One Of Trader Joe's Best Breakfast Pastries Underwent A Seasonal Fall Makeover

If you regularly shop at Trader Joe's, then you are probably familiar with the large paper packages in the pastry section that hide a Scandinavian treat called a kringle. The nationwide chain specifically sells a brand called O&H Danish Bakery, a company that has been making sweet baked goods since 1949. The flavors Trader Joe's carries rotate by season, but it just might be the fall-inspired pumpkin caramel flavor that fans consider the absolute best.

In this version, a large, oval-shaped ring with 36 layers of buttery pastry is stuffed with a pumpkin filling, frosted with a caramel icing, and sprinkled with toasty chopped pecans. Word has it this option disappears from shelves fast; however, it is supposed to be available at Trader Joe's stores until November 29th (while supplies last, of course). The pumpkin caramel kringle sells for $9.99 and those lucky enough to get their hands on them get a generously sized, 24-ounce pastry, which theoretically, should feed plenty of people. But if you're like many customers who absolutely fall in love with this treat, you might have a hard time sharing it.

One Facebook user claimed, "It's absolutely delicious! A slice of this sweet pastry with a cup of hot coffee is just perfect." Another fan commenting on an Instagram post called the kringle, "The perfect fall bite." You can eat the pumpkin caramel kringle right out of the package, as it comes fully baked, but heating it up for a few minutes in the oven may be the ultimate indulgence.

O&H Danish Bakery kringles that Trader Joe's sells are made in Racine, Wisconsin, a city that has historically had a large Danish population. The city itself has earned the nickname, "The Kringle Capital of the World." While the pastry came to America around the turn of the 20th century, it originated in Denmark about five decades prior. In the mid-19th century, Danish bakers participated in a widespread strike, during which Austrian bakers stepped in to keep the pastry business going. Their layered dough techniques resulted in what would become the kringle: a flaky, pretzel-shaped baked good that was stuffed with fruit, nuts, or custard.

The round, ring-shaped kringle is something that was developed by Danish Americans and the shape most recognized by Trader Joe's customers when they're scouring for pumpkin caramel and other flavors. And, while we may devour these absolutely scrumptious pastries with gusto in record time, many may not realize what a labor of love making them really is; O&H Danish Bakery shared that creating the pastries is a three-day process that results in the multi-layer pastry. It's no wonder fans can't get enough, and definitely one of the factors that makes kringle one of the five best breakfast pastries at Trader Joe's.