Out of all the Norwegian sweets recipes I’ve tried, this is my favorite. A buttery crust is topped with a rich custard and sweet icing. Perfection!

There is a Scandinavian bakery not far from where I live in St. Paul called the Finnish Bistro. I haven’t tried too many of their pastries, because I keep going back to their almond kringler – a delicious flaky pastry with a sweet almond icing.

When I found a recipe for almond kringler on The Transplanted Baker (one that tastes exactly like the bakery’s version, mind you!) I was super excited.

The bakery I go to charges about $2.00 for one almond kringler (2012 price). But making this on my own was surprisingly cheap.

In all, this recipe – which yielded about 24 servings – cost just over $3.00! (Also 2012 price)

That equals about 12 cents per piece. Much, much cheaper than buying it at the bakery. With savings like that, this is one recipe that I’m sure I will make over and over.

About The Recipe: Norwegian Almond Kringler

Almond kringler is a Scandinavian dessert that is somewhere between a bar, cookie, and a pastry.

The bottom layer is a buttery unsweetened crust. The next layer is a custard-like layer, much like a cream puff. This layer is also unsweetened, although almond flavoring is added.

These two savory layers are topped with a sweet almond glaze. The dessert is topped with sliced almonds. 

This is a dessert I drive out of my way to buy when I am in the mood for something sweet.

When I first made these, I was surprised to find out that the bottom layer (the pastry part) is actually two layers. The bottom is basically a pie crust, and the next layer is like a cream puff. But in baking, the two layers kind of ooze together.

Also surprisingly, the bottom two layers have no sugar. But the finished product is quite sweet, thanks to the creamy powdered-sugar icing.

In my opinion, there is no better traditional Norwegian dessert than almond kringler. It’s so rich yet not too sweet. Perfect with a hot cup of coffee.

Want More Classic Scandinavian Recipes? Check These Out:

• Potato dumplings (klub)
• My Norwegian Grandma’s meatball recipe
• Swedish meatballs
• Flatbread (flatbrod)
• Scandinavian open-faced sandwiches
• Norwegian almond cake
• Cranberry-almond cake
• Sweet soup (sot suppe)
• Lefse (no special equipment needed!)
• Norwegian cream pudding (rommegrot)
• Norwegian rice pudding (risgrot)
• Krumkake
• Goro cookies
• Pepperkaker cookies
• A Scandinavian snack board
• Non-alcoholic gløgg
• Norwegian egg coffee

Continue to Content

Almond Kringler

Yield: 24 pieces

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

Bottom layer

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Pastry layer

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond flavoring

Icing

• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 2 tablespoons cream or half-and-half
• 1+ teaspoons almond flavoring
• Sliced almonds, for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. For crust layer: In a mixing bowl, combine flour and softened butter with a fork or a pastry cutter - just like you're making a pie crust. Add cold water and continue mixing until dough comes together. Spread dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet into a 12-inch by 16-inch rectangle.
3. For pastry layer: In a medium saucepan, add water and butter and cook over medium heat until butter melts. Add flour and stir. Reduce heat to low and continue stirring until the dough forms a ball. Add one egg at a time, beating well each time. Add almond flavoring.
4. Spread the pastry layer over the crust layer, using your hands or a spatula. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350F and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven to cool.
5. For frosting: Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Add additional almond flavoring if you prefer a stronger flavor. Apply frosting to the cooled pastry crust and cut into small triangles. Top each piece with a few chopped almonds.

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