Norwegian Coffee Cake Recipe | Traditional Oslo Kringle
Updated content and photos May 1, 2026
When I was collecting recipes for my family cookbook, the note I found next to this recipe was “Bruce’s Favorite.” Bruce is my dad, and my grandma makes this every year for his birthday! I always knew this recipe as “Norwegian coffee cake” or just plain “coffee cake,” but it is also called an Oslo Kringle. While the coffee cake title might be deceiving, this breakfast pastry is a delicious Norwegian dessert, and will not be on your counter for very long! A delicious Norwegian Coffee Cake has the flavor and texture of a cream puff, but is easier to make and has dreamy icing.
This is a fairly simple recipe to make; it does take heating on the stove, but it is fairly straightforward! And it leaves you with a delicious Scandinavian treat.
What is Norwegian Coffee Cake?
Norwegian Coffee Cake, also called an Oslo Kringle, is a traditional Scandinavian pastry made with a flaky, buttery base (think pie crust) topped with a light, eggy choux-style layer, the same thing that gives cream puffs their puff. The whole thing gets finished with a delicious almond glaze and sliced almonds on top.
It’s somewhere between a pastry and a dessert, it looks impressive, and it disappears off the counter faster than almost anything else I make. If you’ve never heard of it, you’re not alone! It’s one of those under-the-radar Scandinavian recipes that deserves way more attention.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- It tastes like a cream puff, but is so much easier to make
- No special equipment needed, just a saucepan, a bowl, and a baking sheet
- The almond icing is absolutely dreamy, not too overpowering
- It works for breakfast, brunch, or dessert
Tips for the Best Oslo Kringle
- The base of this pastry is like a pie crust; with all pie crusts, do your best not to overwork the dough! Overworking the dough will cause gluten to form, which creates a tough dough. A great way I have found to cut in the butter is to use a Danish dough whisk. It is made so that the dough does not get stuck like in a traditional whisk.
- Be sure to mix the eggs well into the topping! it should have a very smooth texture, almost like a thick frosting. I was afraid that the eggs would be scorched when I added them to the mixture, so I poured mine from my pan into a separate bowl, and it worked wonderfully! Pyrex has my favorite bowls.
- When baking, the pastry should be golden, and the edges should start to look almost brown.
- Make sure you pat the base onto an ungreased cookie sheet. I love my nonstick cookie sheets. I was skeptical about not spraying them, but this pastry lifted off with ease. You could also lay down a Silpat mat!
Tools I used for this Recipe
Variations and Substitutions
- No almond extract? Vanilla works in a pinch, though you’ll lose that classic Norwegian flavor
- Want more texture? Toast the sliced almonds on top before adding them
- Making it for a crowd? You can double the recipe and make four strips instead of two, it bakes the same way!
How to make Norwegian Coffee Cake
The base: Mix flour and cold butter together until the butter is the size of small peas — just like making pie crust. Press it into two long strips on a baking sheet. Don’t overthink it, it doesn’t need to be perfect.
The choux topping: This is the step that sounds intimidating but really isn’t. You bring butter and water to a boil, then stir in flour and eggs on the stove until it becomes a thick, smooth batter. Spread it right over each strip of dough. It will puff up beautifully in the oven.
The icing: Once it’s out of the oven and cooled, mix up the almond glaze and drizzle it over the top. Finish with sliced almonds. Try not to eat it before it’s done cooling. (I always fail at this step.)
Check out the video below where I walk you through step-by-step how I made Norwegian Coffee Cake! This was also my first time ever making it, and I was pleasantly surprised with how simple and delicious it turned out!
What to Serve with Norwegian Coffee Cake
This is perfect alongside a cup of coffee or tea for a holiday brunch, a birthday breakfast, or honestly, any morning you want something special. It pairs beautifully with fresh fruit on the side if you want to round it out.
If you love Scandinavian baking, you might also want to try my Norwegian Almond Bars, another Grandma recipe that comes from a 1950s Pillsbury cookbook and is equally addictive!
Frequently Asked Questions
Norwegian Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Base
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 Tbs Sugar
- ½ cup Butter or margarine
- 1 Tbs Water
Pastry
- 1 cup Water
- ½ cup Butter
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 Tbs Sugar
- ½ Tbs Almond Extract
- 3 Eggs
Glaze
- 1 cup Powdered sugar
- 2 Tbs Half and Half or milk
- 1 Tbs Butter Melted
- 2 tsp Almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Base
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and butter. Using a fork, work the butter into the flour until the butter is the size of peas. Sprinkle the flour mixture with the water. It will be crumbly, but it should form together when you press with your hands.
- On an ungreased cookie sheet, press the dough into two logs. Aprox 14×3 inches, then set aside.
Pastry
- In a medium saucepan heat up the water and butter to a boil.
- Once boiling, remove from heat and add the flour. Mix thourougly, until it is smooth. Then add the sugar and almond extract and mix together.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg.
- Spread the mixture over the base
- Bake for 30-35 minutes
Glaze
- Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl, pour over pastry once it has cooled slightly.
Notes
If you love this Norwegian Coffee Cake, you might also enjoy Grandma’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake — it has the same cozy, old-fashioned coffee cake feel with a buttery cinnamon streusel. For the perfect finishing touch on any cake, try my Brown Sugar Frosting!
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