Kringle 101: What is a Kringle? (2024)

If you live in Wisconsin, or your heritage is Danish, the question, “What is a kringle?” has an easy answer.And for those new to Kringles, you will discover that this Danish treat is impossible to forget.

An oval-shaped pastry, the Kringle is made with 36 layers of buttery dough and filled with cheese, fruits, nuts, and other amazing fillings.Once baked, the Kringle is drizzled with icing and sometimes other toppings like cinnamon sugar or crushed nuts.

What Does a Kringle Taste Like?

Now that you know what a Kringle is, let’s talk about how it tastes.Imagine the Kringle as a little slice of heaven:its flaky, delicate layers just melting in your mouth; the fresh ingredients in the fillings causing you to swoon.Yes, it’s that good.

What Are the Most Popular Kringle Flavors?

We love exploring new flavors, so there are more than a hundred different Kringles at O&H Danish Bakery.Of course, everyone has their favorites, which are hotly debated, but some of the most popular classic Kringle flavors include:

  • Pecan
  • Raspberry
  • Almond
  • Cream Cheesecake

What Makes O&H Kringles Special?

Quality, patience, and tradition.Our bakery is in its fourth generation of family stewardship, and we do our best every day to respect the traditions and methods of baking Kringles as taught to us by our great-grandfather.That way, you get to enjoy the results of time-honored techniques, baking from scratch, and using only the freshest ingredients.

Each Kringle takes a full three days to make (which is where the patience comes in!).We then add the finest ingredients, like Grade A fruits and nuts, to our homemade fillings and top everything with scratch-made icings, cinnamon sugar, the works … you can start to see why the Kringle is so renowned.

Patience in Our Process

We hand-form each Kringle individually, just like the bakers of Denmark made them in their kitchens centuries ago.After rolling out the slightly sweet, tender dough, we add butter to each layer and let the Kringle rest overnight.We repeat that process for three days, resulting in a 36-layer pastry dough that is rich, yet light and flaky.

High-Quality Ingredients

The seafaring prowess of the early Danes sent them exploring throughout the known world.Just like these traders and merchants who traveled far and wide, we search high and low for the best-quality ingredients for our pastry.We’re picky about the ingredients, too, so we select only the best, like Grade A ruby red raspberries from the Northwest.A general rule of thumb:If the ingredients taste great by themselves, they’ll make the pastry that much better!

Global Search for Culinary Inspiration

Our search for the finest ingredients and flavors doesn’t stop in Wisconsin.We source our vanilla from Madagascar, because it is the best the world offers.Our cinnamon arrives from Indonesia, and our chocolate from Sweden.We scour the globe to find new ingredients and flavors to provide you with a local or international journey with each Kringle.

Explore Our Unique Kringle Flavors

We enjoy creating new Kringle flavors to match the seasons and special occasions.Explore some of our favorites ahead.

Wisconsin Kringle

What is a Wisconsin Kringle?It is a delicious pastry featuring all the best local Wisconsin ingredients.Door County Montmorency cherries are star players within the filling, while the farmed and locally grown Wisconsin cranberries fresh from the bogs during the fall harvest play a sweet supporting role.Combining these fruits with the state’s velvety cream cheese creates the Wisconsin Kringle, a tart and creamy pastry from the first bite to the last.

Apple Kringle

Everyone loves apple pie, so we decided to fill our traditional flaky Kringle with the classic flavor.Of course, we put our signature touch on the Apple Kringle by making the filling from scratch and sweetening the crisp fruit with cinnamon for a cozy dessert that will remind you of home.

Cinnamon Roll Kringle

If you love desserts with a hit of spice, try our Cinnamon Roll Kringle.We surround our sweet cinnamon and sugar filling with our decadent pastry for a delicious, tasty parcel topped with sweet icing.It’s so good you may not want to share!

Turtle Kringle

Chocolate and nuts always go beautifully together, and our Turtle Kringle is further proof of that.Sure to satisfy every sweet tooth, this one offers a taste of creamy caramel, fancy pecans, homemade chocolate sauce, and our flaky pastry in every bite.

Cherry Cheese Kringle

Another Wisconsin favorite is our Cherry Cheese Kringle, which combines the state’s two most popular products:cream cheese and cherries.Every bite of our Cherry Cheese Kringle is filled with flavorful homemade cherry and cream cheese filling, and topped with a drizzle of icing.

The O&H Difference

We consider our customers family.Whether you come into one of our stores in Wisconsin or contact us via phone or email, we will offer you the same attention and care we use when we bake our goods.The customer comes first, and we believe that as much today as when our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents did generations ago.

We make the best everyday Kringles and seasonal Kringles to suit every occasion.Visit our bakery or order online and enjoy a flaky, light, delicious Kringle, or reach out to our team if you still have questions.

Kringle 101: What is a Kringle? (2024)

FAQs

What does the word Kringle mean? ›

A Kringle is a Northern European pastry. It is a sweet pastry made of layers of flaky, buttery dough, with a filling and toppings in a wide variety of flavors. We know it as a sweet or nutty dessert today, but traditionally Kringle comes from a variety of pretzels.

What is in a Kringle? ›

An oval-shaped pastry, the Kringle is made with 36 layers of buttery dough and filled with cheese, fruits, nuts, and other amazing fillings. Once baked, the Kringle is drizzled with icing and sometimes other toppings like cinnamon sugar or crushed nuts.

What does the Kringle symbolize? ›

Kringles are butter-layered Danish pastries with a rich history. In fact the Kringle symbol means “home of the baker”. They are considered a must have pastry presented at events to celebrate life.

What is the Kringle capital of the world? ›

Many sheets of the flaky dough are layered, then shaped into an oval. After filling with fruit, nut, or other flavor combinations, the pastry is baked and iced. Racine, Wisconsin, has historically been a center of Danish-American culture and kringle-making.

Where did Kringle come from? ›

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.

Who is Kringle in Christmas? ›

Kris Kringel is Dutch for Christ Child who, at least in 17th century Holland, gave the presents on Christmas.

What state is known for Kringle? ›

Today, Kringle is the official state pastry of Wisconsin, and shipped across the nation. We're proud of our Kringle—it's all we do, and we want to share them with you, because with us… ”It's Not Just a Treat, It's a Tradition.”

When should I eat a Kringle? ›

All in all, there is no wrong time to eat Kringle. Another time to eat Kringle is during special occasions, holidays, and when seasonal ingredients are available.

How long will a Kringle last? ›

How long will Kringle stay fresh? 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.

What does KK mean in Christmas? ›

Kris Kringle is a synonym of Secret Santa, a gift exchange tradition that has its roots in early Christmas traditions. Originally, Kris Kringle was derived from 'Christkindl', the German word for Christ Child.

Is a Kringle German? ›

It's a Danish pastry made from dough that has butter folded in and many layers, making it light and fluffy. It's packed with various fillings, such as fruits and/or nuts, before being baked to a golden brown and drizzled with icing. Popular fillings include almond, raspberry, and cream cheese.

Who was the real Chris Kringle? ›

There are similar figures and Christmas traditions around the world. Christkind or Kris Kringle was believed to deliver presents to well-behaved Swiss and German children. Meaning “Christ child,” Christkind is an angel-like figure often accompanied by St. Nicholas on his holiday missions.

Are Kringles from Trader Joes? ›

The Kringles sold at Trader Joe's are one of few non-private labelled items at the store, and are made by the Racine, Wisconsin-based bakery O & H Danish Bakery.

Why was Santa called Kris Kringle? ›

All of these names derive from traditional gift-bringers: the American custom is named after Santa Claus, or St Nicholas (Poland and Ukraine), while Chris Kindle and Kris Kringle are both corruptions of the original name of the Austrian gift-bringer Christkindl, which means the "Christ Child".

What is the meaning of Christmas Kris Kringle? ›

/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.

What is the meaning of the game Kris Kringle? ›

Kris Kringle involves a group of people who draw names randomly to determine whom they will buy a gift for. The identities of the gift-givers are kept secret until the exchange. Once you open your gift, you'll guess which member of the group was your 'Kris Kringle'.

What is Easter kringle? ›

Cinnamon spiced sultanas, housemade candied peel, soaked rye-berries, walnuts and dried fruit, encased in enriched pastry and topped with Manjimup walnuts.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Jeremiah Abshire

Last Updated:

Views: 5617

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (74 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Jeremiah Abshire

Birthday: 1993-09-14

Address: Apt. 425 92748 Jannie Centers, Port Nikitaville, VT 82110

Phone: +8096210939894

Job: Lead Healthcare Manager

Hobby: Watching movies, Watching movies, Knapping, LARPing, Coffee roasting, Lacemaking, Gaming

Introduction: My name is Jeremiah Abshire, I am a outstanding, kind, clever, hilarious, curious, hilarious, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.