Berliner Brot
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Is it a brownie? Is it gingerbread? Is it biscotti? It’s Berliner Brot! Chocolate notes and gingerbread spices combine with crunchy hazelnuts to produce this unique “Berliner bread” whose flavor only improves with time. This authentic Berliner Brot recipe captures all the warmth and charm of this favorite German Christmas treat.
Looking for more iconic recipes from Berlin? These Berliner (German donuts) and Currywurst are both a must!
What is Berliner Brot?
The name translates to Berliner bread and is also known as Berliner Christmas bread. This traditional German baked good is a unique combination of brownies, gingerbread and biscotti: It’s like a chocolate brownie with nuts that’s seasoned with gingerbread spices, flavored with rum, vanilla, and candied lemon peel, and often sliced in rectangular pieces like biscotti with some people letting harden until crunchy (so perfect for dipping!). Because Berliner Brot is made without butter it hardens very quickly when left out and exposed to air.
Depending on personal preference, Berliner Brot can either be eaten soft (this is done by keeping it stored in an airtight container) or eaten hard with a texture similar to biscotti (let them sit out to air dry before storing them).
Berliner Brot Ingredients and Substitutions
An ingredient used in traditional baking that older recipes for Berliner Brot likewise call for is Zuckerrübensirup, or beet sugar syrup. Other countries including Belgium, Holland, and Sweden use this as well in many traditional baked goods. There is no equivalent in the U.S.. Unlike Karo syrup that’s cloyingly sweet with no flavor, European sugar beet syrup has caramel-like tones and deep flavor nuance. You can buy Zuckerrübensirup online. In a pinch you can substitute Golden Syrup. Do not substitute molasses or black treacle, they are too strong and are not the same flavor profile.
Traditionally Berliner Brot calls for an ingredient known as Apfelkraut, which is a reduced and highly concentrated apple and pear jam that is thick and almost like a syrup. It’s both sweet and tangy with complex fruity flavor notes. It’s enjoyed in both sweet and savory applications, whether spread on bread or served with Kartoffelpuffer, served with hard cheeses and meats, or added as a flavoring to gravies as with some regional variations of Sauerbraten. It’s virtually impossible to find in the United States so I usually bring some back with me when I go back home to Germany. Because it’s so difficult to source I have omitted it from my recipe. If you’re able to source it (there are some online German stores that carry it) add two tablespoons of it and reduce the golden syrup to two tablespoons.
Berliner Brot is traditionally made with whole hazelnuts but you can also use whole almonds (or even a combination of the two). Slivered almonds work as well. The idea is to add a bit of crunch so avoid using sliced almonds.
Use dark cocoa powder and dark chocolate to make this. Unfortunately the Guittard black cocoa powder I’ve used for years has been discontinued but fortunately King Arthur Flour Black Cocoa has come to the rescue. If you can’t source a good dark cocoa powder use what you have and then use the best darkest chocolate bar you can find. In any case, don’t let not having specialty chocolate keep you from making and enjoying this Berliner Brot.
Berliner Bread Storage
Berliner Brot is made without butter or fat and so it dries out very quickly when exposed to air. Many people deliberately let them get hard and crunchy, similar to Italian biscotti, and enjoy eating them dipped in coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Others prefer them soft. The choice is entirely yours. To keep them soft, store them in an airtight container as soon as they’ve cooled down. If you prefer them hard, let them sit out until hard and then transfer them to a container to store. Because Berliner Brot is made without butter it hardens very quickly when left out and exposed to air. Either way they will keep for about 2 weeks, a little longer if they’re dried out/hard.
Equipment
Depending on how thick or thin you like your Berliner Brot, you can use either a 7×11 inch baking pan or a 9×13 inch pan. A 7×11 inch pan will enable you to slice them into biscotti-like rectangles and a 9×13 pan will create thinner Berliner Brot that you can cut into squares or diamond shapes. It is entirely a matter of personal preference and I have seen them prepared and sold both ways in Germany. For point of reference, I used a 7×11 inch pan and the outcome is what you see in the pictures in this post.
Berliner Brot Recipe
Let’s get started!
Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C. Grease a 7×11 or 9×13 baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. I like to extend the corners of parchment paper up so that I can lift the Berliner Brot out onto a cutting board to cut them.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and hot water until foamy.
Add the brown sugar and beat until combined.
Add the syrup, rum and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat until combined.
Stir in the nuts, candied lemon peel, and finely chopped chocolate.
The batter will be very stiff.
Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top.
Bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Transfer the baking tray to a wire rack.
While the Berliner Brot is baking, prepare the glaze: Combine the powdered and sugar and water to form a smooth glaze.
As soon as you remove the baking pan from the oven and while the Berliner Brot is still hot, pour over the glaze and spread evenly over the top.
Let cool for a few minutes until the Berliner Brot is just warm. Transfer to a cutting board and use a long, sharp knife to cut the Berliner Brot down the center lengthwise and then into rectangles, or into squares or triangles as desired. Let the pieces cool completely.
Store the Berliner Brot in an airtight container. The flavor will improve over the next few days. If you prefer your Berliner Brot hard and crunchy, let them air dry until hard and then transfer them to a container. They’ll keep for about 2 weeks if not longer.
Enjoy!
For more traditional German Christmas goodies try my:
- Stollen
- Pfeffernüsse
- Lebkuchen
- Springerle
- Gugelhupf
- Printen
- Speculoos
- Vanillekipferl
- Zimtsterne
- Kokosmakronen
- Magenbrot
- Bethmännchen
- Heidesand
- German Rum Balls
Berliner Brot
Equipment
- 7×11 inch baking pan , for thicker Berliner Brot (this pan is what I used for this recipe; see pics for thickness point of reference)
- 9×13 inch baking pan , for thinner Berliner Brot (I have and LOVE this pan)
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons hot water
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons German Zuckerrübensirup , can substitute Golden Syrup
- 2 tablespoons rum
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 cup finely chopped candied lemon peel (very strongly recommend homemade for BEST flavor, click link for recipe)
- 1 1/2 cups whole hazelnuts
- 3 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate , finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C. Grease a 7×11 or 9×13 baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. I like to extend the corners of parchment paper up so that I can lift the Berliner Brot out onto a cutting board to cut them. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and hot water until foamy. Add the brown sugar and beat until combined. Add the syrup, rum and vanilla extract and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat until combined. Stir in the nuts, candied lemon peel, and finely chopped chocolate. The batter will be very stiff. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the Berliner Brot is baking, prepare the glaze: Combine the powdered and sugar and water to form a smooth glaze.Remove the Berliner Brot from the oven and set the baking pan on a wire rack. While it's still hot, pour over the glaze and spread evenly over the top. Let cool until the Berliner Brot is just warm. Transfer to a cutting board and use a long, sharp knife to cut the Berliner Brot down the center lengthwise and then into rectangles, or into triangles as desired. Let cool completely.
- Store the Berliner Brot in an airtight container. The flavor will improve over the next few days. Will keep for a couple of weeks. Some people like to leave the Berliner Brot out to air dry until hard and crunchy (similar to biscotti) and then store them. If dried and stored in a cool place (not the fridge) they will keep for longer.
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
