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Sandbakkels are a traditional Norwegian holiday cookie made with a crumbly dough that resembles “sand,” thus the name. They’re also called sandbakelse or sandkaker, similarly translating to sand cookies. Sometimes tiny bit of almond flour in these cookies helps create just the right sandy texture, other times a tiny bit of almond extract is added just for flavor.
Traditional sandbakkel molds are used to create hollow cookie tarts. Sometimes they’re simple fluted round molds, and other times they’re more decorative shapes. Regardless the cookies are pressed into the mold to create a cup shape.
Start by creaming butter and sugar together in a mixer until light and fluffy. That helps give these cookies a bit of lift since there’s no baking powder added.
Add the flour and mix the dough until just combined.
Form the dough into balls and place each one in a sandbakkel tin.
Using your thumb, press out the dough thinly into the tin.
Even out the dough, creating a nice thin layer over the entire sandbakkel mold.
Bake the sandbakkels at 375 for about 12-15 minutes until the cookies are golden brown and cooked through. Traditionally, the finished cookies are eaten as little tart shaped cookies. Practically speaking, they make excellent tart bottoms and they’re just begging to be filled. It’s up to you!
Sandbakkels (Norwegian Sugar Cookies)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 3 cups white flour, All Purpose
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees F.
- Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and almond extract and mix to combine.
- Add the flour and salt, stirring until just combined.
- Form dough into balls and place in sandbakkel tins. Press with your thumb until the dough is spread thinly on the tin.
- Bake at 375 F for 12 to 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hello! Can the dough be made ahead of time and refrigerated, or should it be made just before baking? If so, how far in advance do you recommend?
Thanks!
You could definitely make this in advance and refrigerate it. You may need to let the dough come back to room temperature so it’s pliable before you shape it into the tins though. I would guess that you could make 3 to 5 days in advance without an issue. (They also do well baked in advance and stored in an air-tight tin.)
The recipes sound delicious 😋
Thank you!
I had some and shared the tins that were given away by mistake. They belonged to my Grandmother. I was able to find some on Amazon.
Love reading these comments, My sister and I were just messaging about the difficulty of getting them out of the tin! I just bought some nonstick tins from a shop called Uffda in Redwing Minnesota. We’ll see!
I have had these flutes molds for some time and never used them. Decided to bake cookies from around the world this Christmas so I’m going to give them a try and use the cardamom as suggested. If filled, what would go with cardamom? I’ve never used that either!
Yes, Cardamom!!!
I just now finished a batch using tins I have had for over 60 years – three different shapes: the traditional tart, a heart shape, and a star shape, five of each. My ancestors and wife’s ancestors came from Norway, my grandmother when she was 17. She made them all the time and every time we visited that is the first thing we asked for. I have made them with vanilla, my kids favorite; almond extract, my favorite; but never tried cardamom. I will try that next time. I make a “Norwegian” white bread with cardamom and it is great.
The recipe on a “Made in Sweden” box of tartlet tins calls for 1 cup of raw, peeled almond, ground plus “bittermandlar.” or bitter almond. We’ve always used a few drops of almond extract. Butter those tart tins so the cookie comes out!
These were great! My not particularly baking savvy kids mixed these and molded these all on their own once frying rosettes proved more of a distraction than I planned (apparently I’m not so baking savvy either). Ours came out of our brand new Norpro tins well (except the smallest rounds which were tricky), we just inverted the tins and gave them a little squeeze and popped the cookie out. Thanks for the recipe!