This Pecan Kringle recipe is delicious, flavorful, and easy to prepare the night before for a special breakfast or event! Made with cottage cheese to make this easy Pecan Kringle super soft and rich, this recipe will become a family favorite!
Christmas mornings were always exciting growing up. Not only was there anticipation for presents, but also for Christmas morning breakfast.
At our house, we had pecan Kringle!
Not only was it Christmas morning, but my mom maybe made this easy pecan Kringle recipe one other time in the year. Her pecan Kringle recipe was a breakfast we greatly anticipated and looked forward to each Christmas!
Why you will love this pecan kringle recipe!
Your family will love this pecan kringle recipe because:
- It’s to make ahead of time (or freeze for later).
- It is very simple to shape!
- Stays tender and soft (if it’s not all eaten the same day).
- This recipe makes two Kringles – yep, two!
- Delicious pecan, almond and vanilla flavors throughout!
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What is a Pecan Kringle?
A pecan Kringle is a buttery, tender Danish pastry that is filled with brown sugar, butter, and pecans and then rolled into a horse shoe shape or circle.
While Kringles usually appear at special events (like our Christmas morning treat!), where I live in Wisconsin, it is very common to see Kringles for any gathering.
One of the most noted companies for selling Kringles is Racine Kringle. Local grocery stores and even Walmart where we live carry them for others to take to their special events.
What is the difference between Danish and Kringle?
A “Danish” refers to various forms of buttery pastry. So, in a way, a “Kringle” is a “Danish” because of its buttery, flaky pastry.
The “Kringle” difference is the filling. Kringles are a flaky pastry filled with fruit or nut fillings and topping with icing.
Usually Kringles are shaped into a circle, but this easy pecan Kringle recipe is made into a horse shoe (or “U”) shape.
Simple shaping is what makes my recipe easier to make because you aren’t fussing with the ends and sticking them together.
Roll it, shape it, done!
Why cottage cheese?
Cottage cheese adds flavor and moisture, without adding too much liquid to your pecan Kringle dough. Other dairy products such as sour cream and cream cheese serve the same purpose in other recipes.
To help get rid of the “chunkiness” of cottage cheese for the pecan Kringle, I liked to blend the cottage cheese with my immersion blender to get a smoother consistency.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can simply use a fork to break up some of the chunks (like my Mom did). Or, you can put the cottage cheese in a stand up blender as well.
What if you don’t like cottage cheese? If you are choosing to replace cottage cheese in the recipe, I recommend using sour cream as a substitution.
What you need to make Pecan Kringle
Equipment you will need to make this easy pecan Kringle is:
- Two mixing bowls – one for the dough, a smaller one for the filling
- Pastry blender
- Mixing spoon
- Dry & Liquid measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Rolling pin
- Bench scraper
- Immersion blender (optional for cottage cheese)
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
- Tea towel (I love these!) or plastic wrap
Ingredients for Pecan Kringle
- All purpose flour
- White sugar (dough)
- Brown sugar (filling)
- Powdered sugar (icing)
- Butter
- Cottage cheese
- Eggs
- Water
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Yeast
- Salt
- Pecans
How do I make Pecan Kringle?
For Kringle Dough: Mix the yeast and a pinch of sugar in with the warm water in a liquid measuring cup to dissolve.
Set aside to proof for up to 5 minutes.
In a small mixing bowl (or a larger liquid measuring cup), cream/blend the cottage cheese so the curds are broken into smaller pieces.
Then, stir in the egg and set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, mix the sugar, salt and 3 cups of flour together.
Cut in the butter with the pastry blender until the size of peas.
Once finished, make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, and add the yeast water and cottage cheese mixture.
Stir together so dough forms a soft ball in the mixing bowl.
Lightly flour a surface, and knead the soft dough about 10 times to prevent it from being too sticky.
Cut in half with the bench scraper. Take one half of the dough to use first, and set the other aside for a little while.
Roll the half of dough you are using first into a large rectangle until 1/4″ thick.
For the pecan filling: In a small bowl, mix all the filling ingredients together.
Spread half of the filling mixture onto the dough that was rolled out. Save the other half for the dough you set aside (remember – this will make two kringles at the end!)
After the pecan filling is spread out on the dough, roll the dough up like a jelly roll starting on the side closest to you.
When you get to the other end of the dough, crimp and seal the edges and ends.
Place the kringle dough onto one end of a lined baking sheet, and make a horse shoe (or “U”) shape. (Be very careful at this stage when moving it because the Kringle will be very soft and tears easily!)
Complete the steps to roll out, fill and roll back up the other half of the dough in the same way.
Place the second dough roll onto the same baking sheet as the other kringle.
Shape into a horse shoe shape again, but leaving room between the pecan kringles to rise and bake.
Cover with a wet tea towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 – 1 1/2 hours.
Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Once preheated, uncover the pecan kringles and bake for 20 – 25 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Remove and cool, before adding optional icing.
Enjoy!
How do I make pecan kringles ahead of time?
To make these pecan Kringles ahead of time, simply follow the directions through rolling, and shaping the Kringle doughs and having them on the lined baking sheet.
Then, cover with plastic wrap and let them “cold” rise in the refrigerator overnight.
When you are ready to bake them in the morning, simply take the baking sheet out and uncover it while the oven is preheating. All you do then is bake and enjoy!
It is that simple to have a wonderful breakfast or treat in the morning!
Can I freeze pecan kringles?
Yes! When the pecan Kringle is cooled and iced, remove from the lined baking sheet and wrap well with plastic wrap before placing it in the freezer for up to three months.
When you are ready to eat it, remove the Kringle from the freezer the night before to fully de-thaw before enjoying.
What’s your favorite?
Do you have another favorite flavor of Kringles? If so, I would love to hear about other fillings you enjoy in the comments!
And if your family tries this recipe and loves it like mine does, I would love it if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you!
Easy Pecan Kringle Recipe
Ingredients
Kringle Dough
- 2 1/4 tsp yeast
- 1/2 c warm water
- 3 – 4 c all purpose flour
- 1/4 c sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 c butter, cubed
- 1 1/2 c cottage cheese, blended
- 1 egg
Filling
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 3/4 c brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2/3 c chopped pecans
Icing (optional)
- 1/2 c powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 3 tbsp milk
Instructions
Kringle Dough
- Mix yeast and a pinch of sugar in with warm water to dissolve. Set aside to proof.
- In a small mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup, cream (or blend) the cottage cheese so the curds are broken into smaller pieces with a fork or an immersion blender. Stir in the egg and set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, mix the sugar, salt and 3 cups of flour together. Cut in the butter until the size of peas.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, and add the yeast water and cottage cheese mixture. Stir together so dough forms a soft ball in the mixing bowl.
- Lightly flour a surface, and knead dough about 10 times to prevent it from being too sticky. Cut in half.
- Take one half of the dough to use first, and set the other half aside for a little while.
- Roll the dough into a large rectangle until 1/4" thick.
Kringle Filling
- In a small bowl, mix all the filling ingredients together.
- Spread half of the filling mixture onto the dough that was rolled out; set aside the other half.
Putting Kringle dough & filling together
- Roll dough up like a jelly roll. Crimp and seal the edges and ends.
- Place the kringle dough onto one end of a lined baking sheet, and make a horse shoe shape (or "U" shape).
- Complete the steps to roll out, fill and roll back up the other half of the dough in the same way.
- Place the second dough roll onto the same baking sheet as the other kringle. Shape into a horse shoe shape again, but leaving room between the kringles to rise and bake.
- Cover with a wet tea towel or plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 1 – 1 1/2 hours.
- Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Once preheated, uncover the kringles and bake for 20 – 25 minutes until lightly golden brown.
- Remove and cool, before adding optional icing. Enjoy!
Notes
- The Kringle dough is very soft when working with it. Be sure to have extra flour on hand for your surfaces, rolling pin and hands when working with and shaping the dough.
- For cottage cheese substitution, use sour cream.
- To make ahead: Shape and cover Kringles, and let cold rise in the refrigerator the night before. Take out of the refrigerator and uncover in the morning while the oven is preheating. Bake as directed.
- To freeze: After Kringle is cooled and iced, wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer for up to three months. Dethaw the night before you want to eat it.
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