Kringla ~ A Norwegian holiday cookie dipped in chocolate, the perfect mate for your milk, cocoa, or coffee.
It appears I have been bit by the baking bug. I have done more baking in the past two months than I have done in the past decade. I love it. I am no longer afraid of all those fluffy white ingredients known to you as flour, baking soda, baking powder, etc.
The conversation of cookies came up and I asked a friend what cookies he loved most over the holidays. He said he loved his grandmother’s kringla. In my mind, I went to a holiday cookie Mom2 makes, but as he described it, there was no resemblance to the cookie in my mind to the one he was reminiscing over.
Now, here’s the thing, I made this cookie basically for him. I love making the foods people love. But I had no idea what it was. Sure, I researched it, but I have never had one pass my lips. No idea how the taste should be or the consistency of the dough. As I mixed the ingredients, I knew it was going to be amazing because I couldn’t stop eating the dough.
After they were baked and I ate my first one, I was in love. It was a cross between a cookie and a biscuit. It was crumbly and lightly sweet. It is similar to a sugar cookie, but of course, not exactly a sugar cookie.
And since I can’t leave well enough alone, I decided dipping the bottoms in chocolate was the right thing to do. I melted a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and dipped the bottoms of each cookie in the melted chocolate, let them harden and then fell in love all over again.
Oh, and my friend loved the cookies. He ate more than his fair share. Since he enjoyed them, I call them a success, after all, I was going up against a ‘grandmother food memory.’ And those are hard to even get near.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs; room temp
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup butter; softened
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp . vanilla
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp . salt
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp . baking soda
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
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Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together. Set aside
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Using a hand or stand mixer, combine the sugar and butter until crumbly.
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Add the eggs, one at a time-until completely combined.
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Add the vanilla, buttermilk, and sour cream.
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Once the wet ingredients are thoroughly mixed, add the dry ingredients, about a quarter cup at a time.
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After the dry ingredients have been incorporated, cover and chill for 2-24 hours.
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Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
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On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough and cut into strips or ropes.
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Twist each rope into a pretzel or figure 8 shape.
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Bake for about 5 minutes, the bottoms will brown and the tops will remain light.
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Allow to cool on a wire rack.
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While cooling, using the double boiler method or the microwave, melt the chocolate chips.
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Dip each cookie bottom in the chocolate and place topside down on wax paper. Allow the chocolate to re-harden and serve.

62 Comments
Aggie
December 18, 2014 at 4:19 amI love that you made this for a friend based on their childhood memories! So sweet of you, and I totally get it!! I love cooking for others…and even more so when it’s something special to them. These cookies look great, I love that you dipped them in chocolate 🙂
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 10:40 amThank you Aggie. The recipe is fantastic, but I didn’t find them as visually appealing as I would have liked, I am still in the novice baker category. But he and others gave them the thumbs up, so I went with the post. And chocolate just makes everything better.
Judyth Neuzil
February 3, 2019 at 11:01 pmMichelle, when my Norwegian family made kringla the two ends were brought up just to touch the main part -the cookie looked like a capital letter B. They kept the shape and looked more like a pretzel. You might find that more visually appealing, especially when dipped in chocolate.
Michelle De La Cerda
February 7, 2019 at 7:19 pmJudith, Thank you for that tip. I plan on remaking these for next Christmas. Both my baking and photography skills have improved since I originally made these. I will give your B tip a try.
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog
December 18, 2014 at 11:42 amI might have to try these for my daughters Frozen themed birthday party. I may be a little crazy but I thought I’d try to make a bunch of Norwegian food…. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 12:19 pmYou are one awesome mom! These are really tasty. Different than how we come to expect our holiday cookies, but still really good. Good luck with all the Norwegian food! Do a post about it!!!
Lovefoodies
December 18, 2014 at 12:05 pmThese cookies look wonderful Michelle. Reading the ingredients I imagine them to be very close to the spritz cookie we get here in Europe. If that is the case… then yep…. I will LOVE LOVE LOVE these!
You made them look so pretty too with the chocolate. Next time you can bake me some too 🙂 !!!
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 12:24 pmThank you so much. I am confident in my savory cooking skills, but my baking skills, while I am competent, I still have a lot to learn. I want to know what a spritz cookie is now. Nothing quite learning to enhance one’s baking skills with items one has never tasted before. I’m just that crazy.
Debi @ Life Currents
December 18, 2014 at 2:31 pmThese look great! And I bet the sour cream makes them tasty and gives a great texture to them. Perfect for a cookie exchange!
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 2:35 pmThank you Debi. They are hearty, but they do not stand up to being run over by a car…we had that happen.
Janette@culinaryginger
December 18, 2014 at 2:31 pmWhat beautiful sweet treats. Thank you for sharing.
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 2:35 pmThank you Janette.
Jen @ Yummy Healthy Easy
December 18, 2014 at 3:02 pmThey are just beautiful! I love the chocolate dipped bottoms!
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 3:19 pmThank you Jen! Anything dipped in chocolate is just that much better.
Del's cooking twist
December 18, 2014 at 3:07 pmExactly my kind of cookies. They look delish!
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 3:19 pmThank you Del.
cristina
December 18, 2014 at 3:09 pmA cross between cookie and biscuit and dipped in chocolate…just delicious and beautiful presentation too!
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 3:20 pmThank you Cristina!
Kelly @ TastingPage
December 18, 2014 at 3:28 pmI haven’t heard of Kringla, but glad you educated me. Fun word to say and looks like a great holiday treat!
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 4:14 pmI love fun words too. I try to say it with the best Norwegian accent I can muster, and it some how comes out sounding like I am a Brit from Minnesota.
Kristen
December 18, 2014 at 3:33 pmI haven’t ever had kringla, either, but I admire you for making them for your friend. Shaped cookies can be pretty tricky, especially when you want them to turn out like someone else remembers them to be!
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 4:12 pmYes, can you imagine how she must have perfected them over the years…Too much pressure. But he loved them. 🙂
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence
December 18, 2014 at 4:06 pmI don’t think I’ve ever had this type of cookie, but I’d love to try it. Looks good!
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 4:13 pmI’ve seen your work, you will do an amazing job with them!
Nicky
December 18, 2014 at 4:58 pmI make my grandmother’s recipe for Kringla and it’s pretty close to yours. They are delicious. I never thought to add chocolate. I will have to try that the next time I make them.
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 5:23 pmOk, so your familiar with them…what about peppermint? I wanted to do that too?
Dan from Platter Talk
December 18, 2014 at 5:03 pmGreat looking treats here; I’ve never had kringla and if you would like to send some samples our way I would be more than happy to taste test… 🙂
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 5:23 pmI do need to practice them more…so maybe! 🙂
Joanne/WineLady Cooks
December 18, 2014 at 5:22 pmWhat I love most about cooking and baking is how the foods or the history of the recipes bring us together. We make memories and like the Kringla, make friends and/or loved ones happy. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post and your recipe.
Happy Holiday!
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 5:29 pmThank you Joanne! Food truly is special that way.
Joanne T Ferguson
December 18, 2014 at 5:25 pmG’day Wow these look great and thanks for allowing me to learn something new
Cheers! Joanne
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 5:29 pmThank you Joanne for stopping by. They are truly tasty.
Tara
December 18, 2014 at 5:42 pmThese are so pretty and festive, love them!!
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 5:53 pmThank you Tara
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes
December 18, 2014 at 6:02 pmSuch a fun shape. Love that you dipped the bottom in chocolate.
Michelle
December 18, 2014 at 8:04 pmChocolate makes everything better.
Healing Tomato
December 18, 2014 at 9:41 pmI had never heard of Kringla before. I can’t wait to try them now.
Michelle
December 19, 2014 at 12:05 amThey are different but really good. Hope you enjoy them HT!
Kelly @ Mostly Homemade Mom
December 19, 2014 at 6:08 amThese cookies look wonderful! I love authentic cookies, I’ll need to try them. Yum!
Michelle
December 19, 2014 at 6:28 pmThank you Kelly, they are truly wonderful tasting.
Erica (@Erica's Recipes)
December 19, 2014 at 7:41 amI have never heard of kringla – they look tasty and fun to make! My kids would love these
Michelle
December 19, 2014 at 6:29 pmThey are fun, and different. Enjoy.
The Food Hunter
December 19, 2014 at 7:51 amthey turned out wonderful!!
Michelle
December 19, 2014 at 6:30 pmThank you Theresa.
peter @feedyoursoultoo
December 19, 2014 at 8:51 amNever heard this name before. Anyways, I am eating a whole bunch.
Michelle
December 19, 2014 at 6:31 pmEnjoy Peter…holiday cookies are the best.
Katerina
December 19, 2014 at 12:38 pmThat chocolate bottom is all the money!
Michelle
December 19, 2014 at 6:33 pmCompletely agree Katerina!
Debra @ Bowl Me Over
January 15, 2015 at 3:26 pmI haven’t done much baking in the past either and can relate! This looks delicious! It doesn’t have to be Christmas to make these does it? They look too good for once a year! 😀
Michelle
January 15, 2015 at 5:17 pmI eat pumpkin pie all year around, so I’m going with no, eat them whenever. 🙂 But I eat soup in the summer and grill in the snow, so I am just quirky like that.
Sylvie
December 2, 2015 at 3:04 amSounds like you got it right on the money, I’m sure your hard work was much appreciated!
Michelle De La Cerda
December 3, 2015 at 5:17 pmIt was appreciated.
Erin @ Texanerin Baking
December 2, 2015 at 12:07 pmThese look amazing! I thought they sounded Swedish so I looked them up and they appear to be more Norwegian but they also have them in Sweden. I’ve lived in Sweden twice and nobody ever gave me some kringla to try. Bad host parents / friends! 😉
Michelle De La Cerda
December 3, 2015 at 5:18 pmYes, bad host parents/friends.
Amy Stafford
December 2, 2015 at 4:36 pmI AM ON A BAKIGN BONANZA RIGHT NOW, AND THESE NEED TO BE ADDED TO MY LIST. SUCH A FESTIVE HOLIDAY COOKIE.
Michelle De La Cerda
December 3, 2015 at 5:19 pmI am certain yours will look so much better than mine. But you will enjoy them.
Des @ Life's Ambrosia
December 2, 2015 at 6:40 pmThese look like the perfect holiday cookies!
Michelle De La Cerda
December 3, 2015 at 5:19 pmThey are so good, I really enjoyed them.
Deb A
December 3, 2015 at 7:08 pmWhat a great traditional cookie. You did a great job with them!
Michelle De La Cerda
December 5, 2015 at 10:45 pmThank you!
Krista @ Joyful Healthy Eats
December 6, 2015 at 9:39 pmA cross between a cookie and a biscuit thats dipped in chocolate? I’m in!
Nutmeg Nanny
December 6, 2015 at 9:42 pmI’ve never heard of a kringla before but they look amazing! I love that they are a cross between a cookie and biscuit. Pass a few my way 🙂