The kringle is a familiar Scandinavian pastry here in the U.S. among those familiar with Nordic cuisine. 

Often referred to as the Nordic pretzel because of its similarity in shape, it’s said to have arrived in the 13th century with the Roman Catholic monks.  

Denmark is the country in Scandinavia best known for their kringler, and even I—a Norwegian—must admit they have a slight upper hand when it comes to creative varieties of this delicious knotted-shaped pastry.

One of the few ancient guild signs still used, the traditional golden kringle symbol is often found on bakery shop signs. It is said to symbolize hands folded in a cross-like pattern across the chest, mimicking the prayer position from the Middle Ages.

According to history, a 7th-century monk wanted to reward his students with small pieces of bread shaped in the same way the children held their arms during prayer. He named the baked good pretiolas meaning “a little reward.”   

Quickly adopted across Europe, the kringle became a symbol of luck, and a long and prosperous life.   

The kringle achieved particular fame in 1510 when Turkish troops attempted to enter Austria by digging their way underground through the wall into Vienna. Bakers, the only ones working at that time of night, heard the noise, and the attack was stopped as a result.  As a reward, the bakers received their own seal, which included the kringle, and later became known as the bakers’ symbol.

The Norwegian word kringle is an old word, meaning ring or circle. In his introductory notes in his royal history saga stories,  Snorre Sturlasson (an Icelandic poet and politician) described the creation of the world as  “Kringla heimsins” (the world’s circle) in Norse. His sagas later became known as “Heimskringla.” 

Who knew this pastry had such a long and interesting history?

Bergen is the place in Norway best known for their kringle. The tradition most likely came from German or Dutch salesmen who conducted business on the dock in the coastal city of Bryggen.  

Perhaps this is where the connection to the German, salty pretzel comes in?  

Regardless, kringler from Bergen became hugely popular all over the country. Fishermen from the north even transported kringler home in empty coffins!!

Both sweet and savory versions of kringler exist, filled with nuts, confectioners glaze, and pastry cream among many other delectable things.  

Kringler in my area of Norway however, more often than not, are not filled, but rather plain. We refer to the pastry cream-filled version as wienerbrød. 

For delectable and authentic recipes for both kringle and wienerbrød be sure to grab my on-demand cooking class Norway vs Denmark Part I Cinnamon Twists.

I should also quickly mention the correct pronunciation of kringle is “Kring-LUH” and not “Kring-EL,” which so many Americans say. (When I hear “Kring-EL’ I don’t always connect the dots about which pastry they’ are talking about 🙂)

Aniskringler is a cherished traditional pastry and one of the oldest kringle recipes showcasing the Scandinavian love for anise-flavored baked goods. Crushed anise seeds give these figure-eight-shaped pastries their distinctive taste and provide the delicate, aromatic licorice flavor characteristic of Nordic baking.

Although aniskringler emerged as a regional specialty, particularly in Norway’s western regions, they’re now beloved throughout the country. Traditionally made for special occasions and holidays, they often appear at Christmas alongside other Norwegian holiday cookies like krumkaker and sandkaker.

Many Norwegians remember their grandmothers serving these pastries to them as children, as mine did.

Today, I’m sharing my grandmother’s recipe with you—one my family has been baking for decades! Biting into one brings back so many memories and makes me feel a little closer to home. 

I hope you’ll try them out!

Bestemors Aniskringler 

Makes 24 kringler

Ingredients

2½ cups (6 dl) non-dairy milk (I like unsweetened organic soy milk)
1 packet (2¼ teaspoon) dry active yeast
¾ cup (150g) sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons anise seeds
5⅓ cups (about 800g) all-purpose flour
1½ sticks (180g) vegan butter, chilled and diced

Non-dairy milk for brushing the top of the kringler

Directions

Combine all the ingredients except the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and knead on medium-low for about 10 minutes. 

Add the butter and knead for another 10 minutes until you have a smooth, shiny, and elastic dough. 

Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, about 1½ hours. 

Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or silpats. 

Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into 24 pieces. 

Roll each piece into a rope about 15 inches long.

Form it into a loose figure-eight shape on your work surface. Cross one end over the other at the center point, then tuck both ends under the loops they’ve created. The final shape should look like two connected rings with a slight twist in the middle. Press the ends firmly into place to seal them.

Place the aniskringler on the prepared baking sheet, cover with a towel and let rise again for another 30 minutes.

While the pastries rise, preheat the oven to 450°F (225°C). 

After rising, brush the tops of the aniskringler with a little non-dairy milk and sprinkle with a few extra anise seeds if desired. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden on top. 

Notes

Keep your hands slightly floured to prevent sticking.

Make sure the dough rope is even in thickness throughout.

Press the seams firmly to prevent them from opening during baking.

If the dough springs back while rolling, let it rest for 5 minutes and try again.

More Recipes To Try…

Cinnamon-Sugar Kringle

Swedish Cardamom Buns

World’s Best Norwegian Boller

Bestemors Aniskringler 

Many Norwegians remember their grandmothers serving these pastries to them as children and today I’m sharing my grandmother’s recipe with you—one my family’s been baking for decades! A cherished traditional pastry, aniskringler get their aromatic licorice flavor, characteristic of Nordic baking, from crushed anise seeds.

Print Pin Rate

Servings: 24 kringler

Author: Sunny Gandara | Arctic Grub

Ingredients

• 2½ cups (6 dl) non-dairy milk (I like unsweetened organic soy milk)
• 1 packet (2¼ teaspoon) dry active yeast
• ¾ cup (150g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons anise seeds
• 5⅓ cups (about 800g) all-purpose flour
• 1½ sticks (180g) vegan butter, chilled and diced
• Non-dairy milk for brushing the top of the kringler

Instructions

• Combine all the ingredients except the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and knead on medium-low for about 10 minutes.
• Add the butter and knead for another 10 minutes until you have a smooth, shiny, and elastic dough.
• Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
• Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or silpats.
• Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into 24 pieces.
• Roll each piece into a rope about 15-inches long. Form it into a loose figure-eight shape on your work surface. Cross one end over the other at the center point, then tuck both ends under the loops they’ve created. The final shape should look like two connected rings with a slight twist in the middle. Press the ends firmly into place to seal them.
• Place the aniskringler on the prepared baking sheet, cover with a towel and let rise again for another 30 minutes.
• While the pastries rise, preheat the oven to 450°F (225°C).
• After rising, brush the tops of the aniskringler with a little non-dairy milk and sprinkle with a few extra anise seeds if desired.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden on top.

Notes

Keep your hands slightly floured to prevent sticking.

Make sure the dough rope is even in thickness throughout.

Press the seams firmly to prevent them from opening during baking.

If the dough springs back while rolling, let it rest for 5 minutes and try again.