Friday mornings in Wisconsin have a funny way of ending with a flat white bakery box on the office break table, and nine times out of ten there is a kringle inside. The oval Danish pastry is so woven into local life that it holds the title of official state pastry, and plenty of families treat a Friday kringle run like a small weekly holiday.
This list covers six bakeries, from Green Bay country down to the kringle capital of Racine, that bake the flaky, filled, iced favorite with real care and a lot of history behind the counter. Some have been open since the 1930s, one bakes nothing but kringle, and each one gives you a different reason to plan your next Friday around a pastry box.
1. Uncle Mike’s Bake Shoppe, De Pere, WI
Early birds get the best shot at the kringle here, since the doors open at 5 AM six days a week. That schedule makes Uncle Mike’s an easy Friday stop before work, and the Friday hours stretch all the way to 6 PM for anyone who remembers the office treat a little late.
Kringle is the name of the game at this De Pere bakery. The sea salt caramel pecan version has built a reputation of its own, and it is a popular pick for gifts sent to offices and family members.
I like that the kringle is only the start. The cases also hold donuts, danishes, bagels, decorated cookies, specialty breads, and cakes, so it is easy to leave with more than you planned.
The shop also stocks frozen meals, which is a handy bonus if Friday dinner has not been sorted out yet. Coffee is available, and there is room to dine in if you would rather not wait until you get home.
Friday afternoons tend to get busy, so a morning visit is the smoother play. The staff are known for being quick and cheerful, and free samples sometimes make the decision a little easier.
Practical perks help too. There is a free parking lot, delivery is offered, and the Dickinson Road location makes it simple to swing by on the way through the De Pere area.
2. Fosdal Home Bakery, Stoughton, WI
Back in 1939, a family started baking on Main Street in Stoughton, and the ovens at Fosdal Home Bakery have been going ever since. The family still owns and runs the place, and the focus remains on simple, quality ingredients.
Stoughton is proud of its Norwegian roots, so a long-running hometown bakery fits right in. Fosdal’s kringle is counted among the best in town, sitting alongside doughnuts, fresh bread, and chocolate dip loaves.
Prices here lean friendly, with most visits landing in the $1 to $10 range. That makes it easy to grab a kringle for the family and a few cinnamon rolls or cupcakes for good measure.
Here is a useful Friday tip. Weekday mornings and afternoons are usually the calmer stretches, while Saturday morning brings the biggest crowd, so Friday is a smart day to beat the line.
The bakery opens at 5:30 AM Tuesday through Saturday and closes at 5 PM. Sunday hours run 7 AM to noon, and the shop is closed Mondays, so plan accordingly.
Free street parking sits right outside the small, homey shop. Delivery is not offered, which honestly just gives you a reason to stroll downtown Stoughton after your pickup.
3. Bendtsen’s Bakery, Racine, WI
Ask a Racine native to name their kringle bakery, and you might start a friendly debate that lasts all afternoon. Bendtsen’s Bakery has plenty of loyal supporters in that conversation, and the family-owned shop has been baking since 1934.
The kringle here is known for flaky layers and a crust that stays light instead of gooey. Flavors include pecan, almond, raspberry, turtle, and cream cheese, so there is a filling for the classic fan and the adventurous eater alike.
Kringle is not the only reason to stop in. The bakery also turns out donuts, moist cakes, and cronuts, plus 7 Sisters pastries, a Danish-style treat that fits right into Racine’s bakery heritage.
Plenty of people use Bendtsen’s as a breakfast spot too, pairing a pastry with coffee on Washington Avenue. Friday hours run 6 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday closes an hour earlier at 4 PM.
Sunday is a day off for the bakers, so a Friday or Saturday run is the way to stock up for the weekend. Saturday morning into the afternoon is the busiest window.
Curbside pickup is available, which is a nice touch on a chilly Wisconsin morning. Parking is on the street and paid, so keep that in mind when you pull up.
4. Lehmann’s Bakery, Sturtevant, WI
Vegan doughnuts and scoop ice cream in the same bakery as a raspberry kringle? That combination is exactly what sets Lehmann’s apart.
This Sturtevant shop has the feel of an old-time bakery, with a big lineup of donuts, cookies, bear claws, and many kringle flavors. The raspberry kringle is a standout, and the vegan doughnut selection is a welcome surprise for plant-based eaters.
The staff know their cases well and are happy to walk you through the options. During the holidays, the counters fill up with seasonal baked goods, so there is even more to consider.
Hungry for more than sweets? Breakfast sandwiches and coffee round out the morning menu, and free Wi-Fi makes it a decent spot to linger.
Friday afternoons are one of the busier times, so the morning crowd has the edge. Hours on weekdays run 6 AM to 5 PM, with Saturday closing at 3 PM and Sunday closed.
Prices mostly fall between $1 and $10, and the Durand Avenue location has a free parking lot. Delivery is also available if your Friday is packed.
5. O&H Danish Bakery, Oak Creek, WI
A kringle without leaving the car is a very Friday kind of luxury. The Oak Creek location of O&H Danish Bakery has a drive-through, which makes the end-of-week pastry run about as easy as it gets.
O&H is a long-running, family-owned name with deep roots in the Racine kringle scene. The Oak Creek shop carries that tradition north, with kringle flavors such as pecan, almond, and apple on the menu.
Families dealing with allergies will want to know that the bakery is peanut-free. That detail alone makes it a go-to for many households.
The menu goes well beyond pastry. Sandwiches, lasagna, hard rolls, breads, dips, and oversized donuts share space with cakes, including an Easter Lamb cake in season.
Coffee drinkers can order specialty options like a caramel apple latte to go with breakfast. There is seating for dining in, and the store is known for being clean and relaxed.
Friday hours run 6 AM to 6 PM, and Friday evenings are usually quiet. Saturday stays open until 5 PM, and Sunday runs from 7 AM to 1 PM, with a parking lot on site.
6. Racine Danish Kringles, Racine, WI
Most bakeries juggle dozens of products, but Racine Danish Kringles bakes exactly one thing. Kringle is all they do, and that single focus says a lot.
The third-generation bakery started more than forty years ago with a simple goal of sharing kringle with Wisconsin. Today its pastries ship across the country, so a Racine tradition can land on a doorstep far from Lake Michigan.
Flavor choices range from almond, pecan, and raspberry to birthday cake, plus traditional and seasonal varieties. The traditional Danish topping is a light sprinkle of coarse sugar and sliced almonds, which is a nice change from heavy icing.
Ordering, payment, and pickup are known for being simple, and the packaging holds up well for shipping. That makes it a strong pick for sending a Friday surprise to someone out of state.
Timing matters here. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM, and the bakery is closed on weekends, so Friday is your last chance of the week to pick one up in person.
Delivery is also offered for those who cannot make it to Golf Avenue. The company motto sums it up well: it is not just a treat, it is a tradition.
With six bakeries this good spread across the state, the only real Friday problem is deciding which box to open first.
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