Ultimate Homemade Almond Kringle Recipe (Flaky Danish Pastry!) Recipe
This Ultimate Homemade Almond Kringle is a flaky Danish pastry filled with a rich, creamy almond filling and topped with a sweet almond glaze. The perfect balance of a tender, buttery dough and crunchy toasted almonds makes this traditional treat irresistible for breakfast or dessert.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 large almond kringles 1x
- Category: Pastry
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Danish
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry Dough
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoon fine table salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into ½-inch cubes, kept very cold
- 0.5 cup ice water, literally ice-cold
Almond Filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream, full-fat
- 1 cup blanched slivered almonds, toasted and finely ground
- 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 0.5 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Sweet Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2–3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 0.25 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Instructions
- Make dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Cut in the cold butter cubes until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Gradually add the ice water and mix until the dough just comes together. Shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to chill thoroughly.
- Prepare filling: Toast the slivered almonds in an oven preheated to 350°F for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool completely, then grind finely using a food processor. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the granulated sugar, heavy cream, ground almonds, flour, almond extract, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Stir constantly as the mixture cooks and thickens, about 5-7 minutes, until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Assemble: Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the chilled dough into two equal halves. Roll each piece out on a floured surface into a 12×18-inch rectangle. Spread half of the almond filling evenly over each rectangle, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Carefully roll each rectangle jelly-roll style, then shape each roll into a horseshoe. Place the shaped kringles on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake the kringles in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, or until they turn golden brown and an internal temperature of 200-210°F is reached. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Finish: While the kringles cool, prepare the glaze by whisking together the sifted powdered sugar, milk or heavy cream, and almond extract until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled kringles and optionally garnish with additional slivered almonds. Let the glaze set for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- The dough can be prepared up to 2 days ahead or frozen for up to 1 month; keep the butter very cold throughout the process for the flakiest pastry.
- The kringle can be frozen after baking; apply the glaze after thawing for best results.
- Use pure extracts for the most authentic and flavorful almond aroma.
- Ensure the almonds are finely ground for a smooth filling texture, without large chunks.
Keywords: Almond Kringle, Danish Pastry, Almond Pastry, Flaky Pastry, Homemade Kringle, Almond Filling
