By Kristine Hansen | Photo by O&H Danish Bakery
If there’s one pastry that’s iconic to Wisconsin, it’s kringle.
In fact, back in 2013 Wisconsin’s lawmakers declared it the state’s official pastry. These oval-shaped, fruit- or nut-filled pastries with a sugar-y glaze and thin layers of flaky, buttery dough can be found at family-owned bakeries around the state, mostly in Racine.
While their origin dates back to Denmark during the 13th Century, Danish immigrants brought kringle recipes to Racine beginning in the mid-1800s. These bakeries continue to use the same recipes to honor their ancestors, earning the city a title of “kringle capital of the world.” Kringle has been made for decades at several bakeries here, including Bendtsen’s Bakery, Larsen Bakery, Lehman’s Bakery, O&H Danish Bakery and Racine Danish Bakery. You can either drop in and buy kringle on site or order them online, to be shipped directly to your home. When translated, “kringle” means “ring,” which is exactly what the pastry looks like when you slip it out of the bag.
With each new season or holiday, these bakeries roll out a new flavor. For example, pumpkin during the autumn months or cranberry for Thanksgiving. There are also definite nods to Wisconsin, such as O&H Danish Bakery’s and Uncle Mike’s Bake Shoppe’s Old Fashioned Kringle, folding in the ingredients of the state’s official cocktail: brandy, caramel and cherries, with orange zest in the vanilla icing.
Occasionally found in big box stores, nothing beats a fresh made kringle. Here are a few family-run bakeries to support in Racine, as well as one in Green Bay.
BENDTSEN’S BAKERY, RACINE
Founded in 1934, the location remains the same as when Laurits Bendt Bendtsen, an immigrant from Denmark, opened his bakery, at just 29 years old. You can buy them here, or at Danny’s Meats & Catering. Flavors include a variety of fruit fillings, including apricot, cherry, apple and blueberry, as well as pecan and almond.
LARSEN’S BAKERY, RACINE
In 1969 Ernie Hutchinson bought the bakery from its founder, Elner Larsen, and now Ernie’s children, Debbie and Don, run it. Nearly every fruit is used in a kringle recipe, including apple, apricot, blueberry, cherry and raspberry, along with nut-based options (almonds or pecans). Many fruit kringles are also paired with cheese, such as blueberry cheese or cherry cheese, and chocolate is another ingredient for a sweet touch, whether it’s chocolate cherry or turtle.
LEHMANN’S BAKERY, RACINE
As Racine’s oldest continually operating kringle-maker, the flavors range from one of their best-sellers (raspberry) to apple cinnamon, as well as strawberry, cherry, cranberry, apricot and blueberry. In some cases, fruits and nuts are combined, like with the pineapple pecan or cranberry walnut flavors.
RACINE DANISH KRINGLES, RACINE
Owned by Mike and Roylene Heyer and now operated by their son, Christopher Heyer, Racine Danish Kringles (Kringle. com) has been family owned and operated since 1982. Offering more than 35 kringle flavors, the selection ranges from newer favorites like Peppermint Brownie, Cheesecake and Chocolate Chip to classic staples such as Raspberry, Almond and Praline Pecan. Each Kringle is hand-shaped, hand-iced and hand-crafted, honoring the time-tested traditions of authentic Wisconsin kringle and the state pastry the family is proud to represent.
O&H DANISH BAKERY, OAK CREEK, RACINE AND STURTEVANT
With several locations, including the Petro Travel Center on I-94 in Sturtevant, this kringle maker goes all out for the holidays, creating unique recipes, such as a Day of the Dead kringle, egg nog kringle and a kringle around Thanksgiving that emulates the flavor of cranberries and pecan pie. It was founded in 1949 by Christian Olesen and is now on its fourth-generation owner, Peter Olesen.
UNCLE MIKE’S BAKE SHOPPE, DE PERE AND GREEN BAY
This kringle maker — started by third- generation baker Mike Vande Walle in 2001 — has three locations and also skews a bit differently in how its kringles are baked: instead of an oval, the kringle is pretzel-shaped. Mike’s wife and children have continued his legacy after his death in 2020. Many of the recipes are designed just for sweet tooths, layering in fruit and chocolate or caramel, such as S’Mores, birthday cake, chocolate raspberry, The Big Hawaiian or caramel fudge. With strawberries, tequila and lime, Strawberry Margarita is an edible version of the cocktail and one you’re not going to find anywhere else.
The Perfect Pair
The perfect pairing with kringle is a cup of coffee born out of beans roasted in Wisconsin, for an ideal Dairy State duo. Here are a handful of boutique coffee roasteries in the state that have a unique origin story. All of these whole-bean options can be ordered through the roastery’s website or, in some cases, purchased at one of its cafés. Grind them up at home for a little jolt, brew a cup and you’ve got the perfect complement to your pastry.
BARNWOOD COFFEE COMPANY, TWO RIVERS
Based in an 1891 Two Rivers farmhouse, this roaster is Wisconsin’s first coffee roaster to be Bird Friendly® certified by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. What this means is that it’s 100% organic and also free of deforestation as the coffee plants are grown on farms that have a conservation plan in place. Three coffees are certified Bird Friendly ®: el vuelo (translates to “the flight,” featuring Guatemalan beans), el canto (“the song,” Bolivian) and el arbol (“the tree,” Honduran). Order the beans online.
DOOR COUNTY COFFEE & TEA CO., CARLSVILLE
This roaster’s cafe is a popular spot for travelers to Door County to stop for a cup of coffee as they make their way up the peninsula, just past Sturgeon Bay. What this roaster excels at is offering seasonal, flavored coffees, such as Door County Maple for fall and White Chocolate Cranberry for winter. Or, you could totally lean into the kringle pairing with Vanilla Almond Kringle flavored coffee. For those who aren’t keen on flavored coffees, single-origin and other blends are available, including Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend and Death’s Door, a blend of beans from Sumatra and Costa Rica.
NORDSKOV COFFEE ROASTERS, WHITEWATER
Roasting in a Nordic style, which leads to a lighter and cleaner flavor profile, these two BFFs sell their coffee beans at the Janesville Farmers Market, local cafes (Little Local in Whitewater, Lark Market in Janesville and The Langholf in Fort Atkinson) and through their website. “Wake” is one of their signature blends, featuring beans from Brazil as well as a female-farming project in Guatemala.
RUBY COFFEE ROASTERS, NELSONVILLE
This coffee roaster’s founders, Jared and Deanna Linzmeier, started roasting in a Portage County garage in 2013, fueled by Jared’s barista experience on the West Coast, and now operate out of a 4,000-square-foot facility because their coffee’s that good. Focused on sourcing from microregions around the world, in direct-trade relationships, their coffee is sold at its Nelsonville and Stevens Point cafés and also through its website.
VALENTINE COFFEE CO., MILWAUKEE
Founded by two friends with culinary experience, in the food, whiskey and wine industries, this roaster’s coffee is poured in many area restaurants, as proof that it’s a good pairing with any food. They also have three cafes in Milwaukee, and take online orders through their website. One of their rarest coffees is Bali Blue Moon, as this Indonesia island’s coffees don’t often make it to the U.S.
WONDERSTATE COFFEE, VIROQUA
Powered by solar energy, this Driftless Region roaster launched in 2005 and now has three cafes: in Bayfield, Viroqua and Madison. They literally source beans from around the globe, including Peru, Colombia, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Guatemala, and nearly all are organic. Offerings are a mix of single-origin coffees and blends, like “Off Grid,” which is 50 percent Guatemala and 50 percent Peru.