I’ve got 14 Danish desserts here, all total cozy comforts, and I honestly can’t pick a favorite. There are simple buttery cookies and towering holiday showstoppers, plus warm spiced sips that bring that lovely Scandinavian sweetness right into your kitchen. You’re going to adore how easy and delicious they are.
1. Chocolate Dipped Danish Butter Cookies
These cookies are so tender; they practically melt in your mouth. What is more or less a shortbread base, this recipe is much softer than your standard dough. In fact, it’s so soft; it has to be piped.
2. Kransekage (Danish Almond Cake)
One of my favorite holiday recipes, this takes a little time but is so worth it in the end. Made with just four ingredients, this almond tower is quite the show-stopper. Since you’re already taking the time to make this tower, why not go all in and try to make some marzipan at home?
3. Rødgrød Med Fløde (Danish Red Berry Pudding)
As I mentioned before, the Danish love their sweet treats. But in the same way they don’t add a ton of sweet frosting, they don’t add a lot of sugar either. This recipe uses very tart red berries and potato starch to make an almost pie-like filling.
4. Almond Shortbread Cookies
Buttery, crisp, crumbly, and full of almond flavor, you'll make these irresistible little cookies a lot once you taste them! The key to the texture is to cream the butter and sugar very well, for at least five minutes. Add the dry ingredients in slowly and stop mixing as soon as it’s all incorporated.
5. Old-fashioned Danish Apple Cake
Okay, so it’s named apple cake, but honestly it’s more like a chilled apple pie parfait. I simmer chopped apples with water, vanilla, and sugar until they turn into a soft, cold filling you can layer. For the crumb part, I use breadcrumbs to get that fantastic crunch, but if you’re craving something a little
6. Risengrød (Danish Rice Pudding)
Usually reserved for the holidays, this creamy dish gets upgraded on Christmas Eve with extra vanilla, whipped cream, and almonds. This recipe uses short-grain rice, which gets boiled with milk, water, and salt. The sweetness comes from the cinnamon sugar that's sprinkled over the top.
7. Brunkager (Danish Christmas Cookies)
Christmas is truly the season of cookies. I’ve already made each of the cookies on this list, and I’m always looking for more! What I love about European cookies is the spice.
8. Lagkage (Danish Layer Cake)
One thing you’ll notice about our Scandinavian friends is that they love their cakes! But they don’t usually cover them with frosting.
Instead, they like pastry cream, a variety of jams, and whipped cream. This cake incorporates each of these, plus a wonderfully light yellow cake.
9. Danish Oatmeal Cookies
Another shortbread-like cookie, this recipe uses powdered sugar in the dough, along with oatmeal and pecans. Once everything is combined, the dough gets dropped onto baking sheets and baked. During the bake, these cookies will spread to make a wonderfully chewy, nutty cookie with a nice crisp edge.
10. Aebleskiver (Danish Pancake Balls)
Almost all European Christmas markets will have a stall dedicated to these little bites. They’ll have a large flat top full of holes to pour the batter into, making hundreds a day. All you need is one small Aebleskiver pan to re-create the experience at home.
11. Traditional Glogg Recipe
It’s strange that any other month of the year, hot wine is such a crazy concept. But with the cold, wet, dark weather upon us, there’s nothing like a mug of warm, spiced mulled wine to get you through. I really would recommend following the recipe for this one, as everything brings a little something to the end result.
12. Kanelstang (Danish Cinnamon Twist)
There’s not a country on the planet (probably) that doesn’t have some kind of cinnamon pastry they’re proud of. Just the smell of it as it bakes is enough to have me waiting in the kitchen. I especially love this recipe because it calls for cardamom in the sweet dough.
13. Brombærsnitter (Danish Blackberry Cakes)
These beautiful treats are buttery and full of tart blackberry jam. The “cake” is actually enriched shortbread that gets made up and rolled into thin sheets. Once baked, they get sandwiched together with blackberry jam and topped with a thick layer of sweet icing.
14. Brunsviger (Danish Coffee Cake)
This cake is essentially a sweet focaccia covered in caramel. Once you’ve made your brioche-like dough, it will need to rest before you put it into the baking dish. Press the dough in like a pizza or focaccia dough and leave it to rise again.