cheese, brown sugar, and cinnamon mixture with chopped walnuts

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  8. Divide chilled dough in half.

    A flat disc of chilled dough, cut in half

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  9. Roll each piece of dough into a 10x12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface.

    A flat rectangular piece of dough on a floured surface, with a rolling pin

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  10. Working from a short side, spoon 1/2 of the filling along the center four inches of each rectangle.

    A rectangular piece of dough with a strip of filling along the center

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  11. On both sides of the filling, cut the unfilled pastry into eight horizontal strips. Working top to bottom, fold each strip over the filling, alternating sides. Press to seal ends and tuck under; arrange braids on the prepared baking sheet.

    A parchment paper lined baking sheet with two raw, braided kringle pastries

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  12. Beat egg white and 1 tablespoon water together until smooth; brush evenly over each braid. Bake kringles in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.

    A parchment paper-lined baking sheet with two raw braided kringles, brushed with egg wash

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  13. While pastries are cooling, make glaze: Mix together confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Spoon or drizzle glaze over cooled pastries; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of walnuts.

    A parchment paper-lined baking sheet with two Danish kringle, drizzled with glaze

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Test Kitchen Tips

This recipe was tested in our test kitchen in June 2023, and was updated to make two 10-inch long braids (the original recipe made three). We also replaced the butter in the filling with cream cheese to prevent it oozing out as much.

223 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

277 Calories
14g Fat
34g Carbs
5g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 277
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 48mg 16%
Sodium 155mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 12%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 5g 9%
Vitamin C 1mg 2%
Calcium 49mg 4%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 153mg 3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.