Dating back to the 14th century in Nuremberg, Germany, Elisenlebkuchen have stood the test of time as one of Germany’s most popular and beloved of all Christmas treats! You’ll fall in love with this authentic German Lebkuchen recipe!
Having grown up in Germany it’s the Christmas season when I get the most homesick. The snowy landscapes, the decorations, the Christmas markets, and all the delicious Christmas goodies…you just can’t beat Christmas in Germany. One of Germany’s most famous Christmas treats (and one of my personal favorites), is Elisenlebkuchen, and that’s the German Lebkuchen recipe we’re sharing today.
What is Lebkuchen?
Lebkuchen go all the way back to 14th century Germany where they were created by Catholic monks. Prepared in monastery bakeries, Lebkuchen included honey, a variety of spices and nuts. These ingredients not only had symbolic religious meaning but were highly prized for their healing properties. Those clever monks not only created an exceptionally delicious sweet treat, they found an additional use for their communion wafers: They increased the diameter size and used them as the base for the sticky gingerbread dough – a perfect solution.
A quintessential sweet treat throughout all of Germany during the Christmas season, Lebkuchen is one of the most popular and beloved of all German holiday confections. There are a variety of German Lebkuchen, each distinguished by slight alterations in ingredients and most especially the amount of nuts used. But the most highly prized of all are the Nürnberger Elisenlebkuchen. The title is a regionally protected one and only Lebkuchen produced in Nürnberg can be sold as such. The distinguishing characteristic of the Elisenlebkuchen is that they use no flour and have a very high ratio of nuts, specifically a combination of almonds and hazelnuts.
Shutterstock / Nürnberg, Henkersteg (Hangman’s Bridge, original construction in 1457)
What is Lebkuchengewürz?
An absolutely critical ingredient in these Lebkuchen is Lebkuchengewürz. You cannot make these without Lebkuchengewürz. Period. Not if you want them to taste like real Lebkuchen. And Lebkuchengewürz is virtually impossible to find here in the U.S. unless you’re lucky enough to have a well-stocked German grocery store near you. Even Amazon only has one option to choose from and it’s pricey and I’m not sure how good it is (update: here is another one.) But have no fear because I’ve got you covered!
Here is my recipe for homemade Lebkuchengewürz, an absolutely magical blend of spices. And even if you find some store-bought Lebkuchengewürz locally or online I still recommend that you make your own because it’s a hundred times better! A richer, deeper, more vibrant flavor. If you add this homemade Lebkuchengewürz to any authentic German recipe calling for Lebkuchengewürz you’ll close your eyes and feel like you’re back in Germany.
Why You Should Make Your Own Candied Orange and Lemon Peel
Virtually everyone I know detests store-bought citrus peel. And I’m in full agreement. The stuff tastes like chemicals. No matter the brand, store-bought candied lemon and orange peel is just gross. And it’s a shame because a lot of Christmas baked goods call for candied citrus peel and people buy it because they think they have no other options. But there IS another option. And if you’ve ever put off making things like fruit cakes or German Lebkuchen because you hate that store-bought, chemical-flavored stuff in the plastic container, let me tell you: Homemade candied citrus peel is a 100% deal changer. Not only does it taste good, it tastes amazing and it will make your baked goods taste even more amazing!
Please, please do yourself a favor: Put that store-bought stuff back on the shelf and make some Candied Orange Peel and lemon peel (click link for recipe). Your life will change forever!
Growing up in southern Germany I always looked forward to when the Elisenlebkuchen came available. And as good as the store-bought ones are, wait till you try homemade!
The texture and flavor of these Elisenlebkuchen is sublime. They keep for a long time and their flavor only gets better the longer they sit and the flavors can ripen. For a truly unforgettable German Christmas pastry, you must give these traditional German Lebkuchen a try!
German Lebkuchen Recipe
This German Lebkuchen recipe is actually quite easy to make. It’s simply a matter of gathering up all the ingredients you need and then the rest is a breeze.
In addition to the step-by-step photos of the preparation process, I also filmed the process so you can see the entire process from start to finish via video! Sometimes it helps to have clear visual. Check out my video in the recipe box below.
On a side note, here’s a little trivia for you classical music lovers. I specifically chose Pachelbel’s Canon as the backing track. Can any of you guess what Pachelbel has to do with Nürnberger Elisenlebkuchen? Answer: Pachelbel was from Nürnberg. Score!
Let’s get started!
You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Place the eggs in a large bowl and beat the eggs until foamy.
Add the brown sugar, honey and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
Finely mince the candied lemon and orange peel. The best way to do that is to place them in a bowl and toss them with about 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour to prevent them from sticking together.
Note: If you want truly amazing results, make your own candied citrus peel. The flavor is amazing. It’s super easy to make and once you’ve tried it you’ll never get the store-bought stuff again! Here is my recipe for candied orange peel and lemon peel (same method for both).
Place it in a food processor and pulse until finely minced.
Add the nuts, salt, baking powder, Lebkuchengewürz and candied lemon peel.
If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and beat on medium for about 2 minutes until thoroughly combined. If you’re not using a stand mixer, beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
The mixture will be wet. If it’s too runny to scoop onto the oblaten add some more almond or hazelnut meal.
An essential item for Elisenlebkuchen are Backoblaten. You can get Backoblaten in three sizes: 90mm, 70mm and 50mm. 50mm is mostly used for smaller items like cookies. You can use either 90mm or 70mm for the Lebkuchen depending on how large you want them. Amazon currently has the 70mm oblaten available.
Alternatively, you can also use white communion wafers.
Scoop some of the mixture onto the Backoblaten, smoothing the top and leaving just a tiny bit of an edge around the rim. Place them on a lined cookies sheet.
In an oven preheated to 300 degrees F, bake the Lebkuchen on the middle rack for 25-28 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
Once the Lebkuchen have cooled, make the glaze.
For the chocolate glaze, add the chocolate and oil (I use and love coconut oil for this) and a small bowl and microwave, stirring occasionally, until melted. You’ll want to use it immediately as it will start to firm. If it does firm up simply reheat it for a few seconds in the microwave.
For the sugar glaze, in a small bowl combine the powdered sugar and water and stir until smooth.
Traditionally Lebkuchen are made with these two glazes and some are kept natural (no glaze). Choose whatever you prefer. Chocolate-dipped Lebkuchen have always been my favorite.
Position a wire rack over a cookie sheet to catch the drippings.
Dip the Lebkuchen into the glazes, letting the excess drip off and placing them on the wire rack to set. Place three blanched almond halves on each Lebkuchen while the glaze is still wet. Let the Lebkuchen sit undisturbed until the glaze is fully set. Keep the Lebkuchen stored in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
For more delicious and authentic German Christmas goodies be sure to try our:
Authentic German Lebkuchen (Elisenlebkuchen)
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon quality pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond meal
- 2 cups hazelnut meal
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 teaspoons Lebkuchengewürz
- Homemade Lebkuchengewürz , (STRONGLY recommended), click link for recipe
- 4 ounces candied lemon peel
- 4 ounces candied orange peel
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (to coat the candied peel) (can substitute gluten free)
- Homemade Lemon and Orange Peel , click link (STRONGLY recommended instead of store-bought!)
- Backoblaten either 70mm or 90mm
- white communion wafers (these can be substituted for Backoblaten)
- Blanched whole almonds cut in half lengthwise
- For the Chocolate Glaze:
- 3 ounces quality dark or milk chocolate
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil or oil of choice - do not use butter
- Directions: Place chocolate and oil in a small bowl and microwave stirring occasionally, until melted. Use immediately. If glaze becomes firm, reheat in the microwave.
- For the Sugar Glaze:
- 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons water or milk (use water for a clear glaze or milk for an opaque glaze; substitute some heavy cream for the milk for an even more opaque/whiter glaze)
- Directions: Place sugar and water in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Toss the candied lemon and orange peel with about 1/4 cup all-purpose flour to keep it from sticking together and then pulse in a food processor until finely minced. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Add the sugar, honey and vanilla extract and beat until combined.Add the ground almonds and hazelnuts, salt, baking powder, Lebkuchengewürz, and candied lemon and orange peels and stir vigorously until thoroughly combined. (You can use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat for about 2 minutes). The mixture will be wet but if it is too thin to scoop onto the oblaten add some more almond or hazelnut meal.
- Scoop the mixture onto the Backoblaten, smoothing down the top and leaving just a slight space around the edges. Set them on a lined cookie sheet.Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove the cookie sheet and allow to cool completely.
- Once cooled, place a wire rack over a cookie sheet (to catch the drippings). Dip half the Lebkuchen in the chocolate glaze and half in the sugar glaze, letting the excess drip back into the bowl and then place the Lebkuchen on the wire rack. Arrange 3 almonds on each Lebkuchen while the glaze is still wet. Let the Lebkuchen dry completely until the glaze is hardened.Keep stored in an airtight container. Will keep for several weeks and the flavor improves with time.Makes about 35 if using 70mm Backoblaten and about 25 if using 90mm Backoblaten.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet December 16, 2015
Heide Rice says
This recipe is just great! I am half German, always got these from relatives, have paid richly since they passed and never found a good recipe till now. This is the REAL THING!!! Thank you SO much.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Heide!
JessiP says
Eek, I don’t have a way to weigh the candied peel – do you have estimate of volume?
Julia says
I am making these as holiday teacher gifts for my childrens’ teachers who deserve so much thanks and praise during the ongoing pandemic. I discovered Lebkuchen after tasting some store bought Lebkuchen earlier in the season and LOVING them. Usually I make Pfeffernusse but I was looking for a new challenge. I was able to track down the Oblaten, and even some Quebec grown Hazlenuts. I had already bought my citrus but will make my own next time now that I have a recipe.
Many thanks,
Julia
Montreal, QC
Brenda says
I made the recipe exactly following the instructions to a T. For the spices I had to use a combo freshly and pre-ground, but I made the candied citrus peel. All in all, the flavor is incredible. They are quite dense and rich, so one cookie is very satisfying.I would say this is definitely a two-day project, minimum. It is multi step and between blending spices, making candied citrus, blanching and slicing almonds, etc., it does take quite a while. A couple of notes: the candied citrus peel took me close to 3 hours start to finish (not including drying time). Be aware that the candied citrus recipe yields enough to make two batches of the Lebkuchen. Because my oven tends to be hot in one corner, I baked them for 15 minutes, then rotated the pan, then baked another 12 minutes, which seemed to be the right amount of time for my oven. There is one thing I would definitely change going forward, and that is the chocolate glaze recipe. I think the addition of the coconut oil leaves the glaze easily melted. I glazed the Lebkuchen, then they dried overnight to where they had hardened. When I picked one up, though, the chocolate immediately melted onto my fingers, so these are not going to work as gifts (who wants to pick up a cookie and then have a chocolate mess on their hands?) Because I had more to glaze, I melted chocolate without adding the cocount oil and then spread on the glaze with a knife. I’ll see if these are better, otherwise, I will stick to the sugar glaze in the future.
Herman Mayfarth says
1. Backoblaten are not strictly necessary. Parchment paper works just as well.
2. I found 300 degrees to be too slow. Increased oven temp to 350 (same as for PfeffernÜsse, with better results.
Modified recipe as follows:
1. Increase honey to 1/3 cup
2. Add 1 cup white flour (to stiffen dough)
3. Add 1/2 cup brandy
4. Add 3 oz. candied ginger, finely chopped
5. Optional: Add 3 oz. dried apricots, finely chopped.
6. Increase Lebkuchengewürz to 2 tbsp., plus 1 tsp ground cinnamon
I like it spicy. :)
7. Use whole toasted almonds to decorate tops of all cookies (plain, sugared, and chocolate)
8. Use lemon juice as liquid for sugar glaze, in place of water.
Incomparable.:)
Brenda says
Hello, Made these today (more complete review later) and followed the instructions for the chocolate glaze, using the correct amount of coconut oil. Also made some with the white sugar glaze. The sugar glaze is setting nicely, but the chocolate is still very liquid, almost an hours after coating the lebkuchen in them. I am starting to wonder if they will actually harden, given that coconut oil is soft at room temperature. I plan to give many of these as neighborhood gifts, but the glaze will need to be hard to do that. Any advice? Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Brenda, at room temp they will take a very long time to set. I would put them either in the fridge or outside (if it’s cold where you are) until set. At that point they will remain set even when you bring them in at room temp.
new puppy says
I cooked and I liked it very much.. the egg would be a normal measure though 3-4 eggs for more than 100 Backoblaten..Therefore, after putting 100 Backoblate on the tray, I spread it on the mixture .. … but if there were 3-4 eggs, it would be a normal measure ..
Russ Hodes says
I followed the receipt and watched the video (nice fast overview) and everything turned out exactly as pictured. The comment I have is that it’s not much like the lebkuchen I grew up with in texture or flavor.
Instead, I felt like these were almond cookies.
So, I revisited the receipe and I would recommend several changes:
1) Buy Almond flour – it’s in most grocery stores
2) Grind up the hazelnut to fine powder and sift it.
3) Double the baking powered and pre-mid it with a tablespoon of water. It didn’t work much.
4) While the ginger mix was pretty good, I think you can make a simpler version using chinese 5 spice. (5 spice already has Ginger, Anise, Nutmeg and cardaommum. It also has turmeric, which complements the overall flavor).
6) Anise is not common in American kitches, but licorise can be substituted.
7) I like more ginger and cinnamon, so Io would increase each by at least 50%.
The overall consistency should be more like pancake batter than oatmeal, which you can put into a pastry bag or freezer zip lock bag to squeeze out. That mixture is so stick that it is very hard to place and spread out.
Your receipt suggests 32 cookies, but only got 26.
Judy Walker says
No to Chinese five-spice. Not appropriate in any way
Ken says
I made these for the first time last Christmas, I loved them, and made enough candied fruit and gewürz for this year so it was pretty quick. These are becoming a family tradition, in fact my wife bought me some citrus yesterday so I could make some more, so back to the kitchen I go!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Ken, thank you so much! :)
Carly says
I saved this recipe from last year and finally made it this year. Absolutely wonderful, even though it does take time and love to make it all from scratch (minus the oblaten, which I was able to find at the European imports store in my city). These are better than the ones we received from our German relatives by post at Christmastime!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Carly, I’m thrilled you enjoyed them! :)
Gabrielle says
Hello! I’m very excited to try this recipe, since I’ve been unable to find gluten free lebkuchen outside of Germany. But I notice that both the back oblaten and communion wafers contain wheat. Since I’m genuinely intolerant, I can’t use either of these options. Can you suggest a gluten free alternative that might work? Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Gabrielle, the only gluten free alternative is to omit the Backoblaten. A few of our readers have done that with success.
Petra Elias says
Hi Gabrielle. I use either rice paper or potato starch papers which are edible. I’m in Australia and bought them from baking stores in sheets which I cut into circles.
Russ Hodes says
I used the German Oblaten (packaging was all in German, so I have no idea what was in it), but I found it faster to order communion wafers. They are made from wheat flower, but work just as well. However, I personally prefer rice paper, and it was even harder to find her in Texas, where we have to order these ingredients on-line.
Ken says
I made them this year with keine boden (no floor), I don’t really like the oblaten. I used a silicone baking mat. They turned out wonderful! A bit more prone to bending, but worth it IMO.
Patricia Lee says
I came up with a shortcut on the candied citrus peel. Rather than slice, boil, drain, boil in sugar-water, sugar, then grind, I just took the whole fruit, and grated it on the large-grate side of my hand grater. I grated until the fruit was down to the end of the white, close to the fruit. Then I boiled it (once was enough), strained it, boiled it in the sugar-water, and that was it! Much faster, and such a nice fine “mince.”
Sam6691 says
I didn’t know that was possible. Did it turn out good? I can make the candied peels but I don’t have a way to grind them. And trying to do it with a knife is next to impossible.
Petra Elias says
Thanks so much for this empowering recipe, Kimberley. I always expected lebkuchen to be hard to make but this is a very easy recipe and I love your step by step process, especially the photos and video. My first batch were a bit knobbly and not smooth like commercial lebkuchen. I am about to make a second batch as the first went very quickly. I am just wondering whether you have tried piping the dough onto the oblaten and if so, whether they turned out smoother on top? I thought I’d try my cookie press. I’d appreciate your opinion. Many thanks and Fröhlich Weihnachten.
Petra
Perth, Western Australia
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Petra, and Frohe Weihnachten! :) I haven’t piped the mixture onto the oblaten but you can certainly do that. But it’s not going to be as smooth as the commercially-sold stuff no matter what you do, nor is it meant to be. What you can do to prevent it from being quite so knobbly next time is to very finely mince your candied citrus peel.
Petra says
Many thanks, Kimberley. Yes, I noticed that the peel needed to be finer so I will certainly try to make it finer. Thank you also for the lovely home made peel. My first batch was a bit tough, but it’s fun trying to get it just right. 🎄❄️😀
Russ Hodes says
The dough is incredibly sticky, so I pipped it from a quart sized freezer thick zip lock bag, with the corner cut off. It’s more manageable and easier to spread out.
Brenda says
Hello, I want to make this delicious sounding recipe, and wonder if I can make the ground almond and hazelnuts myself. My Vitamix blender can grind flours, so I am thinking this would work, unless there is a specific reason to buy them. Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Brenda, yes, you can absolutely make your own. The only reason I recommend store-bought is because it is thoroughly dried out and has had time to settle, so you know you’re getting the correct amount when you measure it. Grinding your own from whole nuts that still have all the natural oils in them, you’ll end up with very “fluffy” nut meal, meaning when you scoop out a cup of it it’s not actually going to be a “cup” in volume or weight, it’s not going to be nearly as compact as the store-bought nut meal. So that’s the only challenge if you’re going to make your own.
Michael L says
your pre-recipe description mentions nuts, but the recipe itself does not mention nuts. Would ad-hoc candied walnuts work well with this dough?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Michael, it’s the 5th and 6th ingredient in the list (almond meal and hazelnut meal) and they’re added in Step 4. And you can certainly add some candied walnuts if you like.