One of Germany’s most popular and beloved Christmas treats, these spiced and iced gingerbread cookies are simply delightful! A thoroughly authentic and incredibly delicious Pfeffernusse recipe.
The Netherlands and Germany enjoy a similar cookie in the month of December. Known as Pepernoten in the Netherlands, they are eaten in celebration of the arrival of Sinterklaas on December 5. In Germany they are known as Pfeffernüsse and although St. Nicholas comes on December 6, Pfeffernüsse are enjoyed throughout the entire Christmas season.
The coming of the jolly bearded man so early on in the month will sound confusing to those who await Santa on December 25. But in Germany, and many other European countries, the tradition is that St. Nicholas visits the kids earlier in December. Traditionally shoes are left in front of the door and if you’re good they’ll be filled with oranges and nuts – if you’re bad, you’ll get shoes full of coal. Then, on Christmas Eve, it’s not Santa who comes to the home to deliver gifts, it’s the Christkind – the Christ child, the ultimate Giver – who gives the gifts.
Pepernoten and Pfeffernusse are both spice/gingerbread-like cookies and have some similarities, but the ingredients vary as does the method of preparation. Also, Pfeffernüsse are commonly coated with a sugar icing.
The name Pfeffernuesse means “pepper nuts.” The pepper part refers to the white pepper that is added to the dough which gives these cookies a very unique and flavorful touch. The nuts part refers to their walnut-like shape.
In Germany you can find Pfeffernüsse in any grocery store throughout the holidays.
I have to admit, as popular as they are I’ve never cared for store-bought Pfeffernusse. And so if you were to tell me you don’t like them either I would understand.
BUT…homemade is a totally different story.
Everything about them is better – the flavor, the texture. In short, if like me you don’t like the store-bought stuff, give these a try – I think these German spice cookies will win you over!
Let’s get started!
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, Lebkuchengewuerz, white pepper and almond meal. Set aside.
Combine the brown sugar, honey, butter, and cream in a medium saucepan and heat, stirring frequently, until melted and the sugar is dissolved.
Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes.
Stir in the flour mixture.
Stir in the egg until thoroughly combined.
The dough will have a nice glossy sheen. The dough will be very sticky and that’s how it should be.
Turn the mixture out onto some plastic wrap and wrap the dough tightly. Refrigerate a minimum overnight or for up to two days.
Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and immediately roll it into two strands, each 3/4 inch thick. Slice the rolls into 3/4 inch thick rounds.
Roll each round into a ball (each ball should be about 3/4 inch large). Work quickly while the dough is still chilled.
Place the cookie balls on a line cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove and let the cookies cool completely.
To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and water until smooth.
Dip each cookie in the glaze, letting the excess drip off, and place them on a wire rack positioned over a cookie sheet (to catch the drips) and let them sit until the glaze is fully hardened.
Store the cookies in airtight container in a cool place. Will keep for at least 2 weeks and the flavor only gets better over time.
Enjoy!
AND DON’T FORGET TO MAKE SOME
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Pfeffernüsse (German Iced Gingerbread Cookies)
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3-4 teaspoons Lebkuchengewürz
- Homemade Lebkuchengewürze (highly recommended)
- 1/4 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup pure honey
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- For the Glaze:
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons hot water (less water will result in a thicker & whiter glaze)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, Lebkuchengewuerz, white pepper and almond meal. Set aside.
- Combine the brown sugar, honey, butter, and cream in a medium saucepan and heat, stirring frequently, until melted and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Stir in the flour mixture. Once incorporated stir in the egg until thoroughly combined. The dough will have a nice glossy sheen. It will be very sticky and that's how it should be.
- Turn the mixture out onto some plastic wrap and wrap the dough tightly. Refrigerate overnight or for up to two days.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and immediately roll it into two strands, each 3/4 inch thick. Slice the rolls into 3/4 inch thick rounds and roll each round into a ball (each ball should be about 3/4 inch large). Work quickly while the dough is still chilled.
- Place the cookie balls on a line cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let the cookies cool completely.
- To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and water until smooth.
- Dip each cookie in the glaze, letting the excess drip off, and place them on a wire rack positioned over a cookie sheet (to catch the drips) and let them sit until the glaze is fully hardened.
- Store the cookies in airtight container in a cool place. Will keep for at least 2 weeks (they're usually stored longer) and the flavor only gets better over time.
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Lindsey Turner says
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. My family is Italian, not German, but I love gingerbread and these spices sounded fantastic. I made them for the first time last Christmas and days later my husband couldn’t believe how good they were. So I saved the spice mixture I’d ground, kept it in the fridge, and ran a year later, it was still quite fragrant. I’m excited to serve these, along with my late grandmother’s Italian “wine cookies” for Christmas Eve dinner.
A few notes, I make my own almond milk and dry and keep the almond meal, so I had my own almond flour handy. Also the glaze really takes surprisingly little water. Using the 3 tablespoons mine turned out very thin. I’ll use much less next time for a thicker glaze. Also, I couldn’t tell from your photo or directions, but do you dip the bottoms too? Or just the tops/edges of the cookies?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Lindsey, I’m so glad they were a hit, thank you! Whether to dip the bottom if purely personal preference. If you have a dipping tool it makes it easier and far less messy. The thickness of the glaze also comes down to personal preference – the thicker it is, the whiter and less translucent it will be. Thanks again for the feedback!
Suz says
This is the second Christmas season I’ve made this recipe. It works like a champ. The flavor is superb. These disappear wherever I take them.
Also, this dough rolls out beautifully for roll-out cookies.
Thanks for a fine recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Suz, I’m so glad to hear that!
S says
I used this recipe to make gingerbread men today with our 3 year old. I made your spice mix too. It worked really well. Thank you.
Meagan says
Are these hard or soft cookies?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Meagan, they’re not hard but they aren’t what I’d call soft either – they’re dry and crumbly.
Ben says
Thanks very much for the recipe! I just tried it, and while the taste was fantastic, I had an issue with the dough being too dry. Compared to your picture from before the egg was stirred in, it was far less moist and sticky. This led to it being difficult to shape the dough when it came out of the fridge, as it was hard and crumbly.
I’d like to make another batch- it’s possible I just screwed up the quantites somewhere the first time around, but in case I see the same problem again, is there anything you’d recommend doing to fix it? Thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Ben, I’m sorry shaping the cookies was a challenge. The dough should be sticky, definitely not hard and crumbly. I’m not sure what may have gone wrong but if you find you need it more moist then you can add a little bit more heavy cream or butter to it – just add a tiny bit at a time until it’s a workable consistency. While it shouldn’t be hard and crumbly it also shouldn’t be “wet.”
Buehler says
How do I make the spice mixture????
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Buehler, I link to it in the ingredients list (blue print): https://www.daringgourmet.com/homemade-lebkuchengewuerz-german-gingerbread-spice-blend/
Caeli Steele says
Exactly as I remember. My mom spent a few years in the netherlands in the late 90s and brought these back with her. They’ve been hard to find where I live so this year I decided to make them. A labour of love for sure (making the spice mix from scratch, chilling the dough overnight, forming the balls, icing them, etc) but totally worth it. The best gingerbread EVER and an amazing, well thought out and written recipe. Going into my recipe book!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so thrilled to hear that, Caeli, thank you! I like to make a double or triple batch of the spice mix so that I have it on hand for more batches or other recipes calling for it. Between that and being able to make this cookie dough a couple of days in advance it really helps break up the labor. Thanks again for the feedback!
Ruth says
Thank you for this recipe! I made them for Thanksgiving dinner (28 people total). They were a big hit! Several family members wanted the recipe and since I purchased and/or ground many of the spices just for this recipe, I plan to make up a batch of Lebkuchengewuerz for each of them to make their own cookies. My cookies were small 1 1/2 in across and I had 110 cookies. I love anise and could only find extract so added anise to the frosting also. Yum! Not too sweet & amazing spice combo!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that, Ruth, thank you! Yes, that homemade Lebkuchengewürz makes such a wonderful difference. I make a big batch of it every Christmas season to last me through several recipes that call for it. What a perfect gift to make for your friends and family!
Helmut says
I made them last weekend and they were a hit. I grew up and lived in Germany for 30 years and missed them a lot. My best friends family has a famous Lebkuchen Bakery in the Odenwald region in Germany and your cookies were as good as theirs. Now here in Malaysia i can get all the spices fresh as they are native to this region so no problem to enjoy this treat this year.
Thanks a lot
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much for the compliment, Helmut, I’m so glad you enjoyed these!
mimi says
HOORAY!! Last year I tried making Pfeffernuisse, and we found a recipe which made yummy cookies, but they were NOT Pfeffernuisse. So I tried your recipe with trepidation, I figured they’d taste good and hubby would eat them, no matter what, so … oh no, refrigerator overnight! That usually stops me from trying a recipe, but this season Trader Joe’s isn’t even selling them.. So I dug in; gathered all my spices (grinding Star Anise is NOT for sissies) and made these little darlings. I dutifully pulled out a ruler to get the 3/4″ measurement right, (oh, ok, i went a little over, but you knew I was going to do that!)
I did not make a glaze, I simply rolled my pepper nuts in the confectioner’s sugar. I would add, If I’d known better,I would have shaped each one before baking; but that’s very minor. Thanks for a great recipe
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
LOL, mimi! That’s fantastic, I’m so glad your efforts paid off and that you enjoyed these cookies, thanks so much!
Tricia says
I made these a few years back and I loved them. This year I’d like to make them again but I am not eating milk is there something you’d recommend to replace the heavy cream?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Tricia, you can use any dairy substitute of your choice though without having tried it I can’t say for sure how it will impact the final results.