Krumkake
Krumkake is a thin Norwegian waffle cookie made from a butter, cream, sugar, egg, and flour batter, often flavored with cardamom or lemon zest. The batter is cooked between the patterned plates of a krumkake iron, then the hot, pliable cookie is immediately rolled around a wooden cone (a kremle) or dowel while it's still soft, so it hardens into a crisp, ridged cone or cylinder as it cools. It's a traditional Norwegian Christmas cookie, often served plain or filled with whipped cream just before eating.
Varieties
Traditional krumkake is flavored with ground cardamom, though many family recipes swap in lemon or vanilla. Some cooks leave the cookie flat instead of rolling it, calling it a 'krumkake chip,' but the classic form is always rolled into a cone or cylinder while hot. Krumkake is closely related to Italian pizzelle and Swedish rosettes, but differs by being rolled rather than left flat or fried.
Buying tips
Krumkake are rarely sold outside Scandinavian bakeries or holiday markets, so most people make them at home with a krumkake iron (electric or stovetop). If buying premade, look for ones that are uniformly golden with no soft or dark spots, and packed rigidly so the cones haven't crushed in transit. For homemade batches, use fresh ground cardamom rather than pre-ground, which loses potency fast.
Substitutes
Pizzelle (Italian anise or vanilla waffle cookie) — 1:1
Made on a similar patterned iron and just as thin and crisp; anise pizzelle taste noticeably different from cardamom krumkake, but plain vanilla pizzelle are a close stand-in.
Store-bought waffle cone — 1:1
Not rolled by hand and lacks the buttery, cardamom flavor, but works as a crisp vessel for whipped cream or ice cream in a pinch.
Rolled wafer cookie (pirouette-style) — 1:1
Thinner and less buttery than krumkake, with a milder flavor, but similar shape and crunch for garnishing desserts.
Storage
Krumkake go soft and lose their crunch quickly once exposed to humidity. Cool completely before stacking, then store in an airtight container at room temperature, layering wax or parchment paper between cookies so the delicate ridges don't crush each other. They keep crisp for up to two weeks unfilled. Once filled with whipped cream, eat within a couple of hours since the cream softens the shell.
How to use
Serve krumkake plain with coffee, or fill just before eating with whipped cream, lingonberry jam, or fresh berries. They're also used as an edible cone for ice cream, crumbled over puddings for crunch, or served alongside Scandinavian fruit soup (fruktsuppe) during the holidays.
What it pairs with
Pairs well with whipped cream, lingonberry or cloudberry jam, and strong black coffee. Also good alongside other Norwegian Christmas cookies like sandbakkels and pepperkaker, or served with akvavit at holiday gatherings.
Nutrition
A single krumkake cookie is thin and light, typically around 40-50 calories, made mostly of butter, sugar, and flour with very little protein. The cardamom or lemon zest adds flavor but no meaningful nutrition; most of the calories come from fat and carbohydrate rather than fiber or protein.
FAQ
Do I need a special iron to make krumkake?
Yes, a krumkake iron with a raised pattern is standard; a plain waffle iron won't produce the same thin, ridged texture, though a pizzelle iron works almost identically since the plates are similarly shaped.
Why does my krumkake turn out soft instead of crisp?
This usually means the batter had too much liquid or the cookie wasn't cooked long enough to fully dry out. It can also happen if cooling cookies are stacked before they've hardened, trapping steam.
Can krumkake be made gluten-free?
Yes, a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum works reasonably well, though the cookie tends to be slightly more brittle and harder to roll without cracking.
Why do you have to roll krumkake immediately after cooking?
The cookie hardens within seconds as it cools, so it must be shaped around a cone or dowel while still hot and pliable. Once it stiffens, it will crack rather than bend.
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