Krokanere - Danish Oat Sandwich Cookies

July 15, 2026

Krokanere © kvalifood.com

Krokanere are a Danish oat cookie, baked flat and crisp and sandwiched in pairs with buttercream. The dough is rolled oats, sugar, dark syrup, butter and a little flour — no more than that. The name points to the texture: krokant, meaning brittle and caramel-like.

The method differs from most cookies. The fat must not be softened; it needs its normal, firm consistency when the dough is kneaded. The dough is rolled into logs, chilled and cut into slices that spread a lot on the tray — a 3 cm slice becomes a cookie about 9 cm across.

The taste is sweet and caramelised from the syrup, with a toasted note from the oats and a chewy-crisp bite. The buttercream between two cookies softens the middle, while the edge stays crisp.

Krokanere are a common Christmas cookie, but they suit the whole year. Serve with coffee or tea.

Ingredients

Makes 30-32 sandwiched krokanere (approx. 64 cookies)

Dough

125 g flour
250 g rolled oats
250 g sugar
250 g butter (or margarine), not softened
125 g dark syrup

Filling

300 g butter (or margarine), softened
300 g icing sugar
4 eggs

Directions

Knead the flour, rolled oats, sugar, butter and syrup together into an even dough. The fat must not be softened first — it needs its normal, firm consistency when it goes in.

Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll each piece into a log about 3 cm thick. Chill the logs, preferably in the fridge, so they are easier to slice.

Heat the oven to 390°F (200°C). It needs to be at the right temperature from the start.

Cut about 16 slices from each log. Place the slices on a greased tray with plenty of space — the cookies spread to about 9 cm across as they bake.

Bake the cookies on the middle shelf at 390°F (200°C) for about 10 minutes.

Loosen the cookies from the tray while they are still warm and move them to a wire rack to cool.

Make the buttercream meanwhile: beat the softened butter and icing sugar together, then beat in the eggs one at a time until the cream is even.

Sandwich the cooled cookies in pairs with buttercream in between. Let them set before serving.

Notes

The buttercream contains raw eggs. Keep the sandwiched krokanere refrigerated and eat them within a few days. Use pasteurised eggs if they need to keep longer, or if they are served to children, pregnant women or the elderly.

The oven must be hot from the start. Cookies put into an oven that is still heating spread more and turn out uneven.

The raw dough logs keep in the fridge for a couple of days, or they can be frozen. Slice them straight from the cold.

Baked cookies without cream stay crisp in an airtight tin for several weeks. Sandwich them with buttercream only shortly before serving.