These crunchy, caramel-flavored, nut-studded Danish cookies are a wonderful addition to any Christmas cookie plate and may soon become a holiday favorite.
I first learned about Danish brunkager from a friend in Copenhagen. When I asked what Danish cookies were a must for Christmas, she recommended brunkager — and I’m so glad she did.
The method is straightforward: mix the dry ingredients, melt and combine the wet ingredients, blend everything together, chill the dough, slice, and bake.
Over the years I’ve experimented with several variations. Below I describe three different rounds I tried and share my preferred version. If you want the recipe right away, scroll down to the recipe card.
Brunkager: Round 1
For the first batch I used light brown sugar, light corn syrup, whole almonds, and whole hazelnuts. I sliced the dough thin, which produced very crisp cookies:
These were delicious and extremely crunchy due to the thin slices. I liked the almond and hazelnut combination. The traditional Danish recipe often uses pistachios, but mine vanished before I baked — a casualty of hungry hands.
Flavor-wise they were excellent, though I felt their appearance was a bit muted. They paired perfectly with a cup of coffee.
Brunkager: Round 2
In the second trial I swapped corn syrup for molasses and cut thicker slices. I kept the same nut mix of whole almonds and hazelnuts. The thicker slices produced a different texture and a deeper flavor from the molasses:
These were less crunchy but had a richer, more caramelized flavor thanks to the molasses. The contrast between the cookie and the nuts was enjoyable.
Round 3: My Favorite
My preferred version uses golden syrup and a mix of sliced almonds and whole pistachios. Because I used sliced almonds, the texture contrasts nicely with the whole pistachios. The cookies are thin, crisp, and well balanced in flavor.
Brunkager Baking Tips:
- If you don’t have almonds or pistachios, use another nut you enjoy. Hazelnuts are a tasty alternative and work well.
- Slice thin for crisp cookies or thicker for chewier ones. Test-bake a couple of slices to find the texture you prefer.
- Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges begin to brown; they will crisp as they cool.
- A serrated bread knife is the easiest tool for slicing the chilled dough into even rounds.
How to Make Danish Brunkager Christmas Cookies
This recipe corresponds to the “third round” version described above.
Start by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and golden syrup (or corn syrup or molasses if you prefer), bring to a gentle simmer until the sugar dissolves, then remove from heat and let cool slightly.
In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, spices, and nuts.
Add about half of the melted butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir. Continue adding the remaining butter a little at a time until the dough comes together into a very thick mass. The dough should form a ball and not stick to the sides of the bowl. If it feels too thin, add a little more flour. Getting the dough very thick is essential; thin dough can spread too much during baking.
Press the dough into a parchment-lined loaf pan, covering and refrigerating for at least a few hours—4–6 hours or longer is ideal—until the dough is firm and hard. Chilling prevents the dough from spreading too much while baking.
When chilled, turn the dough out onto a cutting board and cut it into two logs. Using a serrated knife, slice each log into about 25 thin rounds (adjust thickness for desired texture). Arrange the slices on a lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 8–12 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on a wire rack; they will crisp as they cool.
Danish Brunkager (Danish Christmas Cookies)
Crunchy, nutty, caramel-like traditional Danish Christmas cookies.
10 minutes
6 hours
12 minutes
6 hours 22 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup / 100g butter
- 1/2 cup / 100g brown sugar
- 1/4 cup / 150ml golden syrup (or corn syrup or molasses)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1.5 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg (or allspice)
- 1/3 cup / 50g sliced almonds
- 1/8 cup / 20g pistachios (whole, unsalted)
Instructions
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and syrup and bring to a low simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Combine flour, baking soda, spices, and nuts in a mixing bowl. Add about half of the butter mixture and stir. Continue adding the butter a little at a time until the dough forms a very thick ball that does not stick to the bowl. You may not need all the butter. If dough is too thin, add a bit more flour.
- Press the dough into a parchment-lined loaf pan, using your fingers to pack it into the corners if needed. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until the dough is firm, ideally 4–6 hours or longer.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Turn chilled dough onto a cutting board and split into two logs. Using a serrated knife, slice each log into about 25 cookies (adjust thickness for desired texture).
- Place cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake 8–12 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Cool on a wire rack; cookies will crisp as they cool.