I am a relative newcomer to the wonders of kringle. I hadn’t really indulged in the flaky sweet pastry with assorted fillings and toppings until I tried some last year from Trader Joe’s, which is a cousin to Aldi. The dessert has origins in Northern Europe, and it is so popular at Trader Joe’s stores in the U.S. that it practically flies off the shelves. Trader Joe’s gets its kringle from O & H Danish Bakery in Racine, Wisconsin, and it’s one of the few products at TJ’s that isn’t sold under Trader Joe’s own private label.
Yet Trader Joe’s isn’t the only place that stocks this Wisconsin-based favorite. For several years, Aldi has sold kringle as a limited-time special during the Christmas season. The kringle at Aldi also isn’t sold under any of the Aldi private label brands. Aldi ships it in from a third-generation family bakery called Racine Danish Kringles, which is based in Racine, Wisconsin, just like the Trader Joe’s kringle supplier.
In case you couldn’t tell, kringle is big in Wisconsin. Racine Danish Kringles’ website explains why: “The simple answer is that there is a ton of Danish heritage in Wisconsin. Racine, Wisconsin became a Danish hub where many families made a living in bakeries.”
Kringle arrived in Racine in the late 1800s with the arrival of Danish immigrants, and it was named the Official Wisconsin Pastry in 2013. The pastry originally had a pretzel-like shape but later evolved to the oval shape we see today. Racine Danish Kringles says their dough is hand-folded and features a signature 81 layers, and the dough-making process takes three days.
Here, I’m taking a closer look at a Racine Danish Kringle I bought at Aldi.
Racine Danish Kringles are an Aldi Find, which means they’re only in stores for a short time. Each store receives one shipment, and after that sells out, they’re gone unless Aldi decides to bring them back next year. Aldi does not offer online ordering for this product if it’s sold out at your local store.
Because this kringle is not exclusive to Aldi, you can buy it directly from Racine Danish Kringles if it’s not in stock at Aldi. If you buy directly from the bakery, the kringles are larger — 22 ounces compared to the 14-ounce versions Aldi sells — and they start at $23.95 per kringle at the time of publication, or about $1.09 per ounce, plus a flat shipping rate. You get discounts for buying multiple kringles direct from the bakery.
(Trader Joe’s also sells kringle from a different above-mentioned Racine bakery year round, so you can get your kringle fix that way as well. TJ’s tends to change flavor choices every couple of months, and be aware that they sometimes sell out.)
Racine Danish Kringles at Aldi cost $6.49 for 14 ounces at the time of publication. With seven servings per package, that comes out to about 93 cents per serving or about 46 cents per ounce. This is definitely cheaper than buying directly from Racine Danish Kringles. It is slightly more than the 37 cents per ounce I paid for kringle from Trader Joe’s in 2022, but I’m not sure what this year’s kringle price is at Trader Joe’s.
Aldi sells Racine Danish Kringles in two flavors: raspberry and almond. I bought the raspberry version. You’ll find many more flavors and varieties on Racine Danish Kringle’s website, but Aldi keeps the flavor offerings fairly simple. Racine Danish Kringles ships its wholesale products frozen, and the kringle I purchased at Aldi was stocked on the room-temperature shelves but was still cold.
If you’re looking out for allergens, the raspberry kringle contains wheat, milk, soy, and egg. It may contain traces of various tree nuts or peanuts due to shared equipment. It is certified kosher.
The main ingredients in the raspberry kringle include sugar, wheat flour, margarine, brown sugar, raspberries, and modified food starch.
Nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
One kringle serves seven people. A 2.75-inch slice (56 grams) of raspberry kringle has 180 calories, 8 grams of total fat (10% DV), 3.5 grams of saturated fat (18% DV), 5 mg of cholesterol (2% DV), 150 mg of sodium (7% DV), 26 grams of total carbohydrates (9% DV), 1 gram of dietary fiber (4% DV), 16 grams of total sugars, 15 grams of added sugars (30% DV), and 2 grams of protein.
If you’re wondering how to serve and store this, Racine Danish Kringles’ website offers guidance:
Kringle tends to be eaten quickly when shared with friends, family, or coworkers. For those who just want a slice now and some for later, the pastry is shelf stable for 5-7 days. You can freeze some, grab a slice, and freeze the rest! If you want to keep your Kringle as fresh as possible, put it in the freezer rather than the refrigerator. Enjoy!
When I bought kringle in the past from Trader Joe’s, I sliced it into individual servings and froze it all. That way, I could pull single servings from the freezer when I wanted them. I’m doing the same thing with this kringle from Aldi.
You can eat kringle at room temperature, or I like to warm single servings in the microwave for about 10 seconds. You can also heat the entire kringle on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven for about 3 and a half minutes, and then slice and serve.
Raspberry kringle, ready to serve.
This is really good. It features tender, flaky, buttery layers of pastry with a raspberry filling and a generous amount of icing on top. It’s rich and indulgent, and a little goes a long way. If you’re a fan of danishes and other pastries, you’ll probably like this. If nothing else, it’s worth trying this Wisconsin favorite at least once. It might become a tradition.
The Verdict:
Racine Danish Kringles come to Aldi from a family bakery in Racine, Wisconsin, which is a major production area for this popular pastry with Northern European origins. Aldi sells these in raspberry or almond flavors. We especially like the raspberry version, but personal preferences may vary. These freeze well, so if you like them, we recommend stocking up.
Trader Joe’s Kringle tastes better. The Aldi version tasted very processed to my family, like Little Debbie.
I agree with the comment above – not very tasty. The kringle’s from Trader Joe’s come from O&H which produces a higher quality kringle. Last year the kringle at TJ’s was about $8.30. I won’t buy the Aldi (Racine) Kringle again.
Thanks much for the info, gotta find a TJ’s
Walmart also sells the Racine Danish Kringle, at least at Walmarts in the Midwest. Some of the mail-order gift basket vendors based in the Midwest, such as Figi’s and Swiss Colony, also sell kringle and ship nationwide — but those tend to be more expensive. I grew up in SE Wisconsin (Racine and Kenosha), so kringle was always the pastry of choice at Sunday church “fellowship hours”, instead of doughnuts. Outside the Midwest, your best bet for getting kringle (esp. in flavors other than the raspberry or almond at Aldi) would probably be to order direct from one of the Racine bakeries. (Unless there’s a chapter of the Danish Brotherhood in your town, as they often do an annual bulk order of kringle as a fundraiser.)