Danish Jewish Cookies (Jødekager), the traditional recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: · About 3 minutes to read this article. · By Kim Nielsen

Original and traditional recipe for the most delicious Nordic cookies called Jewish cookies or Jødekager in Danish. These cookies are very easy-to-make and traditionally served during Christmas and loved by everyone.

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Danish Jewish Cookies (Jødekager), the traditional recipe (1)

Jewish cookies is a very popular and delicious small Christmas cookies. We both remember having had these cookies when we were kids and today it's one of our great Christmas traditions to make these cookies. When they are in the oven they spread out the most wonderful scent of Christmas - which is one of the reasons we love to make them. We have read that this cookie got the name, Jewish cookie, because it was made and sold by Jews bakeries back in the 1700 century. A Jewish cookie, or Jødekager as it's called in Danish, is a small and simple cookie sprinkled with a mixture of sugar, cinnamon and chopped almonds.

So simple but also so delicious!

See also: Recipe for original Nordic Christmas butter cookies

The recipe for these cookies are very easy to make and the step where the cookies are shaped using a glass cup or jar is especially a lot of fun for the kids - we both remember that we loved to make these cookies when we were kids. You can easily make the dough for these cookies a day in advance if you just keep it refrigerated.

If you are interested in more traditional Nordic Christmas recipes then I have an entire section here on my blog dedicated - Find it by browsing the menu .

Danish Jewish Cookies (Jødekager), the traditional recipe (3)

Jewish Cookies

Original and traditional recipe for the most delicious Nordic cookies called Jewish cookies or Jødekager in Danish. These cookies are very easy-to-make and traditionally served during Christmas and loved by everyone.

Print Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Course: Christmas cookie

Cuisine: Danish

Keyword: Nordic Christmas

Servings: 50 cookies

Author: NordicFoodLiving.com

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

Cookie dough

  • 150 g butter
  • 250 g all-purpose flour
  • 100 g sugar
  • 1 egg

Topping

  • 1 egg
  • 50 g almonds (chopped)
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Notes

Keep the cookies in an air tight container to keep the crispness.



Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pete Giegerich

    Grew up watching and eating Jodekager and Brunkager being made. Will now make some for Christmas 2015 and surprise the family with this wonderful find. I'm tempted to make some soon.

    Reply

    • Louise Dam

      I'm so glad we could help you with this recipe. Good luck with the baking. I say you should make some right ahead. Just to be ready for christmas :-)

      Reply

  2. Frida

    Hej
    Jeg synes det er nogle VILDT flotte billeder! Jeg vil derfor høre om det er muligt, at jeg må låne det til et skoleprojekt? Da jeg skal en opskrift. Det er det billede hvor du former kagerne med et glas :)

    Reply

    • Louise Dam

      Hej Frida
      Du må gerne låne billedet :-)

      Reply

  3. Lado

    Thanks for the recipes they came out amazing

    Reply

  4. Robin

    How thick do you roll the cookies out to, your directions say 1 inch but it looks more like an 1/8 inch from the pictures

    Reply

    • Kim Nielsen

      Hi Robin

      Thanks for letting me know about this mistake. The correct thickness is about 1/10 inch. I've also updated the recipe. :-)
      I hope you like the cookies
      Regards Kim

      Reply

    • Jennifer Sterne

      I am going to try your recipe for Jødekage.
      I hope I have better success.

      Reply

  5. Neil Sorensen

    My favorite cookie for Christmas. My Grandmother's recipe called for Baker's ammonium (ammonium carbonate) for extra crispness.

    Reply

    • Kim Nielsen

      This is also one of my favorite Christmas cookies. I did not know this trick about the Baker's ammonium - thanks for sharing :-) regards Kim

      Reply

      • Bo

        Baker's ammonium = hjortetakssalt

        Reply

  6. theo

    can you give us some more recipes

    Reply

    • Kim Nielsen

      Are there any specific recipes your are looking for?

      Reply

  7. theo

    kids recipes so kids can make them

    Reply

  8. Birgit K Rogers

    Can I freeze them , so many cookies to make this year and would like to get started?

    Reply

    • Kim Nielsen

      Actually, I have never tried to freeze them. However, it think that it is possible. I would do it before they are baked. Then you can bake a fresh batch whenever you feel for it.

      Reply

  9. Jenny sterne

    I baked Jødekager from a different recipe. I measured meticulously.
    My Danish granny used to bake them but I thought I would try a different flavour
    So I did rum essence as well as the cinnamon and sugar etc.
    The dough tasted amazing but the baked cookies not so much.
    Quite disappointing actually. I made the dough into a roll for easy slicing
    And chilled it well.
    They taste sort of floury.
    They are not crisp. I had no salts of hartshorn so I saw that I can use baking powder.

    Reply

  10. Jennifer Sterne

    Should I reduce the oven heat slightly for a fan oven?

    Reply

    • Kim Nielsen

      Yes that would be a good idea. maybe just 15-20 degrees.

      Reply

  11. Leda Lewin Jessen

    Hej Kim
    Jeg underviser amerikanere i bagning og brugte din opskrift, da jeg tænkte, den var tilpasset/afprøvet på amerikansk vis. Men jødekagedejen bliver altså alt for våd, så jeg enten må tilføje mere mel eller mindre smør. Jeg nyder ellers dine opskrifter og deler altid din hjemmeside med folk, som gerne vil lave skandinavisk mad😉 Vh, Leda

    Reply

    • Kim Nielsen

      Hej Leda. Tak for din besked vedrørende Jødekagerne. Jeg har netop tjekket "oversættelsen" af ingredientslisten og umiddelbart ser den fin ud. Men jeg er da ked af at din kagedej blev for våd. Jeg må heller lige double tjekke opskriften endnu en gang. Igen, tak for at du har gjort mig opmærksom på dette. vh Kim (NordicFoodLiving.com)

      Reply

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Danish Jewish Cookies (Jødekager), the traditional recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular cookie in Denmark? ›

Vaniljekranse are one of the most famous Danish cookies. They consist of a simple buttery dough which is extruded into long strips and then formed into small circles. These traditional cookies are distinguished by a light taste of vanilla and the addition of ground almonds, which make them incredibly crispy.

What are traditional Danish biscuits? ›

Butter cookies, also known as Danish butter cookies, are cookies originating in Denmark consisting of butter, flour, and sugar. They are similar to shortbread cookies. The butter cookie is often categorized as a "crisp cookie" due to its texture, caused in part by the quantity of butter and sugar.

What is the name of a Jewish cookie? ›

A Real Purim Story: How Hamantaschen Cookies Got Their Name

Many Jewish people have been getting ready for Purim — the Jewish holiday that begins on Saturday night — by baking hamantaschen cookies, triangular treats made of dough with poppy seeds or fruit jam in the middle.

What are Danish wedding cookies made of? ›

❓ What are Danish Wedding Cookies? Let's start from the beginning - they are small, round, thick cookies made predominantly with butter, icing sugar, flour, and nuts, usually pecans, walnuts or almonds.

What is the 1 cookie in the world? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

What is the most famous dessert in Denmark? ›

The Brunsviger

The most mouth-watering of all Danish delicacies, the brunsviger is a cake of crater-filled dough, drizzled by a thick layer of brown sugar and butter. This delicious concoction of sugar and fat soaks into the spongey cake, making for a delicious, moreish and sticky teatime snack.

What is the Danish national dish? ›

The "national dish of Denmark" is stegt flæsk - pieces of pork, fried until crisp, and then served with boiled potatoes and parsley sauce.

What is the original brand of Danish cookies? ›

The Royal Dansk brand was established in 1966 where a range of crisp, delicious and luxury products were born. The cookies were packed and delivered in a recognizable tin showing the old Danish farmhouse named "Hjemstavnsgaard" from the island of Funen in Denmark.

What is a traditional Danish breakfast? ›

Typical Danish breakfast is bread (white or rye bread) with cream or soft cheese, sausage, cured cold meat or jam with coffee or tea. Among popular breakfast dishes are also cereals and porridge. One of the most interesting things and a very traditional Danish food you can eat in Copenhagen is øllebrød.

Why do Jews eat rugelach? ›

Rugelach are often served on Jewish holidays like Hanukkah and Shavuot, though of course they can (and should!) be made throughout the year. Our family typically serves them during Rosh Hashanah, when sweet foods are made to signify a sweet new year.

Why do Jews eat black and white cookies? ›

The black-and-white cookie was among the original recipes used by Glaser's Bake Shop. By the post-war period, black-and-white cookies had become part of American Ashkenazi Jewish culinary repertoire, deeply rooted in the Jewish communities of New York City and elsewhere around the United States.

Do Danish cookies have coconut in them? ›

Wheat flour, butter (milk), sugar, desiccated coconut, invert sugar, salt, ammonium bicarbonate, natural flavor (vanilla). May contain traces of eggs, hazelnuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts.

Did Keebler discontinue their Danish wedding cookies? ›

Yet, their decision to discontinue Danish Wedding Cookies has left many consumers like me disappointed and longing for their unique taste. According to Statista 2020 report, cookies are consumed by over 90% of U.S households annually - a testament to their popularity among Americans.

What is the story behind Danish cookies? ›

The deliciously Danish cookies first began coming out of the oven in the Danish village of Helsingoer in 1966. The bakery was known for its dedication to fine Danish baking traditions. To honor that, they named them Royal Dansk cookies. Dansk, which means Danish, makes the literal translation, Royal Danish cookies.

Is Denmark known for cookies? ›

The deliciously Danish cookies first began coming out of the oven in the Danish village of Helsingoer in 1966. The bakery was known for its dedication to fine Danish baking traditions. To honor that, they named them Royal Dansk cookies. Dansk, which means Danish, makes the literal translation, Royal Danish cookies.

What dessert is Denmark known for? ›

Typical Danish pastries include a snegl, a cinnamon roll-style pastry, a spandauer, a pastry with a dab of custard cream in the middle (you probably know this as a 'Danish pastry'), and a tebirkes, a pastry with remonce in the middle and poppy seeds all over the top.

What brand of cookies are Danish? ›

Royal Dansk (meaning "Royal Danish") is a Danish brand of butter cookies, manufactured by Kelsen Group A/S. It is known for its distinctive royal blue round tin container.

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