Danish Kringle

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

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.

How to Store a Danish Kringle

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

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