Oh, hi. Can we talk about Danish Christmas cookies? Because I’m pretty sure this is what holiday dreams are made of.
Those long, cold, super dark Danish winters mean their traditions are all about comfort and warmth. And food!
And you know what that means. Yesss. Cookies. So many cookies.
I’ve rounded up ten of the absolute best, and trust me, you’re gonna want to make all of them.
And don’t even stress about the names. You don’t need to be able to say the word to enjoy the cookie!
1. Klejner
Okay, these little cookies look so wild with their twisted-up, funky shapes. I love it.
But seriously, they are so much fun to make, and even more fun to eat!
They’re like this amazing mashup of a cookie and a fried donut. And when you bury them under a mountain of powdered sugar?
It’s giving me total funnel cake vibes, just without all the mess.
That’s exactly what the flavor is like, too. *Unless* you go for the optional cardamom. That adds this fresh, almost-minty (but not quite) thing that cuts through all that sweetness. So. Good.
2. Honninghjerter, or Honey Hearts
These spiced, honey-filled cookies are just delicious. But listen. This is not a cookie you can just whip up the day before.
In fact, you have to make the dough *at least* five weeks early.
I’m serious. Five. Weeks.
The good news? The dough part is ridiculously easy and just needs flour and honey. That’s it.
Then, when you’re a few days away from cookie time, you’ll mix in the rest of the ingredients.
I know, it sounds a little weird, but that’s the process. And the result is these gorgeous, golden-brown hearts. What’s not to love?!
3. Pebernødder
At a glance, these kinda look like a browner, more crumbly Nilla Wafer. But let me tell you: they taste absolutely nothing alike at all.
The texture is totally different, too. These are much chewier.
A Nilla Wafer has that simple, expected vanilla flavor. These cookies? Their flavor is way more complex.
With these, you get hits of butter, a kick from ginger and white pepper, plus cinnamon and cardamom. And it’s all floating on these creamy sugar undertones.
If you’re the kind of person who wants a cookie with a unique taste and just *a lot* of flavor, this is your cookie.
4. Chocolate-Dipped Danish Butter Cookies
You are going to love *everything* about these chocolate-dipped Danish butter cookies.
I mean, look at them. They have this beautiful, almost rose-like appearance that gets even prettier when you dip them in chocolate and cover them in sprinkles.
They smell fantastic. And the texture? It’s just spectacularly tender and completely melts in your mouth.
The flavor is, naturally, just as perfect as everything else about them.
They are so, so buttery with just a little hint of vanilla. And that decadent chocolate flavor from the dip? YES.
You have to add red and green sprinkles (white too, maybe?) to get the full holiday-theme experience.
5. Vaniljekranse (Vanilla Wreath Butter Cookies)
So you might not know the name ‘vaniljekranse,’ but I am 99.3487% sure you’ve seen these wreath-shaped cookies.
They’re in, like, all of those holiday cookie tins you’ve bought over the years.
They are so crispy, so buttery, and have a light flavor from vanilla extract.
Best of all, that adorable wreath shape is just perfect for the holidays.
If these are the cookies you always dig for in those store-bought tins, you are in luck.
Now you can just make them yourself! Think of the money (and the trip to the store) you’ll save. Assuming you’ve got the ingredients on hand, of course.
6. Jødekager
These are also called Jewish cookies, and let me tell you, these thin, round cookies smell incredible. They taste even better.
They are *so* simple. In Denmark, kids are usually the ones who make them.
All you need for the cookie part is the standard stuff: butter, flour, sugar, and eggs.
Then you make a topping with egg wash, almonds, sugar, and cinnamon.
You can just imagine that strong cinnamon and sugar flavor. The chopped almonds bring this great little bit of crunch that just works with the cookie’s chewiness.
Out of all the cookies on this list, these are probably the easiest ones to pull off.
7. Coffee-Flavored Danish Butter Cookies
Okay, so these are basically the same as the chocolate-dipped ones we just talked about.
The difference? You add three teaspoons of instant coffee. This gives them a richer, more robust flavor.
It also gives them this beautiful brown, almost chocolatey color.
When they’re done, you can absolutely still dip them in chocolate. Go ahead and add your favorite nuts for some extra flavor and crunch.
Despite how awesome and complex they look, don’t let that fool you. They are pretty simple to make.
You can have four dozen of these ready in under 90 minutes. YES.
8. Danish Wedding Cookies
After I just described the smør bullar cookies (coming up next!), I bet you can guess what these Danish wedding cookies remind me of. Right?
If you’re thinking Italian wedding cookies, you are 100% correct.
It’s just something about those pecans in the batter and that powdered sugar on top. It all feels very Italian wedding cookie to me.
So what makes these different from the smør bullar? Cinnamon!
These cookies have a lightly spiced flavor because of the cinnamon. Otherwise, the two are really, really similar.
9. Danish Brunkager
So, you love a good crispy cookie, but you want something richer and spicier than just vanilla?
Then you are going to prefer these Danish brunkager cookies instead.
You’ll use butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, flour, baking soda, a bunch of spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg), and nuts (almonds and pistachios).
They are so nutty, incredibly spicy, and they smell almost as good as they taste.
That brown sugar and corn syrup combo gives them a caramel-like flavor, too.
These are just the *ideal* cookies to have with a big mug of hot tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. Cozy cookie perfection.
10. Smør Bullar
These crunchy, buttery, dome-shaped cookies totally make me think of Italian wedding cookies.
But let’s be honest, any nutty cookie that’s covered in powdered sugar makes me think of them.
Still! You make these with just six simple ingredients: butter, powdered sugar, cake flour, salt, vanilla, and chopped pecans.
And, yup, they have a taste that is *very* much like an Italian wedding cookie.
They’re sugary and have a light vanilla and pecan flavor. These are always, always a huge hit during the holiday season.