How many calories in a Kirkland danish?

Danish pastries from Costco’s Kirkland brand are a delicious bakery treat, but many people wonder about the calorie content of these large, decadent danishes. In this comprehensive article, we will provide a detailed calorie breakdown of the different Kirkland danishes available and look at how their calorie count compares to danishes from other brands.

The Most Popular Kirkland Danish Varieties

Kirkland offers mini danishes, large danishes, and a variety pack with different flavors. Here are some of the most popular options:

  • Cheese danish – featuring a sweet cheese filling
  • Apple danish – filled with apple pie filling
  • Blueberry danish – filled with blueberry pie filling
  • Cherry danish – featuring a cherry pie filling
  • Cinnamon roll danish – with a cinnamon swirl filling
  • Raspberry danish – filled with raspberry pie filling
  • Strawberry danish – filled with strawberry pie filling
  • Cream cheese danish – with a sweet cream cheese filling

The mini danishes are about 3 inches wide and perfect for a quick breakfast or snack. The large danishes are roughly 5 inches wide – perfect for sharing!

Nutrition Facts for Kirkland Danish Varieties

Here is the calorie count and nutrition information for some of Kirkland’s most popular danish flavors:

Kirkland Mini Cheese Danish

Serving size: 1 danish (2.8 oz)
Calories per danish: 330

The mini cheese danish contains 330 calories in a single pastry. That provides approximately 16% of your Daily Value for calories if consuming a 2000 calorie diet.

Kirkland Large Cheese Danish

Serving size: 1 danish (4.8 oz)
Calories per danish: 540

The large cheese danish contains 540 calories per pastry. This makes up around 27% of your Daily Value if you eat 2000 calories per day.

Kirkland Large Apple Danish

Serving size: 1 danish (4.8 oz)
Calories per danish: 490

Each large apple danish has 490 calories, which is about 25% of your Daily Value.

Kirkland Large Blueberry Danish

Serving size: 1 danish (4.8 oz)
Calories per danish: 510

The blueberry danish contains 510 calories per pastry, or about 26% of your calorie needs.

Kirkland Large Cherry Danish

Serving size: 1 danish (4.8 oz)
Calories per danish: 500

Each large cherry danish provides 500 calories, making up approximately 25% of your Daily Value for calories.

Kirkland Large Cinnamon Roll Danish

Serving size: 1 danish (4.8 oz)
Calories per danish: 540

With 540 calories per pastry, the cinnamon roll danish has around 27% of your daily recommended calorie intake.

Kirkland Large Raspberry Danish

Serving size: 1 danish (4.8 oz)
Calories per danish: 490

The raspberry danish contains 490 calories per serving, or about 25% of your calorie needs for the day.

Kirkland Large Strawberry Danish

Serving size: 1 danish (4.8 oz)
Calories per danish: 500

Each strawberry danish provides 500 calories, which makes up about 25% of your daily recommended intake.

Kirkland Large Cream Cheese Danish

Serving size: 1 danish (4.8 oz)
Calories per danish: 540

With 540 calories per pastry, the cream cheese danish contains approximately 27% of your calorie needs for the day.

Nutrients in Kirkland Danishes

In addition to calories, Kirkland danishes provide carbohydrates, protein, and fat:

  • Total carbohydrates: Around 60-70g per danish, coming mostly from added sugars and enriched wheat flour.
  • Protein: Approximately 5-8g of protein per serving.
  • Total fat: Around 20-30g of fat per danish, from sources like butter and cream cheese.

Kirkland danishes are low in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The flour is enriched with some iron and B vitamins like riboflavin, niacin, and thiamine. But overall, danishes are considered more of an indulgent baked good rather than a nutrition powerhouse.

Calories in Kirkland Danish vs Other Brands

Here’s how the calorie count of Kirkland danishes compares to some other popular brands when looking at similarly sized cheese or apple danishes:

Danish Brand Serving Size Calories
Kirkland 1 large danish (4.8 oz) 490-540
Entenmann’s 1 danish (4.5 oz) 470
Sara Lee 1 danish (4.0 oz) 420

As you can see, Kirkland’s danishes tend to be on the higher side for calorie content. This is likely due to their larger size compared to other brands. However, even when adjusting for size differences, Kirkland danishes tend to be slightly higher in calories than other dough-based danishes.

Factors Affecting Calorie Content

Several factors impact the calorie content found in Kirkland danishes:

Size

Larger danishes mean more calories. Kirkland’s big 4.8 oz danishes pack over 500 calories each. Their mini danishes are around 3 oz and contain 330 calories.

Filling ingredients

Fillings like cheese, cinnamon, and pie fillings add extra fat and calories compared to unfrosted danishes. Cream cheese fillings tend to be among the highest calorie options.

Amount of icing/glaze

The sweet icing or glazes drizzled on top of danishes adds extra sugars and calories. Varieties with more icing tend to be higher in calories than plain ones.

Enriched white flour

Most danishes are made with bleached, enriched wheat flour as the main ingredient. This flour is higher in calories and lower in nutrients than whole wheat flour.

Preparation method

Danishes that are fried in oil or butter absorb more fat and calories versus baked varieties.

Tips for Reducing Calories in Danishes

Here are some tips to lighten up your danish:

  • Choose mini or single-size danishes instead of large ones.
  • Pick unfrosted, fruit-filled, or cheese-free varieties to avoid extra fat and sugars.
  • Eat only half a danish and save the rest for later.
  • Split one large danish with a friend or family member.
  • Opt for baked danishes instead of fried if possible.
  • Create a DIY healthy danish by using whole wheat dough, fruit fillings, and light glazes.
  • Pair your danish with protein like eggs or yogurt to help balance out the carbs.

The Bottom Line

Kirkland’s large danishes contain between 490-540 calories each depending on the flavor. Mini danishes provide around 330 calories per serving. Kirkland danishes tend to be slightly higher in calories compared to other brands when adjusting for size differences. Factors like their larger size, enriched white flour, and sweet fillings contribute to the higher calorie count. Still, enjoyed in moderation, these treats can fit into a balanced diet. Focus on controlling portion sizes, splitting with others, or picking lower calorie varieties to keep calories under control.

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