13 Best Norwegian Christmas Cookies – With Recipes!
My Norwegian mother is an incredible cook and baker, so of course Christmas has always been filled with the most delicious Norwegian treats. And call me biased, but I really do think Norway has some of the best Christmas cookies!
Norwegians typically bake seven types of cookies each Christmas, and then they share with their friends and family so everyone ends up with even more varieties.
I haven’t yet decided on my Christmas seven this year, but here are recipes for my thirteen favorite Norwegian Christmas cookies:
And don’t forget to get some festive cookie tins to store your Norwegian Christmas cookies in!
1
Mandelflarn Almond Lace Cookies
Mandelflarn are beautiful Norwegian almond lace cookies. They taste more like crispy caramel candy than cookies, which makes sense since these are mostly made of sugar, butter, and chopped almonds. Mandelflarn cookies taste great on their own, or served alongside ice cream. You can also sandwich two of these cookies together and fill with buttercream or melted dark chocolate.
Check out this recipe
2
Norwegian Sandnøtter Christmas Cookies With Lemon
Sandnøtter are a light shortbread cookie. A lot of Norwegians make vanilla sandnøtter, but my family always makes a lemon version of sandnøtter, which I personally think is so much better. Perhaps lemon doesn't sound particularly Christmasy, but the little hint of citrus is so refreshing amongst all the warm spices in our other cookies! This recipe is delightfully simple but oh so tasty! And it happens to be gluten free.
Check out this recipe
3
Norwegian Fattigmann Cookies
Fattigmann, or "poor man's cookies," are some of the most nostalgic Norwegian Christmas cookies for me. Fattigmann (klenäter in Swedish and klejner in Danish) are made from a simple cookie dough spiced with cardamom, cut and folded into long diamond shapes and then deep fried. These cookies date back to the Middle Ages and since they’re cooked on a stove, people without ovens could make them.
Check out this recipe
4
Serinakaker (Norwegian Butter Cookies)
Serinakaker are Norwegian butter cookies, often decorated with sugar and almonds on top. You won’t really see variations in serinakaker recipes aside from different toppings. This is a classic serina cookie recipe passed down through generations of Norwegians.
Check out this recipe
5
Sarah Bernhardt Cookies
Sarah Bernhardt cookies (also spelled Sara Bernard) were developed in Denmark and named after a French actress, but they've become popular cookies to make during Christmas here in Norway. Sarah Bernhardt cookies have an almond cookie base, topped with a chocolate cream filling and then dipped in chocolate. They're definitely a bit more complicated and time consuming to make than other cookies on this list, but oh goodness are they worth the extra time and effort!
Check out this recipe
6
Vaniljekranse (Danish Butter Cookies)
Vaniljekranser are Danish (also Norwegian) vanilla butter cookies that are shaped into wreaths. Vaniljekranser are especially popular as Christmas cookies, but you can find them in Scandinavia year round.
Check out this recipe
7
Authentic Norwegian Kransekake
Norwegian Kransekake, or "wreath cake," is a tower of 18 almond cookie rings made of just three ingredients: ground almonds, powdered sugar, and egg whites, often served at Norwegian celebrations like Christmas and weddings.
Check out this recipe
8
Havreflarn Oat Lace Cookies
Havreflarn, or oat lace cookies, are super simple, made with just butter, sugar, an egg, a bit of flour, baking powder and rolled oats. But their delicate lace structure makes them look quite fancy as well.While I think Havreflarn are delicious on their own, you'll also often see them dipped in chocolate, or even two sandwiched together with a layer of chocolate in the center.
Check out this recipe
9
Norwegian Krumkake
Krumkaker are a traditional Norwegian cookie especially popular at Christmas. You'll need a krumkake iron for these, but otherwise they're surprisingly easy to make, and you can fill them with cream, berries, and/or ice cream.
Check out this recipe
10
Smultringer (Norwegian Donuts)
Smultringer are traditional Norwegian donuts with a hint of cardamom, especially popular during Christmas.
Check out this recipe
11
Risboller Chocolate Puffed Rice Balls
Risboller are made with puffed rice and chocolate, and you can add a little hint of coffee here as well. Popular to make with kids!
Check out this recipe
12
Norwegian Potato Lefse
While not a cookie, potato lefse is another popular dessert to make in Norway during Christmas. Lefse is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread made with flour, butter, cream and sometimes potatoes. Potato lefse is not quite as common in Norway these days, but it is still very beloved in certain regions, with recipes passed down through generations. Potato lefse takes a bit more effort to make than the more popular wheat versions, but I think potato lefse is well worth the extra effort! You can fill your lefse with kling, which is a mixture of butter and sugar (and sometimes cream and cinnamon). We usually serve lefse with kling at room temperature, though actually I love to warm it up in the microwave for a few seconds so the butter melts a bit.
Check out this recipe
13
Brune Pinner (Norwegian Christmas Cookies)
Brune pinner are sliced cookies that are crispy on the edges and soft on the inside, spiced with cinnamon and cloves and topped with sugar and sometimes chopped almonds, or other nuts.
Check out this recipe