Karens Bakery Danish Puff Pastries Review
Author’s note: I have no affiliation with Karens Bakery or Costco, and this is not a sponsored review.
The good kind of Karen.
This is the kind of Karen I want to be friends with.
These “Danish Puff Pastries” are basically a fancy sandwich cookie with lemon creme filling inside. But they aren’t like any cookie I’ve ever had before. What makes them special is that the wafers are kind of a cross between a cracker and a croissant.
A very flat croissant? A crackssant? They’re crisper than a typical baked pastry: airy, flakey, and delicate. The oblong shape reminds me of a nutter butter, but in a classier zip code.
Caramelized sugar crust
I like the contrast of the crunchy, sugar-crusted top. The sugar is sort of caramelized and melted onto the surface, which gives extra flavor. Kind of a creme brulee vibe. There’s a surprise sprinkle of salt, too, which I loved. Salt enhances the demure flavors. I think salt belongs everywhere.
Lemon creme filling
The lemon filling is much richer than I expected. It’s not thick, per se. Just creamy/fatty. Less sugar, more fat. This is exactly what I prefer. I also like that the icing is only in the center of the wafer, so that it doesn’t taste like too much when you’re eating these.
I would describe it as moderately sweet. When combined with the puff pastry wafers, it evens out to a “lightly sweet” effect. If you have a raging sweet tooth, you might hate this. But I loved it.
(For another sandwich cookie with a lightly sweet creme center, you might enjoy my review of these petite spiced cookies from Aldi, which are imported from Germany.)
Lemon flavor
The filling has a whisper-light lemon taste. I think you could feed this to a lemon-hater, and they wouldn’t even be mad. It’s not tart or zingy. It’s like the distant memory of a lemon. A super mellow hint of citrus is all you’re getting. A lemon kiss.
There’s not much flavor outside of that. I don’t mind that, because it doesn’t drown out the delicate pastry flavors.
(If you love desserts with gentle lemon flavor, check out my review of Costco’s Lemon Custard Pie.)
Serving the cookies
The novelty of these cookies makes them ideal for an elegant tea party or buffet spread. Something out of the ordinary, and special. Your food snobs will be intrigued. Even the Karens. Probably.
I LOVED that my cookies were sealed in FOUR separate packets. This allows me to keep the uneaten ones fresh much longer. I live in Florida, where the humidity destroys crispy foods faster than mosquitoes multiply.
Ingredients in Karens Bakery Danish Puff Pastries
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients from the label:
- Wheat Flour
- Vegetable Oils (Palm, Canola)
- Sugar
- Salt
- Natural Lemon Flavor
- Protease (dough conditioner)
It’s amazing how these few, simple ingredients create such an unexpected flavor and texture experience. This is how it should be. We don’t need a zillion ingredients. Do we?
More information from the label:
- Product of Denmark
- Since 1890
- By appointment to the Royal Danish Court [*raises pinky*]
Nutrition Facts
A serving is two cookies and contains 150 calories. You get 10 grams of fat (4.5 grams saturated fat) and less than 1 gram of protein. There are 15 grams total carbohydrates, of which 8 grams are sugar (all of them are “added sugar”) and 0 grams are fiber. You get just 3% your daily value of sodium and 0% your daily value cholesterol.
Price and Servings
The 22.5 ounce package cost $9.99 at my local Costco. Since there are 24 servings per package, each serving costs 42 cents at the regular price.
Shelf Life
The “best by” date on my package allowed approximately 8 months to consume.
Dramatic Conclusion
If you’re a fan of crisp, airy, lightly sweet treats, these Karens Bakery Danish Puff Pastries might be for you. This is a unique treat that is unlike anything I’ve had before.
The trusty Awesome-o-Meter rates these unique cookies a solid “Yaaas.” I’d love to try more flavors. Can we get a variety pack? Can we?! Please, mother!
The End.
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