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 Pfeffernüsse are gingerbread 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 Pfeffernuesse in any grocery store throughout the holidays.
I have to admit, as popular as they are I’ve never cared for store-bought Pfeffernüsse. 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 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!
- 2¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons Lebkuchengewürz (homemade, recommended, or store-bought)
- ¼ teaspoon finely ground white pepper
- ¼ cup ground almonds/almond meal
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup pure honey
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- For the Glaze:
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons hot water
- 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 ¾ inch thick. Slice the rolls into ¾ inch thick rounds and roll each round into a ball (each ball should be about ¾ 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.
These sound delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
I LOVE traditional European Cookies during the holidays and these look perfect! Pinning and making!
Kimberly, these look fantastic. I’m inclined to agree that these will be much better homemade vs the frozen package. Pinned.
Ooo I love that you iced them!!! Such a great take to make them gingerbread too <3
We are both in a German cookie frenzy as it seems! 🙂 My last posts were all about Plätzchen and I still have another one ready to go, plus a few I will not manage this season anymore. I have never made Pfeffernüsse, I will keep them in mind for next year, they look wonderful.
These look so amazing! We’ll need to try these!
Such a wonderful christmas dish…. Amazing recipe…
Oh my goodness you’ve made my favorite childhood holiday cookies!!! I am feeling so excited to have this recipe and weepy at the same time right now.
These sound so special! I love Christmas cookies. I’ll need to try them next year.
Homemade makes all the difference! There are so many foods I thought I did not like until I made them myself. Your cookies are beautiful and you have them perfectly shaped (seriously, they are perfection!)
Really nice ideas, love this recipe, this looks really delicious!
I love all the step-by-step photos here. These gingerbread cookies look really good! Looking forward to trying these
Great step pics and such a classic cookie!
I’ve never tried German cookies, but I do like trying recipes from different places around the world! They look delicious!
I love these with the icing! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this recipe. I just made them and the flavor is wonderful! I grew up with the store bought but these are easy enough to make that I don’t think we’ll have to buy them again.
Thanks, Deborah, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! They really are easy and taste soooo much better than store-bought.
I just finished icing these this morning and they are delicious – thanks for the recipe! I love the inclusion of almond flour; it gives the cookies such a great texture. One tip I would give to future bakers is to sift the powdered sugar first. I couldn’t get all the lumps out of the glaze once I’d added the hot water so I had to put the glaze through a strainer.
Thank you, Elyse, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Great point about the powdered sugar, too. I get lumps in mine as well and just have to keep stirring to break them up, so it would make sense to just sift it in the first place.
Elyse if you just add a little hot water to the sugar and stir and then add the rest of the water, it’s a lot easier to do and no lumps😊
Hello, how can you make vegan Pfeffernüße?
Not having tried it myself, I don’t know how the typical vegan substitutions would play out in this recipe (ie, agave instead of honey, egg substitute, almond milk instead of cream, etc, etc). If you give it a try let us know how it goes!
Thank you for your vegan suggestions:)
My Oma makes these every Christmas and I have been looking for a recipe forever (she makes hers from memory). Thank you for sharing!!
That’s awesome, Amber, I’m so glad you found us. Let us know what you think once you’ve had the chance to try them!
Thanks for the wonderful recipie. With the exception of adding a few drops of almond extract to the icing I followed it to a tee and the cookies turned out beautifully. I agree making your own Lebkuchengewürz from freshly ground spices is best. I found your web site by accident but have already subscribed and look forward to trying more of your creations.
That’s fantastic, Jeff, I’m so thrilled to hear that, thank you! Thanks also for subscribing, I look forward to “seeing” you around 🙂
What, am I the only guy that is reading this? 🙁 I grew up eating these,and must try to make them. The pics are helpful. Thanks for posting.
I know, right?! It’s always so nice getting comments from guys – thank you, Carl! 🙂 If you enjoyed the store-bought Pfeffernüsse then you’re in for a real treat. Let us know what you think when you get around to making them!
Just tried some store bought Pfeffernusse and went searching for a recipe and we found yours. We have just found a store in Melbourne that makes up the ginger spice so will be making a batch next week. Looking forward to giving these a go😊
That’s fantastic, Mike! Happy baking and please let us know what you think once you’ve tried them!
I made these tonight and they are wonderful! One question–mine didn’t flatten out on the bottom, they stayed in the ball shape. Any idea what I might’ve done wrong? I will definitely make these again!
Hi Melissa, that’s the first time I’ve heard of that happening – I’m not sure. I’m assuming you used the full amount of honey, butter and cream?
Yes, I did. I’m thinking I made the balls too large. Will try again!
Made these today. Delicious. Followed the recipe. No alterations. For people in Melbourne, Australia, there’s a shop on Lygon Street called Gewürzhaus which stocks everything that you need. I used the same Lebkuchengewürz mixture in a cake as well with a rum laced icing. Also devine.
Thanks, Kleeve – and the people in Melbourne are very fortunate to have such a shop!
Rum laced icing? How?
Thanks OP and to Kleeve, might give these a go during the season 🙂
Gotta say Kimberley, love the way your post is set out and all the photos at various stages of the recipe. Wish more bloggers did that!
Thanks so much, Mary, I appreciate that! 🙂
I will be making these shortly. They keep very well. A nice addition is very finely chopped walnuts and/or finely chopped orange and lemon peel. Also, last year I varied the glaze by using rum instead of water. It gave the pfeffernuesse that extra flavour.
Hi Chris, thanks for the insights. Orange and lemon peel are also used in traditional Nürnberger Elisenlebkuchen. You may already be familiar with them, but they’re another delicious German Christmas treat that keep for several weeks.
Mina also did not flatten like your photo… perhaps it’s a climate thing?
Hi Leah, that’s doubtful. Could you possibly email me a pic? daringgourmet at yahoo dot com.
I made these today and they turned out perfectly and are delicious! Followed your recipe exactly. Will be be making these every year, thank you!
That’s fantastic, Sandi, I’m so thrilled to hear that – thank you!
Hello, I am very excited to find this recipe! Is there a way to substitute the almond meal? Thank you.
Hi Lindsay, you can use any nut meal – walnut and hazelnut would also work well.
Thank you again for sharing all of these wonderful holiday recipes. I’ve never had a home baked version of these and have never liked the store bought ones. I’ll be traveling for Christmas this year and hope to give a number of batches to my relatives. On that note, I was wondering if it’s possible to freeze these? (un-iced of course) With all the stops I’m planning to make, I’m afraid the fresh ones would be close to the end of their shelf life before I get them delivered. Thanks again ………….Angelika
Hi Angelika! Yes, these will freeze perfectly. Just make sure they’re fully thawed before you ice them. Merry Christmas!
Many thanks Kimberly and Frohe Weihnachten!
I love the texture of these cookies! I don’t know of it’s me being used to the store bought stuff, but I don’t think there is enough spice in them. I added an extra tsp to a double batch, but hey still taste a bit light on the spices. I think I’ll add a pinch of pepper and spice mix to the glaze to see if it kicks it up a bit.
Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Hi Lynda, did you make and use my homemade Lebkuchen spice blend recipe? If not, I can’t vouch for the store-bought stuff as quality and intensity of flavor varies from brand to brand.
Hi Kimberly. I bought all new spices to make the blend. I did grind the star anise and nutmeg, fresh, but the rest was preground. Perhaps it was the brands of the spices. Next time I go to the store that I know will have the rest of the ingredients in whole form that I can grind myself, I’ll give it another go. They still taste great though 🙂
Yes, there’s a great deal of variation in the freshness of both whole and pre-ground spices. And yes, grinding the spices whole makes ALL the difference in flavor. Still, instead of wasting what you already have, you can simply add a little more of it until it’s as strong as you prefer. I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies, thank you!
These Pfeffernüsse look quite enticing but how long does the entire process take to make them? Seems a considerable time commitment.
This year I bought authentic bayerische Pfeffernüsse (made in Neu-Ulm) from a local Toronto store. If I get to compare against home-made ones at some gathering I’ll decide whether it’s worth the time to bake some at home next year.
Hi Stefan, they’re really not very time-consuming. The main time commitment involved is simply the wait time while the dough chills in the fridge overnight. I can’t vouch for how anyone else’s homemade Pfeffernüsse taste, but I can almost guarantee that you’ll enjoy the ones made from this traditional recipe far more than the store-bought ones, especially if you make your own Lebkuchengewürz from whole spices (that makes a huge difference).
Hi Kimberley,
Thank you for a fantastic recipe. I just mixed my mixture. 350 degrees you mean Celsius or Farenheit?
Thank you kindly
Tatiana
Hi Tatiana, everything on my blog is in Farenheit, so this will be about 175-180 Celsius. Happy baking!
Hi Kimberly, I made these today and they turned out puffy and with cracks on the top. Do you know why?
Hi Heidi, mine have gotten small cracks on occasion which are then hidden by the glaze. Can you elaborate more on what you mean by puffy?
Thanks for the quick answer. They were fine the first minutes in the oven but then they got swollen and started cracking. Big cracks. Big enough so that glazing was not a good option. I used powdered sugar instead. Otherwise they were delicious. BTW, could you give me some input about how they should be texture-wise?. Mine were on the soft side but still with some bite. I would also appreciate it if you could tell me the exact amounts of each ingredient (specially the flour) by weight.
Hi Heidi, it sounds like somewhere in the measuring process something went wrong – either too much flour (so the dough was too dry and cracked) or too much leavening (so it puffed up too much and caused cracking). The texture overall should be dry, firm on the outside and somewhat chewy in the center. I don’t have the metric measurements I’m afraid, you would need to Google the ingredient conversions.
My 6 1/2 years old daughter are just making the Pfeffernüsse. She voukd nth stop eating the dough (before we put the egg in). The dough is so delicious! We put it in the fridge now. Will let you know how the cookies turn out tomorrow. Thank you for the recipe. Very easy. We made our our Lebkuchengewürz, which I always have for my general cooking. Such a wonderful warm and happy smells.
Wonderful, Calypso, I look forward to hearing how they turn out!
Hands down the best Pfeffernuesse I’ve had, ever! Just finished my second batch. The first batch went out to family and friends in gift packets but this batch is MINE 🙂
Terrific, Tori, I’m so thrilled to hear that – thank you!
I tried your recipe and it tasted great! I was just wondering if you had any tips on how to get the cookies crunchier and crisper because mine came out rather chewy, with a bread-like texture. Thanks for the recipe, I ground my own spices and it tasted fantastic.
Hi Alicia, I’m glad you enjoyed them, thank you! Pfeffernüsse aren’t supposed to be crunchy or crispy, they’re actually supposed to be the very way you described them 🙂
Wow! These are so delicious! Tha is for the recipe. I’m having the same issue with cracking. My oven runs high and is fan forced so am trying a lower temp on this batch and seems to be working…
That meant to say thanks for the recipe… Hah.
Unfortunately a few cracks again… But not as severe as the last few batchs…
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Christine, thank you! 🙂 It’s interesting you mention the fan – I was just having a discussion with someone about that and read through some threads on a baking site where people were commenting that fans often cause problems with baked goods and recommend that you turn the fan off. I don’t know if you have that option but it may make a difference in the cracking issue.
This recipe was absolutely fantastic! I made 7 different kinds of Christmas cookies this season and these by far stole the show. Every single person that tasted them asked for the recipe…will definitely be making again. Thank you!
Yahoo!! I’m so thrilled to hear that, Emily, thank you!
Fabulous recipe..the home made spice grind amped the cookie.. loved the aromatics!
I baked these twice before the holidays.. couldn’t get enough..hence will do another batch to celebrate the new year.Thanks.
Fantastic, Trudy, I’m so thrilled to hear that – thank you!
May I have the recipe for homemade lebkuchengewurtz? What equipment do you use for grinding? A coffee bean grinder?
Hi Sue, yes here is the link to the recipe: http://www.daringgourmet.com/homemade-lebkuchengewuerz-german-gingerbread-spice-blend/. Scroll down in the post and you’ll see where I recommend the Krupps coffee/spice grinder.
I am indebted to you for this recipe, Kimberly. My husband Wolfgang is from Germany and for years I have been making Christmas cookies. I had found satisfactory recipes for all but the Pfeffernüße and Lebkkuchen. I made your Lebkuchengewürz as well. My search has ended with your recipes. The only change I had to make was to use less water than specified with the powdered sugar for the glaze. We live in the south San Francisco Bay Area, and local humidity varies. I regularly bake German style breads and have relied on Jeffrey Hamelman’s wonderful book with great success. I am going to try your Danish ryggbrudd, which I have enjoyed in Denmark and Sweden, and your version of Vollkornbrot as well. I’m working on Vollkornbrötchen, which I miss most of all.
Hi Michele, I am so pleased to hear that, thank you! I haven’t tried anything from Jeffrey Hamelman yet. With so many highly rated bread baking books on the market, it’s hard to know which ones to go with! I’ve also been dabbling more into sourdough breads, which I really enjoy. Best of luck mastering those Vollkornbrötchen!
When I mixed together the brown sugar, honey and butter, and got it dissolved, it started turning into caramel and hardening. I had left out the cream. Does the cream prevent it from turning into caramel?
Hi Sarah, yes, that’s correct – the cream is a vital addition.
not having any equipment to grind spice i ended up substituting half the spices with Chinese five spice (contains cloves,star anise,coriander, fennel, peppercorn it was really cheap and worked really well 🙂