Lebkuchen cookies are a German spiced treat that goes back centuries. They were traditionally baked during the winter season in monastery bakeries, and over time, they have become a beloved treat in Germany during the Christmas holiday season.
Full of warm spices and flavor from the candied citrus, honey, and brown sugar, these Lebkuchen cookies are a household favorite. I love enjoying these cookies with a cup of tea, coffee, or milk. They’re so soft and chewy with an almost cake-like texture. They make for such a wonderful holiday cookie as you can make them weeks before the Christmas rush. They keep fresh and moist for a long time, and the flavor from the spices intensifies over time, leading to a deeper and richer flavor. Want to make another classic recipe for the holidays? Try my stollen recipe, Pfeffernusse cookies recipe, or gingerbread cookies recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Nuts — this Lebkuchen recipe uses almonds and hazelnuts. I recommend grounding your own nuts instead of buying pre-ground nuts, as it tends to be more fresh, leading to a better flavor and your cookies tasting more moist. Also, make sure the nuts are fresh, as old nuts can taste rancid.
Spices — for the classic warm and slightly spicy aroma, you will need ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground cardamom, ground coriander, and ground nutmeg. Double-check the freshness of the spices or their flavors won’t be as strong.
Baking powder — to help the cookies rise, make sure the baking powder has not expired.
Candied citrus peel — the candied lemon peel and orange peel add a delicious citrus note to the cookies. If you do not have any, you can also swap for any candied citrus, such as grapefruit peel and lime peel.
Sweetener — this recipe uses honey and brown sugar to sweeten the Lebkuchen. Make sure the brown sugar is soft before using.
How to Make Lebkuchen
1. In a food processor, combine the almonds and hazelnuts. Pulse until finely chopped.
2. Transfer to a large bowl and add the flour, spices, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until combined.
3. Add ½ cup of the flour mixture and the candied orange and lemon peel to the food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
4. Stir the chopped citrus peel into the bowl with the flour mixture.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, honey, and egg together on medium-high speed until thickened and fluffy.
6. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the dough, cover, and let rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
7. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
8. Flatten the dough into 2½-inch wide discs using the back of a wet spoon. Bake one sheet at a time for 20 minutes or until the edges start to brown and the centers are still soft but appear dry. Let cool for a few minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
9. Make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, warm water or rum, and lemon juice.
10. Brush the glaze over the warm cookies. Decorate with blanched or slivered almonds, if desired.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- You can use homemade candied citrus peels, store-bought, or the chopped candied citron used in fruit cakes.
- Many traditional Lebkuchen are baked on large thin “communion” wafers or Back Oblaten. This helps to stabilize the cake-like cookies and offer texture. You don’t have to use them, but I like using them. You can order them from online retailers or on Amazon. I used the 70mm size.
- Lebkuchen can also be covered in a chocolate glaze. Melt 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of oil. Dip the warm cookies in the chocolate and place them on the wire rack until set.
- Brandy and lemon juice add extra flavor to the glaze. You can also use orange juice or apple juice as another flavorful alternative.
- Make sure to measure the flour correctly. If you add too much flour, the dough will become dry, leading to dry Lebkuchen. The ideal way to measure flour is with a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
Frequently Asked Questions
The glazed cookies can be stored for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container. If you’re worried about the cookies drying out, you can store the cookies with a slice of apple. The moisture from the apple slice will keep the cookies soft and impart a bit of flavor.
Yes, you can freeze Lebkuchen to enjoy later on. Freeze the cookies in a freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to enjoy, defrost them gently and slowly in the fridge overnight. Thawing them slowly helps keep the Lebkuchen cookies soft and tender.
While Lebkuchen is often translated to English as gingerbread, they’re slightly different. They both have a similar spice profile from the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, Lebkuchen is soft, dense, and nutty, whereas gingerbread tends to be crisp without nutty flavoring. Gingerbread also does not contain any candied citrus.
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Lebkuchen
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment paper
- Spoon
- Wire cooling rack
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough:
- ½ cup blanched almonds
- ½ cup toasted hazelnuts
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (300g)
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup roughly chopped candied orange peel* (70g)
- ½ roughly cup chopped candied lemon peel* (70g)
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar (165g)
- ¾ cup honey (180ml/250g))
- 2 large eggs
For the Glaze:
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (90g)
- 1 tablespoon warm water or rum
- 1½ teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
For the Cookie Dough:
- In a food processor, combine the almonds and hazelnuts. Pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and add the flour, spices, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until combined.
- Add ½ cup of the flour mixture and the candied orange and lemon peel to the food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Stir the chopped citrus peel into the bowl with the flour mixture. (The mixture will look like coarse breadcrumbs.)
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, honey, and egg together on medium-high speed until thickened and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the dough, cover, and let rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls and place on the parchment paper about 2 inches apart. (See notes about using wafers or Back Oblaten.) Flatten them into 2½-inch wide discs using the back of a wet spoon.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 20 minutes or until the edges start to brown and the centers are still soft but appear dry. Let cool for a few minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
For the Glaze:
- While the cookies are still warm, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, warm water or rum, and lemon juice. Brush the glaze over the warm cookies. Decorate with blanched or slivered almonds, if desired.
- Lebkuchen are best is stored in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days before serving, as the texture and flavor improve with age. The glazed cookies can be stored for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
- You can use homemade candied citrus peels, store-bought, or the chopped candied citron used in fruit cakes.
- Many traditional Lebkuchen are baked on large thin “communion” wafers or Back Oblaten. This helps to stabilize the cake-like cookies and offer texture. You don’t have to use them, but I like using them. Just You can order them from online retailers or on Amazon. I used the 70mm size.
- Lebkuchen can also be covered in a chocolate glaze. Melt 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of oil. Dip the warm cookies in the chocolate and place them on the wire rack until set.
- Brandy and lemon juice add extra flavor to the glaze. You can also use orange juice or apple juice as another flavorful alternative.
- Make sure to measure the flour correctly. If you add too much flour, the dough will become dry, leading to dry Lebkuchen. The ideal way to measure flour is with a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.