Holiday Season
It’s the holiday season! And with that comes a ton of holiday baking and of course, Christmas cookies. If you’re looking to host a Christmas cookie exchange, or looking for unique ideas of what to bring to your friend’s or family member’s event, look no further! We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite Danish Christmas cookies so you can find one that speaks to you. If you have no idea what a Christmas cookie exchange is and you’re just looking for fun cookie recipes to *spice* things up this year, don’t worry – this list is for you too!
P.S. – We found a lot of information and also plenty of tips on hosting Christmas cookie exchanges on this post from The Speckled Palate, if you’re interested in learning more!
All right, onto the cookies!
The Crowd Pleasers
If you want to make cookies that everyone will love and are all around favorites in our house, check out finsk brød and vaniljekranse! Finsk brød are essentially shortbread cookies, sprinkled with chopped almonds and sugar. They are tender and crumbly and buttery – so delicious! Vaniljekranse are wreath shaped butter cookies that are perfect for the holidays. The texture is both crisp and tender because of the butter and almond flour, and the vanilla flavor is just unbeatable. Check out the link to both recipes below!
Sugar & Spice
Pebernødder (pepper nut cookies) are insanely popular in Denmark at Christmastime. They are full of warm and delicious winter spices, including white pepper, which is how they get their name! They are amazingly crunchy and just so addicting, it’s hard not to eat a handful at a time! Definitely give these a try if you want to give your friends and family a unique cookie experience!
Classic Gingerbread
Who doesn’t love gingerbread flavors at Christmas – we are no exception! These Brunkager, or Danish gingerbread cookies, are slightly different from the norm in that they are rolled very thin, giving them a super crisp and snappy texture! We love cutting these into fun shapes!
Fried Cookies
Yes, frying a cookie sounds a little strange, but trust us when we say these klejner are amazing! They are crunchy and sweet, and frying creates an even and delicious texture. Our klejner are spiced with lemon zest and cardamom, but feel free to experiment! Check out the recipe below:
If Baking Isn’t For You…
If you’re not feeling up to baking this year, you can always make a no-bake treat! At the holidays, we love havregrynskugler, or oat cocoa balls. They are chocolatey and highly adaptable, as you can roll them in whatever toppings you fancy – we personally like coconut flakes and chopped nuts. See our recipe below for the ingredients and instructions!
We hope you enjoyed this compilation of some of our favorite Danish Christmas cookies! Let us know which ones you would like to try below in the comments – and if you make any, be sure to tag us on Instagram or send us an email! We love to hear from you 🙂 Anyway, happy holiday baking!
