Why TikTok Thinks Danish Butter Cookies Are Made in India, and Why the Brand Had to Step In
If you grew up in a Latino household, you know the blue tin. You know the smell. You know the heartbreak of opening it and finding sewing needles instead of cookies. Royal Dansk is basically a cultural artifact at this point. So when TikTok videos started going viral claiming our favorite Danish butter cookies are “actually made in India,” the internet spiraled.
People reposted clips of workers making cookies barefoot, in unsanitary conditions, and in factories that looked nothing like any legitimate food facility. The videos took off fast because they hit a nerve. And according to creators responding online, racism pushed the algorithm along even faster.
We looked into every claim. The truth is… the internet forgot to slow down.
So, where did the viral Danish butter cookies TikTok actually come from?
The fire started with a TikTok by user tbnewss, who claimed:
“Most of the Danish butter cookies you see during the holidays aren’t made in Denmark anymore… A huge number of them are actually made in India… Companies can produce the same tin of cookies, same recipe, same quality, same taste for a fraction of the price.”
As the video played, disturbing clips appeared on-screen. Workers made cookies on dirty floors. People walked barefoot. Facilities looked unsafe. The implication was clear: these were “your fav” holiday cookies.
That video racked up views quickly. Then the edits began. Dozens of accounts recycled the same unsanitary factory clips, attached them to generic blue tins, and told viewers to boycott the brand.
But here’s the problem. None of those videos showed Royal Dansk.
Let’s be clear: your actual Danish butter cookies are still made in Denmark
Once panic hit Facebook, Royal Dansk stepped in with receipts. Literally.
The brand responded on social media:
“Royal Dansk cookies are — and have always been — baked in Denmark with the same care and craftsmanship since 1966.”
According to the company’s official site, Royal Dansk still operates two bakeries, one in Nørre Snede and one in Ribe, and produces more than 25,000 tons of cookies each year. The cookies have always come from Denmark and still do.
Royal Dansk even posted a two-slide guide showing how to identify their real tins. They highlighted their recognizable details:
- The classic illustration of the old Danish farmhouse
- The Royal Dansk logo
- The “crafted since 1966” seal
- The golden rim around the lid
When confused users commented, “Why are we all seeing these videos?” the brand answered:
“We’re seeing a lot of buzz online these days, but nothing has changed about where or how our butter cookies are made.”
Why TikTok jumped so fast to believe in Indian-made Danish butter cookies
One creator, @masalafamilylife, broke down how racism fueled the reaction:
“The original video went viral because of racism. I’m married to a Punjabi man, and half the comments… talk about whether my husband smells or not. The United States is incredibly racist towards Indians. So this video became viral because it supported already existing racist tropes.”
She pointed out that when you slow down the videos, the tins aren’t Royal Dansk at all. They are generic “Danish-style” brands that are actually produced in India.
Those exist. But that’s not the same thing as Royal Dansk.
According to her, when the real company shared footage of their spotless Denmark facilities, TikTok barely cared. The misinformation was juicier. It traveled further.
The internet mixed up unrelated videos with the real brand
Most of the unsanitary clips circulating on TikTok came from older, unrelated videos of local bakeries in India. None of them was tied to Royal Dansk.
Fact-checkers online noted that the viral edits zoomed in on a generic tin label, avoiding the logo, farmhouse illustration, and “crafted since 1966” seal. That missing information was the entire point.
But the edits had already spread. And as @masalafamilylife explained, many people online wanted the narrative to be true.
Not the butter cookies
byu/pickledplumber inTikTokCringe
Why this viral moment hit Latinos especially hard
For Latino families, Danish butter cookies aren’t just cookies. They are nostalgia. Those tins sit under abuela’s sewing machine. They hold safety pins, cotton thread, buttons, and maybe one leftover cookie from last year.
Seeing that icon dragged into a racist, fear-mongering misinformation spiral hit a cultural nerve.
We love those tins. We grew up with them. They lived on the top shelf of every mami’s closet. They signaled the Christmas season before the calendar did.
So yes, this backlash feels personal.
In short, check the tin before you believe the TikTok
Here’s the truth after looking through the brand’s statements, website, and public responses:
- Royal Dansk has always baked its cookies in Denmark.
- The viral videos showed generic tins, not Royal Dansk.
- The disturbing bakery footage wasn’t from the brand.
- Racist assumptions helped misinformation spread.
According to Royal Dansk, nothing about their production has changed since 1966. The only thing that changed was TikTok’s ability to mash unrelated videos together and let racism light the match.
So yes, your abuela’s blue tin is still Danish. The sewing kit is safe. And the cookies? Still buttery and crispy. Still made in Denmark.
