THE essential ingredient to authentic tasting Lebkuchen, Pfeffernusse and more, absolutely NOTHING compares to the bold and vibrant flavors of homemade Lebkuchengewurz! This German gingerbread spice mix will make you think you’re walking the streets of one of Germany’s famous Christmas markets!
Many of you will have no idea what this is. Others of you will be cheering because you know exactly what it is and what it’s for.
Lebkuchen Gewürz is a German gingerbread spice blend with an exceptionally beautiful depth and complexity of flavor. It’s unrivaled by anything comparable. Lebkuchengewurz an essential ingredient for a variety of German baked goods during the Christmas season, most notably Lebkuchen and Pfeffernüsse.
For those of you who are familiar Lebkuchengewurz and live outside of Germany or western Europe, you’ll know how nearly impossible it is to find it. And if you do, it’s expensive. Amazon carries this one. They’re expensive and I don’t know how good the quality or flavor is. But if you prefer the convenience of store-bought, those are options.
BUT, if you want a cheaper option (if you use the spices in your cooking anyway) AND, most importantly, a superior flavor (if you buy whole spices and grind them yourself), this recipe is for you!
Now, I know what you may be thinking: I don’t want to buy all of those spices just to make this Lebkuchen-Gewürz and then the rest goes to waste!
NOT TRUE!
Most of these spices have sooooo many different uses for a wide variety of cuisines. For example, I can think of one cuisine that regularly uses every single one of these spices: Indian.
Need some great Indian recipes? I’ve got you covered! Some Great Indian Recipes.
And of course you’re not just limited to Indian food, these spices are super duper versatile. Just type in their names one at a time into the search box above or Google them and see what you find!
Some of these spices you can find in your local grocery stores but many you won’t. Most good health food stores will though. And again, if at all possible go for the whole spices so you can grind your own for better flavor.
If you don’t have a well-stocked health store nearby, Amazon is a great place to find all of these spices and at a reasonable cost. Here’s what you’ll need (and don’t cut corners and leave anything out because each of these spices plays an important role). You can buy pre-ground but I always buy whole spices and grind them myself in a coffee/spice grinder for a far superior flavor for any dish I’m making.
Whether using pre-ground or grinding your own as pictured below in a coffee/spice grinder, you simply combine the ingredients together.
Keep the Lebkuchengewürz stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place and it will keep for up to a year.
For best flavor though, only make what you need for a period of a week or two because the flavors will dissipate over time.
That’s it!
Your Lebkuchengewürz is ready to use. And I’m going to be sharing some authentic German recipes with you shortly that will allow you to put this magical spice blend to good use!
Authentic Lebkuchengewürz (German Gingerbread Spice)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground green cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground star anise
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Combine the spices together and store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
- For superior flavor results, grind these spices from toasted and freshly ground whole spices. Simply heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the spices in it until very fragrant. Be careful not to scorch the spices or they will become bitter. Using the freshly ground blend within a few days is optimal.
Nutrition
rachiti says
Be careful grinding some of the harder spices in a spice or coffee grinder. I live in the US & I chewed up the inside of my plastic-topped spice grinder when I tried to grind cinnamon sticks & star anise. I use a microplane for nutmeg as it too is difficult to grind in a spice grinder but the flavor really suffers if you use pre-ground. Nowadays I stick to either using the spices whole (like when I’m making Indian masalas) or using pre-ground and toasting it for a few seconds to wake up the flavor.
I adore fresh-ground spice blends! I am adding this one to my list. There’s nothing cooler than casually mentioning that you made your own fresh-ground spice blend (especially the ones where you lightly roast the spices first) when having a random conversation with a shopper in the baking aisle.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s so true, Rachiti! Spice-grinding snobs unite! :) And I agree, nothing beats freshly ground. The spice grinder I use and recommended here has lasted me for over 10 years and I grind everything in it except for nutmeg. Yes, it broke out a couple of the little plastic pieces but they served no function really other than appearance anyway and it hasn’t effected the performance of the grinder at all. It’s been a fantastic spice grinder, especially for the price.
Janet says
I am in Germany right now and have had my first lebkuchen. I was amazed at the flavor! Now I know the secret! I will make these when I get home. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Congrats, Janet! :) Yes, Lebkuchengewürz is absolutely essential to making Lebkuchen and a few other traditional German goodies. Since you’re in Germany you can easily pick up some Lebkuchengewürz from the store to bring back with you if you’d rather save yourself the time of making it. I’d still recommend making it yourself sometime though, this blend is wonderfully fragrant and flavorful. Enjoy the rest of your time in Germany!
Sofia Skounaki says
I love Lebkuchen cookies!! But I always buy them (and not easy to find them here…) I would love to try to make them at home!
Feestzaal says
Wonderful recipe and as a cinnamon lover I would love to make this today!Thanks for
sharing this recipe.:)
Christina @ Christina's Cucina says
This is genius! Of course this is a better idea than buying the super expensive packets online, plus there’s the satisfaction of knowing you made it yourself and I love that! I’m not a big spice person, but my mother is all over all the German cakes and desserts that have this type of spice blend. I may make her some for Christmas! Thanks for the wonderful idea and recipe!
mallory says
Yesss!! I made lebkuchen a couple of years ago, but I can’t find the recipe I used (I assume/hope that is one of the upcoming recipes :)) I will definitely be trying this soon.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
It is indeed one of the upcoming recipes, Mallory! :) Stay tuned!
Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says
I love finding recipes like this one!
Susan says
This spice mix brings back memories of some wonderful cookies my mother used to put in our Christmas stockings every year. They were something I always looked forward to. It doesn’t surprise me in the least that the cuisine that uses all these spices is Indian – all of these spices grow in India naturally. I’ll have to check out your Indian recipes.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Susan, it’s always been fascinating to me how inextricably linked our memories are to smell. Research shows that that connection is stronger than for any of the other senses. It makes sense to me because when I smell certain aromas my mind instantly makes very strong associations. This Lebkuchengewürz is one of those aromas that’s strongly connected to my childhood in a very nice, comforting way.
Amanda | The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never had that spice blend before… it definitely sounds interesting :) You’re so right, grinding your own spices is definitely the way to go!
Dorothy says
My computer must have smell-o-vision because I can smell it from here!
Michelle | A Latte Food says
I’m definitely that person who has never heard of this spice, but I am so glad I now have! It looks like the perfect blend of spices for this time of the year!
Megan Keno says
This would be fun to substitute into recipes in place of cinnamon!
Lauren @ Healthy Delicious says
I’ve never even heard of that blend, but I loooove gingerbread! I’ll need to try this out!
Annie says
Oh I just love playing with spices and spice blends! I have got to add this to my list of things to try! I bet it smells amazing!
Kristyn says
This is so cool! I’d love to try this out!