National Dish Iceland: Klenætur (Recipe)
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Klenætur — more commonly kleinur — are Iceland’s twisted doughnuts: a cardamom-scented dough cut into diamonds, slit through the middle, pulled through the slit into a twist, and fried in fat until golden. Every Icelandic bakery sells them, every household made them at Christmas, and the cardamom is what makes them Nordic rather than generic.
About Klenætur
Klenætur (kleinur) is the traditional Icelandic fried pastry, a distinctive thing to eat. The sweet dough is cut into diamonds, twisted, fried golden and smells wonderfully of cardamom. Kleinur are served at Christmas and on festive occasions and are much loved by Icelanders and visitors alike, sold in bakeries and petrol stations across the country.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 250 g plain flour
- 50 g sugar
- 1 egg
- 40 g softened butter
- 80 ml buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- A pinch of salt
- Oil or clarified butter, for frying
Shopping for the ingredients
Grind the cardamom yourself from green pods if you can. It is the defining flavour and pre-ground cardamom loses its aroma within months. Buttermilk gives the tenderness; plain milk with a squeeze of lemon substitutes at a pinch. Traditionally these were fried in mutton tallow, which is worth knowing but not worth insisting on.
Preparing the dish
Make the dough and let it rest for half an hour, which makes it far easier to roll thin. Have a deep pan of oil at 180°C and a slotted spoon ready. The twisting takes a moment to learn and then becomes automatic.
Step-by-step instructions
- Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom and salt.
- Rub in the softened butter, then work in the egg and buttermilk to a soft dough.
- Knead briefly, wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll out to about 5 mm thick and cut into diamonds of roughly 8 cm.
- Cut a slit in the centre of each diamond.
- Pull one corner through the slit to form the classic twist.
- Heat the oil to 180°C and fry in batches for 2–3 minutes a side until deep golden.
- Drain on paper and eat warm, or store in a tin.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
A gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum works, though the dough is more fragile and needs careful handling. For lactose-free, use a plant margarine and a plant milk soured with lemon juice in place of buttermilk.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
Kleinur are vegetarian as written. A vegan version with plant margarine, plant buttermilk and 3 tablespoons of aquafaba in place of the egg fries perfectly well, since the structure comes from the flour rather than the egg.
More tips and tricks
Keep the oil at a steady 180°C, too cool and they absorb fat, too hot and they brown before the middle cooks. Roll the dough thin, since they puff considerably. And eat them the same day; kleinur go stale faster than most fried dough.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
A pinch of lemon zest alongside the cardamom brightens them. Some recipes add a splash of brandy to the dough, which reduces oil absorption. A dusting of cinnamon sugar while warm is not traditional but is very good.
Ingredient substitutions
Skyr thinned with milk substitutes for buttermilk and is thoroughly Icelandic. Cardamom is essential, but a little vanilla alongside it works. Any neutral oil is fine for frying.
Drink pairing ideas
Coffee is the automatic Icelandic pairing and the reason kleinur exist. Hot chocolate suits them for children. Cold milk works too, especially with the cardamom.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve kleinur warm, piled on a plate with coffee. They are the standard offering when guests arrive in Iceland, alongside pönnukökur and a cake, and they are eaten with the hands. They keep two days in a tin.
A bit of history
Twisted fried pastries run right across northern Europe, the German Kräppel, the Norwegian smultring, the Danish klejne, and Iceland’s version arrived with Danish rule. Cardamom, an expensive import, marks them as festive food, though they long ago became an everyday bakery staple. It offers a genuine window onto Icelandic cuisine.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Klenætur
Klenætur are cardamom-scented dough diamonds, twisted through a central slit and fried golden. Keep the oil at 180°C, roll the dough thin, and eat them the day they are made.
