Oslo Kringle Recipe (10 cents/serving!) - Good Cheap Eats (2024)

Oslo Kringle is a delectable Norwegian dessert, with the flavor and texture of a cream puff, but with a simpler preparation and “fjords” of delicious, almond icing on top. This Kringle recipe will be the hit of your dessert table!

Make the evening a complete Scandinavian affair by serving Instant Pot Split Pea Soup and Burning Love Mashed Potatoes for dinner with Sourdough Rye Bread and a cheese platter on the side. Serve this Kringle recipe alongside a Winter Fruit Tray for a deliciously festive spread.

I come from solid, Norwegian farm stock, the Borges of Bergen. When Heritage Day rolled around at school, and I or one of my siblings was called on to give a presentation, we leaned on Grampa Sigurd and his ancestors.

We toted to school a small, hand-carved wooden Viking ship from Uncle Jim along with the ribbons and lace Aunt Cass brought back from the homeland. For her part, my mom baked this Oslo Kringle recipe.

Whenever I bite into this dessert, it is like taking a bite out of my childhood. Dare I call it a Proustian moment?

The kringle pasty puffs up in weird little hills and valleys. The icing creates little fjords of flavor. The almonds add a nice little crunch. And I am transported back to elementary school as Rosedell Elementary.

Why Make This

It’s way better than what you’ll buy at the store. Wondering if this Kringle recipe is anything like the Kringle pastry you can buy at Trader Joe’s? The answer is sort of. The flavors are very similar, but TJ’s version has an almond paste filling, similar to a bear claw, while this Kringle has almonds and almond flavoring as a topping. My kids devoured both types of kringle in one afternoon, declared them both good, but stated that they liked the crunchy texture of the almond topping of this our Kringle best.

It’s super simple to make. Don’t let the idea of pate à choux intimidate you. This Kringle recipe comes together quickly, especially if you have a stand mixer.

This Kringle recipe is addictingly good. Beware! Oslo Kringle is the kind of dessert that doesn’t last long. The flavors are kind of addicting and there’s no stopping until the plate is empty. Serve it alongside a Christmas Bundt Cake for a super festive spread.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Oslo Kringle Recipe:

butter – The buttery rich dough of this Kringle recipe is one of its signature flavors. While you could probably use other types of butter, I recommend the real deal.

unbleached, all-purpose flour – I have made this dough with whole wheat flour but it’s not very exciting. Stick with white flour for best results.

salt – Don’t omit the salt in your Kringle recipe. Salt adds texture and flavor to baked goods.

eggs – The batter of Kringle is very much like a cream puff which is a very egg-heavy pastry. Don’t skimp on the eggs or try to bake this without them.

powdered sugar – A necessity for the icing in this Kringle recipe, you can use commercial or make your own powdered sugar.

milk – You only need a bit of milk for the icing. You can use water or cream as substitutes. One will be richer than the other, but both tasty.

almond extract – Almond is a must for this Kringle recipe. Don’t skip it.

lemon zest – You can use bottled or fresh lemon zest, just be sure to use it. The flavor is important here.

slivered almonds – Slivered almonds that you toast yourself are ideal for this Kringle recipe, but you can also use sliced almonds if need be.

Step-by-Step Instructions

As I mentioned before, this Oslo Kringle recipe starts with a pate a choux, or cream puff pastry. It’s simple enough to do, but there are some tricks for best results.

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the flour and salt. Cook, stirring, until mixture leaves the sides of the bowl and forms a ball around your spoon.

2. At this point, it’s helpful to have a stand mixer. Transfer the hot dough to the bowl of your mixer and allow it to cool slightly. Attach the paddle attachment and run it on low until the side of the bowl has cooled to just warm.

Please note that you do not have to have a mixer to make this Kringle recipe. However, beating in the eggs takes a little muscle. Apparently, my Norwegian ancestors were a bit stronger than I am. I have my teenage son take turns stirring if I don’t use the mixer.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well to combine. The mixture will look really weird after a while and you’ll think you did something wrong. If it looks like scrambled eggs, don’t worry. Keep beating until the mixture looks smooth and creamy.

4. Spread the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silat mat. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 425 degrees. The batter will puff and turn golden and crispy.

Turn off the oven. Remove the pan from the oven and prick holes in the pastry. Return the pan to the warm oven to dry out the insides of the pastry.

Cool the pastry on a rack. While it’s cooling, prepare the glaze.

5. Combine powdered sugar, lemon zest, milk, and almond extract. Stir well with a wooden spoon until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the pastry and sprinkle on the slivered almonds.

FAQs & Recipe Costs

Costs

Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.

• butter – $0.75
• flour – $0.17
• salt – $0.01
• eggs – $0.60
• powdered sugar – $0.12
• milk – $0.04
• almond extract – $0.23
• lemon zest – $0.10
• slivered almonds – $0.28

While your costs may vary depending on where and how you shop, you can expect to pay about $2.30 for a full batch of this Oslo Kringle recipe, about 10 cents/serving.

How to make this good and cheap:

You know I don’t typically want to make something if I can’t make it good as well as cheap. Here are some of the strategies you canuse to make this recipe more economical:

• Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale.When I find regular kitchen staples on sale, I buy a lot. I’m currentlyusing a price book to track pricesand that’s saving me money. For this recipe, keeping an eye on the price of flour, butter, and sugars can help keep the price down.
• Buying in bulk – It’s rare that I would buy a small bag of flour. I hedge my bets by buying in bulk. I also have gotten into the habit of buying cases of flour from Bob’s Red Mill or VitaCost so that I always have baking supplies on hand.
• Load up on post-holiday clearance specials.You’ll find great deals on baking ingredients after holidays. There are lots of ways to use holiday baking items creatively.

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This post was originally published on December 6, 2013. It has been updated for content and clarity.