Norwegian Krumkake Recipe

Posted by Grandma Jeanne on December 22, 2005

Recipes from Grandma

Krumkake is by far my favorite Norwegian Christmas pastry. I think I have made it every year since I was about 10 years old. I have several recipes, but I always come back to this one. Once in a while I decide that I don’t feel like making it, but that never flies with my kids! They love it, and so does my husband! In fact, I am in the process of making it right now. I am waiting for the butter to cool so that I can finish making the batter.

This recipe really needs to be made when it is cold outside and the humidity low. When I lived in Minnesota, this was never a probably. However, I now live in Texas. It is cool this morning, so I have to get this made real soon. It is supposed to be in the 70s later today, and that just won’t work!

When my kids were smaller, our family tradition was to leave a couple of krumkake and a glass of homemade eggnog on the kitchen table for Santa while we went to Christmas Eve service. When we returned home, they were always excited to see the treats missing and only a few krumkake crumbs left on the plate! No wonder Santa was so chubby…

3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup melted and cooled butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour

Beat eggs with sugar until light.

Add cold water, cooled butter, vanilla, and flour.

Stir until smooth.

Brush the krumkake iron lightly with melted butter.

Heat the krumkake iron on the range-top on medium high heat.

Pour a generous tablespoon of batter on the iron. Brown on one side, and flip the iron over to brown the other side. When the krumkake is evenly browned, quickly roll it into a cylinder shape and place on paper toweling until cool. I just use a knife to roll the krumkake, but a cylinder-shaped tool is usually included with a krumkake set.

These can be filled with whipping cream or just left plain. I usually serve mine plain.

Makes approximately 38.

Don’t be concerned if they crumble when you eat them – that is exactly what they are supposed to do!

To keep them crisp, store them in an airtight container.

You can find krumkake irons at Amazon.com:

You can find a wide variety of electric mixers at Amazon.com. Here are just two of the possibilities:

Share and Enjoy:

Filed Under: Christmas, Cookies, Desserts

ann said,

was here to check out your krumkake recipe, can’t wait to try it. thank you much for passing your recipes out to all…have a great day..
Grandma Jeanne said,

I just finished making krumkake. I only made a double batch this year, but it still takes quite a while to make. I normally have people in the house when I make them, and we take turns. Today I was the only person around, so I ended up making all of them. I am tired of standing… I just happened to try a couple that didn’t look as good as the others, and they were great. I don’t know why I don’t make these at other times of the year. We all like them so much, but I always make them once a year – at Christmas time.
Gail said,

Your krumkake recipe was wonderful. All my inlaws are sitting around the table munching away. They have more Scandinavian heritage than I and the recipe met they’re approval. You’re right. It is time consuming to make them when you’re by yourself! Oh- my boss said she and her family use a clothes pin to roll theirs. Have you heard of that? Thank you! Gail
Grandma Jeanne said,

I am glad you and your in-laws enjoyed the krumkake. My krumkake weren’t nearly as crispy as when it is cold outside when I make them. They tasted good, and my kids and grandkids enjoyed them, but they weren’t as crispy as they should have been. It had also been raining outside… They were good but not great this year.

I have never heard of using a clothes pin to roll them. I have been using a knife for over 40 years, so I probably will continue…

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

Jeanne
KC said,

Wow! This was so easy! True, it was time intensive, and you have to pay close attention while they’re cooking to avoid overdoing them, but I am really impressed. Well done! Thanks for the recipe!
KC
dan said,

My Polish grandma got a recipie from a Norwegian friend of hers. It is very similar to yours and also only made for Christmas. Here’s the difference. First, we use a small amout of cardamom, about a quarter teaspoon. Second, while they are still made on the irons, we rolled them into tight little “cigars”, not cones. You are right about the humidity, though. With the right humidity, the crumbled in your hands if you weren’t careful when you bit it. I was just wondering if you have ever heard of my variations? Thank you for posting your recipe.
Grandma Jeanne said,

Thanks for your comment. The ones I have seen with cardamom in them were much smaller than the ones I make. I think it would be very difficult to roll mine into little cigars. The ones I have tasted were very good! Grandma Jeanne
C Reaves said,

I have moved from the north western part of Minnesota to the south eastern part of the state. My krumkake recipe is a wonderful recipe handed down through the generations. SE MN has more humidity and so my krumkake does not crisp up, but gets soft and soggy. Any ideas on how I can change my recipe to avoid that? Some have told me to use less eggs, others said less milk. Has anyone else had this problem?
Grandma Jeanne said,

Well, I moved from SE Minnesota to central Texas, and it is very difficult for me to make krumkake here. I have to find a day when it is relatively cold and not humid – that is not easy to find in Texas. My only advice is make the krumkakes on a day with low temperatures AND low humidity. Good luck to you!
Sharman said,

yes the recipe should contain cardamom. A cone shaped utensil comes with the grill or you can purchase a teflon type utensil in a scandinavian import store. The authenic shape is a cone. Store in tin boxes to retain the crispness.
Grandma Jeanne said,

I have never made my krumkake recipe with cardamom, and none of my friends or relatives have either. Obviously some people do, but I never have. A cone came with my krumkake iron, but I just use a table knife. That is the way my grandma made them, and that is what I do! Works great…
Cynthia said,

I live in Northwestern British Columbia (Pacific Coast Rainforest!) and our solution to the dampness problem is dehumidifiers.
I use cardamom in my krumkake, while others in my area don’t. The biggest difference I can see is that most of us use milk or cream instead of water…..
I love seeing the different variations of such a delicious treat! We make it only at Christmastime because it is such a labour of love….
Gussie said,

I go to the lumber yard and have a round dowel cut into six and twelve inch lengths for rolling, then you can roll them like cigars.
Grandma Jeanne said,

Never thought of that – sounds like a good idea!