The BEST Norwegian Krumkake Recipe

Today, I’m sharing with you the very best Norwegian krumkake recipe.  It has classic flavors and is so delicious.  These cookies are a staple for us during the holidays.

I have so many fond memories of eating this yummy krumkake (sounds like krooom cah cah). This Norwegian cookie is made of flour, butter, eggs, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and cardamom.  They can also be flavored with almond extract or cinnamon.   But our family definitely prefers the more traditional cardamom flavor.

If you’ve never heard of krumkake, the name may sound very funny to you.  Krumkake technically means “curved cake.” You will need some special equipment to make them, so let me dive into those real quickly.

Tools for Krumkake

1. Iron – You have two options here.  I use my old-fashioned krumkake iron, but you may choose to use an electric krumkake iron.  If you go for the new electric version, you are able to cook 2 krumkaker at a time.  However, I have used my mom’s electric one and the cookie is not as thin as the old-fashioned iron.
2. Shaping Cone – if your iron doesn’t come with a cone, you can buy one separately.

As you can see from the photo below, my iron is VERY old.  You may use this type of iron on a flat-top, gas, or coil-top burner.

Tips for Making Norwegian Krumkake Recipe

• How Many?  The recipe makes quite a few krumkaker.  In fact, I can get around 45 cookies from one recipe.
• Storage.  The finished cookies (or krumkaker) should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

• How to Mix.  You can use a stand mixer or mix these up by hand.  If you use a stand mixer be careful not to overwork the batter.
• Type of Sugar. This recipe ONLY works with granulated sugar.

• Batter Thickness.  Your mixed batter/dough will be thicker than pancake batter but not as thick as cookie dough. 
• Preheat Iron.  You’ll want to preheat your iron over medium-high heat before you place your batter.
• One Spray of Non-Stick.  Once heated, lightly spray with cooking spray.  Due to the high butter content, you do not need to keep spraying your iron.
• Batter Amount per Cookie.  This is about a scant tablespoon, but you will have to do a little trial and error.
• Batter Placement. I like to place the batter slightly above the pattern’s center on the hot iron.  This will allow the batter to spread forward.

• Pressure on Iron.  When you close your iron, you’ll want to gently squeeze the handles together so the batter spreads and cooks more evenly. You will feel the batter bubble slightly at this stage.  It may take a few times to figure out what the right thickness and pressure are needed.   If the batter comes out over the iron’s edge, take a butter knife and scrape the batter off, so there is a smooth edge.
• Cooking Time.  Leave the batter in the closed iron for 20 to 40 seconds and then you can flip the iron to cook the other side. You may open the iron intermittently to determine if the krumkake needs to cook longer.  A fully cooked krumkake to be light to medium brown.
• Move Quickly to Shape.  Once your krumkake is fully cooked, remove the cookie from the iron with a butter knife and immediately wrap it around the wooden cone.  You will need to move fast or the cookie’s cooked sugar will start to harden and it will crack.
• Cool on Cone.  Let the krumkake cool on a cone while you cook your next krumkake. This time will allow the cooked sugar in the krumkake to harden and set.
• Serving.  Some people like to fill the cooked and cooled krumkake with whipped cream and berries, but I think they are perfect as they are.  If you’d like to add whipped cream, be sure to do so just prior to serving so the krumkake does not become soggy.
• Storage.  Store the finished krumkake in an airtight container at room temperature if you are serving them soon.  You may also store them in the freezer for up to a month.

All right friends, all those details may seem fussy but they should help any novice successfully make these amazing cookies.

Without further adieu…here is my treasured Norweigan Krumkake Recipe…