Authentic Pfeffernüsse
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One of Germany’s most popular and beloved Christmas treats, these spiced and iced cookies known as Pfeffernüsse are simply delightful! A thoroughly authentic and incredibly delicious homemade Pfeffernusse recipe that will bring back fond memories or help create new holiday traditions!
What Are Pfeffernüsse?
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 both spice/gingerbread-like cookies and have some similarities, but the ingredients vary as does the method of preparation. Also, Pfeffernuesse 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 Pfeffernusse 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 homemade Pfeffernusse 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!
Pfeffernüsse Recipe
Let’s get started!
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, Lebkuchengewürz, 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. (Note: While not traditionally included, for some added flavor and texture you can also stir in some finely chopped Candied Orange Peel or Candied Ginger.)
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 at a minimum overnight to allow the flavors time to develop, 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 a few minutes before transferring them to a wire wrack to 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).
Repeat for all of the cookies and let the Pfeffernusse sit until the glaze is fully hardened.
Store the cookies in airtight container in a cool place.
Pfeffernusse will keep for at least 2 weeks and the flavor only gets better over time. Enjoy them on their own or dunked in your favorite hot beverage.
Enjoy!
For more authentic German Christmas recipes be sure to try my:
- Stollen
- Lebkuchen
- Marzipan
- Springerle
- Gugelhupf
- Dampfnudel
- Berliner Brot
- German Rum Balls
- Printen
- Speculoos
- Vanillekipferl
- Zimtsterne
- Bethmännchen
- Heidesand
- Kokosmakronen
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Authentic Pfeffernüsse
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3-4 teaspoons Lebkuchengewürz
- Homemade Lebkuchengewürz (STRONGLY recommended for best flavor), click link for recipe
- 1/4 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
- 1/4 cup almond meal or almond flour (meal has skins intact, flour has skins removed; more aesthetics than anything)
- 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. Note: The size is just personal preference, you can make them larger if you prefer.Place the cookie balls on a line cookie sheet and bake for about 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.Makes 50+ cookies depending on their size.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet December 20, 2015
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!
Hi! I’ve made these cookies for several years now, but this year I need to make is nut-free. Any thoughts on a substitute or omission of the almond flour?
Thanks!
Hi Cat, theoretically you can substitute regular flour for the almond flour but doing a 1:1 substitution might make the cookies too dense, without trying I’m not sure. I would start with slightly less flour and see what the consistency looks like to determine if you need to add the full amount.
Very good! Thank you. I like that the cookie part isn’t too sweet, because with the icing it’s perfect. It made more than fifty (which was nice!) and in my oven, anyway, they took considerably-longer to get golden, but yes this is a keeper.
Wonderful, thanks so much, Laura!
Hi Kimberly and Merry Christmas to you and yours. I have an eight hour drive every year to see my parents at Christmas time. Since finding your recipe 4 years ago, I’ve always baked a couple of batches of these to take along. Both my parents are originally from Germany and they always look forward to these little treats and the memories they evoke. (I receive a lot of joy from being able to supply them) Every year, I follow your recipe, and every year they’ve turned out perfect… except this year. Something truly weird happened.
I first suspected that something was not quite right after I incorporated the flour into the warmed sugar mixture. It seemed a little dry to me but since I’d made this recipe a number of times before with no problems, I carried on. I still had my doubts once I added the egg. It wasn’t as shiny as I remembered the dough to be. My doubts were confirmed after the first few minutes of baking. The cookies kept their round ball shape, didn’t rise much and they cracked. I couldn’t figure out where it had gone wrong.
Because this recipe is so important to my family, I always go the extra mile to make sure I’m doing whatever I can to make these as perfect as possible. I buy new spices every year, toast and grind them just before baking. I’m compulsive about checking my measurements. I was at a loss. The only thing I could figure was maybe the egg was too small. I had noticed that what is being sold in my area as large eggs seem to be getting smaller all the time. The only other thing I could imagine was that the flour was perhaps not up to par (I couldn’t remember what brand was in my bin) so I bought new flour and started all over again. I knew by the time I finished preparing the dough that I was going to end up with the same result. I could almost have worked the dough into balls for baking without chilling it.
I ended up adding another half amount of the warmed butter, honey, sugar blend as well as half a beaten egg. Once it was all worked in, the dough seemed a little softer than normal so I floured my board when I rolled it into strands. (all the excess flour was absorbed when I rolled the pieces into balls. The cookies spread just a tiny bit more than usual but the flavor and consistency are perfect.
Do you have any idea what may have gone wrong? (I noticed in your comments that someone else had this happen as well) It’s driving me mad! If I hadn’t made these successfully before, I’d never have been able to fix them. It’s a mystery that I’d like to know the answer to.
…………..Angelika
Hi Angelika, I can imagine your frustration! I haven’t altered anything about the recipe so I’m honestly as stumped as you are. I’m sorry I can’t offer any insight – perhaps one of our readers has an answer to this mystery!
They also didn’t spread like in your photo they stayed in a ball when baking…
These taste delicious definitely making them again. I measured everything out meticulously, cut the pieces with a ruler and all to 3/4 inch all around, and mine came out small also, over 100 cookies. I’m really wondering what happened to get double the yield. I’m also wondering how that’s effected the texture, since I followed the recipe for cooking time.
My cookies cracked when baking….
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?
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.
I finally got to try out some non-dairy substitutes. I used vegetable shortening to replace the butter and I used 4.5 tbs almond milk and 1.5 tbs oil to replace the heavy cream and it worked perfectly. The taste initially didn’t seem as spicy but just as always the longer they sit the more you can taste the spices.
Fantastic, Tricia, thanks so much for testing it and reporting your findings!
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
LOL, mimi! That’s fantastic, I’m so glad your efforts paid off and that you enjoyed these cookies, thanks so much!
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
Thank you so much for the compliment, Helmut, I’m so glad you enjoyed these!