Danish Kringle - The Recipe Critic (2024)

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!

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!