Seven kinds of Christmas biscuits: which seven to choose

November 1, 2026

Vokshus food container 2,800 ml with lid and pump

Sju slag, seven kinds, is the old Norwegian Christmas tradition many remember from childhood: there should be at least seven sorts of biscuits in the house. Today most people choose their own seven. Here are the classics, and a list you can bake without special irons.

Short answer: Sju slag means seven kinds of small Christmas biscuits. Which seven is up to you. Many people choose gingerbread biscuits, Sandkaker, syrup diamonds, Krumkaker, Goro, Fattigmann and Berlinerkranser. Without a special iron you can swap Krumkaker and Goro for Serina biscuits and brown sticks.

The classic kinds

Kind	What they are like	What you need
Gingerbread biscuits	Crisp	Biscuit cutters
Krumkaker (rolled wafers)	Crisp	Krumkake iron
Goro (cardamom wafers)	Crisp	Goro iron
Sandkaker (almond tartlets)	Tender	Small tartlet tins
Serina biscuits	Tender	Nothing extra
Berlinerkranser (butter wreaths)	Tender	Nothing extra
Syrup diamonds	Soft	Nothing extra
Fattigmann (fried diamonds)	Deep-fried	Pot for frying
Smultringer (doughnut rings)	Deep-fried	Pot for frying

Seven kinds without special irons

If you have no krumkake or goro iron, a baking tray will do fine:

How to put your seven together

Mix the textures: Some crisp, some tender and some soft make a fine plate.
Halve the recipes: Seven full recipes give more than most people can eat.
Start with the ones that can wait: Gingerbread biscuits and syrup diamonds can be baked early. Bake the butter biscuits closer to Christmas, or freeze them.

The whole calendar is in Christmas baking ahead of time.

Seven kinds need several tins

Crisp and soft biscuits must each have their own tin, or everything ends up equally soft. Our guide to Christmas biscuit tins shows which tin suits each kind. Crisp biscuits like as little air around them as possible, and that is where our food container fits in: it is transparent, so you can see which kind you have, and the pump draws out the air.

Food Container 2,800 ml679 NOK

Container, lid and pump in the same pack. The pump draws out the air and charges with the included USB-C cable.

See the food container →

Frequently asked questions

Does it have to be exactly seven?

No. Seven is the tradition, not a rule. Bake the kinds you like best.

When should I start baking?

Gingerbread biscuits can be baked in November. Butter biscuits are best baked in December, or frozen.

Can the Christmas biscuits be frozen?

Yes, most of them. Freeze them in an airtight tin. Thaw crisp biscuits with the lid off.

Which kinds are easiest?

Oat lace biscuits, Serina biscuits and brown sticks need neither irons nor tins.

Want to know how long the biscuits keep? See storing Christmas biscuits.

One tin for each kind

The food container shows which kind you have, without you opening the lid.