Authentic German Lebkuchen
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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. And having eaten more Lebkuchen in my life than I care to admit, I can promise you that absolutely nothing beats homemade. You’ll fall in love with this authentic German Lebkuchen recipe, made after traditional Nürnberger fashion.
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 I’m sharing today. (Be sure to check out all of my favorite traditional German Christmas Cookies!)
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.
Lebkuchen Key Ingredients
Beyond the basic ingredients of nuts, sugar, eggs, etc, there are three key ingredients that you need to make Lebkuchen. Let’s take a closer look at them:
What are Backoblaten?
An essential item for Elisenlebkuchen are Backoblaten which are very thin wafers that serve as the base for the Lebkuchen. 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.
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. 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.
Homemade Candied Citrus Peel
I single this one out as a key ingredient because I emphatically maintain that homemade is essential. 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 super yucky. 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! (Also, while not traditional, you can also include some Candied Ginger if you like.)
Please, please do yourself a favor: Put that store-bought stuff back on the shelf and make some Candied Orange Peel and lemon peel. Your life will change forever!
With these essential ingredients in hand you’re ready to make some seriously amazing homemade Lebkuchen. 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
Let’s get started!
Be sure to also check out my video in the recipe box. And on a side note, here’s a little trivia for you classical music lovers. I chose Pachelbel’s Canon as the backing track to my video. Can any of you guess what Pachelbel has to do with Nürnberger Elisenlebkuchen? Answer: Pachelbel was from Nürnberg.
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.
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 where they will keep for a few weeks. And their flavor only gets better with time.
Enjoy!
For more delicious and authentic German Christmas recipes try my:
- Stollen
- Pfeffernüsse
- Springerle
- Printen
- Marzipan
- Speculoos
- Vanillekipferl
- Zimtsterne
- Bethmännchen
- Heidesand
- Gugelhupf
- Magenbrot
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Authentic German Lebkuchen
Equipment
- Backoblaten , either 70mm or 90mm
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon quality pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 cups hazelnut flour
- 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 for recipe (STRONGLY recommended instead of store-bought!)
- Backoblaten either 70mm or 90mm
- or 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
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet December 16, 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!
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.
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.
your pre-recipe description mentions nuts, but the recipe itself does not mention nuts. Would ad-hoc candied walnuts work well with this dough?
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.
Hi Kimberly. Apologies if this has been answered above. Am commenting via my mobile – less than ideal. I cannot get Oblaten here in South Africa for the time being. The communion wafers I could get are small, maybe 20mm. Will it be a train wreck if I leave out the Oblaten?
Hi Torsten, I’ve never tried it without but I did have a reader report that she made them without the Oblaten. I’ll admit I was skeptical but she said that the Lebkuchen held together without the Oblaten. Again, I haven’t tried it myself so don’t hold it against me if it does result in a train wreck! ;)
Thanks Kimberly, much appreciated. I wonder how viable it is to make my own? I will also give that a look. Im happy with Pfeffernussen and Stollen which I’ve already made but my 21 year old son is pestering me :-)
I can not get Oblaten and have made the successfully just on parchment
So, just because this looks new to me, I just want to clarify: The backoblaten is edible, right?
Hi Tiffany, yes they’re completely edible. They’re just thin wafers made from wheat.
Your LebkuchenGewürz link us not showing up. Can you give me the link?
Hi Patricia, here is the link: https://www.daringgourmet.com/homemade-lebkuchengewuerz-german-gingerbread-spice-blend/
It says candied lemon and orange peel twice but only the amount once. For the second load of candied peel how much shall I use please? I am going to try and make a keto version of this because I miss my Lebkuchen!
Hi Lea, the second one is just the link to the recipe for homemade candied peel if you want to make your own (which I strongly recommend! :) So you just need 4 ounces of orange and 4 ounces of lemon. Happy baking and let us know how your keto version turns out!
Is 30 min the correct time or doubled to an hour for baking time? What is the finished baking texture supposed to be like? Thank you!
Hi Mary, yes, 30 is correct. The texture is not hard, dry or brittle; it is soft, chewy and “moist” in the sense that it contains a lot of dried fruit.
I made these last year, and all of my family said they taste better than the ones we used to get when we lived in Germany. My granddaughter’s ex-husband is from Germany, and he also Loved them! I’m making them again this year for the holidays! Homemade candies lemon and orange peel is best! 🤗
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them, Linda, thank you for the feedback! :)