The Daring Gourmet

Grappling Each Dish By The Horns

Sign up for our newsletter!
No SPAM. Ever.Check out our privacy policy
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
  • Shop

Home Ā» Food Ā» By Course Ā» Dessert Ā» Authentic Zimtsterne (German Cinnamon Stars)

Authentic Zimtsterne (German Cinnamon Stars)

November 28, 2016 by Kimberly Killebrew Ā· 161 Comments

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure policy.

3668 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Among the most popular and beloved traditional German Christmas cookies, the holidays simply aren’t the same without these Zimtsterne!

zimtsterne recipe baking cookies almonds hazelnuts german cinnamon stars traditional authentic germany christmas holidays

It’s that time of year to roll up your sleeves and get ready to fill your kitchen and home with the aroma of Christmas baking!Ā  And there’s no better place to start than this traditional Zimtsterne recipe!

The smell of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, fennel seed and star anise are what remind me most of Christmas because they are the smells, along with staple ingredients like nuts and butter, that I grew up with in my home of southern Germany. Ā And those traditional German baked goodies are the ones I’m forever biased towards come Christmastime.

Today I have another traditional German cookie to add to your repertoire of holiday baking: Ā Zimtsterne. Ā Have you tried these before? Ā You can find them in any grocery store and Christmas market throughout Germany as well as in Austria and Switzerland. Christmas simply isn’t Christmas without them. Ā And of course, as with most things, homemade is the best.

market

These German “cinnamon star” cookies are made almost entirely of ground nuts – traditionally almonds but also commonly combined with hazelnuts. Ā A southern German specialty, they are naturally gluten free and dairy free and feature a snowy white hard frosting made from sugar and egg white.

An ingredient this recipe calls for that you may not be familiar with isĀ Vanillezucker (vanilla sugar). Ā It’s commonly called for in a lot of German recipes. Ā Why no American manufacturer makes I’ll never understand – sometimes in baking you need that touch of vanilla flavor without adding any liquid (i.e. vanilla extract). Ā That’s where vanilla sugar comes in.

You can easily make your own and a great cost-saving way to do that is to use the discarded vanilla beans of Homemade Vanilla Extract, but it’s much more convenient to have these packets on hand. Ā (You can find them here on Amazon.)

Other than that, these cookies call for just a small handful of ingredients, but I promise you, they really pack a wonderful flavor and texture. Zimtsterne are one of the most popular and beloved of all German Christmas cookies. Ā And once you’ve tried them you’ll see why.

Happy baking and may you enjoy thisĀ Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

zimtsterne recipe baking cookies almonds hazelnuts german cinnamon stars traditional authentic germany christmas holidays

Let’s get started!

Beat the egg whites until peaks form (be careful not to over-beat or the frosting won’t turn out right). Ā Sift the powdered sugar into the egg whites and use a spoon to stir just until combined.

Reserve 2 heaping tablespoons of the egg mixture in a small bowl for the frosting.

beating egg whites

Add the nuts, cinnamon and vanilla sugar. Ā Beat until the mixture is combined and comes together in a fairly stiff but pliable mass. Ā If it’s too soft to work with add a few more ground nuts and powdered sugar.

adding nuts and spices

Press the dough onto a non-stick surface (you can sprinkle the surface with powdered sugar but I still prefer to spread the dough out onto either plastic wrap or a non-stick cookie sheet to prevent sticking). Ā Press/roll it to a width of about a 1/3 inch.

Use a 3-inch star-shaped cookie cutter and cut stars out of the dough. Ā Knead the scraps back into a ball, roll it out again and cut more stars.

cutting out stars

Preheat the oven to 250 F.Ā  Transfer the cookies to a non-stick or lined cookie sheet.

Use a toothpick or small brush to brush on a thin layer of the reserved egg white mixture all the way to the edges of the cookies.Ā 

Place the sheet on the bottom rack of the oven.Ā  Bake the Zimtsterne for about 30 minutes or until set.Ā  Then open the oven door just a crack and let the cookies sit for another 10-15 minutes to further dry out.Ā  Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.Ā 

baking cookies

Let the cookies cool completely.

Can be stored in a dry, airtight container in a cool place for at least 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

zimtsterne recipe baking cookies almonds hazelnuts german cinnamon stars traditional authentic germany christmas holidays

Zimtsterne (German Cinnamon Stars)

Kimberly Killebrew
Among Germany's most famous Christmas cookies, you'll fall in love with these cinnamon-nut Zimtsterne!
Print Recipe
4.65 from 51 votes
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
10 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Dessert
Cuisine German
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 126 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 large egg whites
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 1/4 cup non-blanched almond meal
  • or hazelnut meal
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 packet Vanillezucker (recommended but if you can't get it simply omit **one packet has 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla sugar)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (do not turn on the fan, it can cause the egg white topping to brown before the cookies are done). Place the rack on the bottom rung of the oven.
  • Beat the egg whites in a medium-sized bowl until soft peaks form (be careful not to over-beat the egg whites or the frosting/glaze won't turn out right). Sift the powdered sugar and stir it into the egg whites until combined. Reserve 2 generous, heaping tablespoons of the egg white mixture for the glaze.
  • Add the nuts, cinnamon, vanilla sugar and salt and beat until the dough comes together in a fairly stiff but pliable mass. If it's too soft to work with add a few more ground nuts and powdered sugar. (If the dough is too sticky, add a little more nut flour.)
  • Press/roll the dough onto a non-stick surface sprinkled with powdered sugar to a thickness of about 1/3 inch. Use a 3-inch star cookie cutter to cut out the cookies and transfer them to a lined or non-stick cookie sheet. Form the scraps of dough into a ball, roll it out again and cut cookies out of the remaining dough.
    Use a toothpick or small brush to brush on a thin layer of the reserved egg white mixture all the way to the edges of the cookies.Ā (*SEE NOTE)
    Place the sheet on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the Zimtsterne for about 30 minutes or until set.Ā  Turn off the oven, then open the oven door just a crack and let the cookies sit for another 10-15 minutes to further dry out.Ā  Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.Ā 
    The cookies can be stored in a dry, airtight container in a cool place for at least 2 weeks.

Notes

Most commonly the egg glaze is brushed on the cookies before baking.Ā  However, if your glaze tends to turn yellow during baking you can bake the cookie first without the glaze, remove the cookies from the oven about 5 minutes early, then brush on the egg glaze, and bake for another 5 minutes until the glaze is set.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 6mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.6mg
Keyword German Cinnamon Star Cookies, Zimtsterne
Tried this recipe? Mention @daringgourmet or hashtag #daringgourmet

 

3668 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

161 Comments →

« Mozzarella-Stuffed Crispy Portobello Burgers (“One to Five” Cookbook Review + Giveaway!)
Best Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies »

161 Responses

  1. Julie says

    February 24, 2023 at 1:26 pm

    Amazing! I had a craving for star anise and substituted star anise (ground the spice with the coffee ginder) for the cinnamon. They are truly delicious and it isn’t officially Christmas on the Calendar xo Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I also didn’t have any icing sugar on hand so I ground up organic whole brown sugar (Muscovovado) and it worked like a charm!

    Reply
    • Kimberly Killebrew says

      February 24, 2023 at 7:49 pm

      Fantastic, Julie, I’m so glad you enjoyed them, thank you, and the star anise is a nice twist!

      Reply
  2. Dabney says

    February 13, 2023 at 6:37 pm

    Hi, have you ever tried these with royal icing on top?

    Reply
    • Kimberly Killebrew says

      February 14, 2023 at 8:33 am

      Hi Dabney, I haven’t but you can certainly do that.

      Reply
  3. Naomi says

    December 19, 2022 at 5:01 pm

    This recipe came out perfectly. I tired a diff one first and it was a disaster. Happy I found this! My only recommendation would be more cinnamon! They are called cinnamon stars and the cinnamon flavor should really come through. 3 teaspoons, at least.

    Reply
    • Kimberly Killebrew says

      December 20, 2022 at 9:12 pm

      Fantastic, Naomi, thank you so much!

      Reply
  4. Bennette says

    December 17, 2022 at 10:26 am

    HI! I want to bake these cookies for my German son-in-law. They are his favorite. One question I have is that after the 30 minutes baking till set, do I leave the oven ON when I open the oven door slightly to let them set? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kimberly Killebrew says

      December 17, 2022 at 6:39 pm

      Hi Bennette, turn the oven OFF and then crack the door open. Happy baking! :)

      Reply
  5. Jeff Reich says

    December 12, 2022 at 3:10 pm

    Hi, I’m confused by the temperature. Is it 250 in a convection oven? I ask because it seems low and you mention a fan. Could you please confirm the temp in a conventional oven? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kimberly Killebrew says

      December 16, 2022 at 9:29 am

      Hi Jeff, no this is not convection, this is conventional, hence the mention to not use the fan. Happy baking!

      Reply
  6. Tim Stadler says

    December 24, 2021 at 1:29 pm

    This is the second time I’ve made this. First time was a disaster, this time much better (bought almond meal instead of trying to make it). Mine was much lighter in color. I baked for 30 minutes, “until set” but not sure what the means. Are they supposed to be slightly chewy?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 25, 2021 at 5:22 pm

      Hi Tim, yes, they’re supposed to be slightly chewy.

      Reply
  7. MarSon says

    December 22, 2021 at 9:14 am

    As a native of Germany living in the US I have been looking high and low for an authentic Zimtsterne recipe. This is the one! They turned out as imagined following the recipe to the T. One thing I’d like to share is paying attention to the ingredients list of the confectioners sugar you’re using. When I baked a second batch the ā€˜meringue’ top browned much faster and never got puffy. I used a different confectioners sugar (Florida Crystals Organic) that has cornstarch as an added ingredient listed. The first batch was done with a confectioners sugar not having cornstarch listed snd turned out perfectly. Hope thiis helps.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 25, 2021 at 6:16 pm

      That’s wonderful, MarSon, I’m so happy you enjoyed them, thank you! Thanks also for the feedback about the confectioner’s sugar. Which brand did you use the first time?

      Reply
  8. Sabine Duncan says

    December 11, 2021 at 3:41 pm

    I just made your Zimtsterne and they are very good but also very different from the ones I used to make (I lost the recipe). I think next time I will double the cinnamon and cut the vanilla sugar in half.

    Reply
« Older Comments

Add your Response Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!Ā  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.Ā  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

Sign up for our newsletter!

Receive the latest from The Daring Gourmet!

No SPAM. Ever.Check out our privacy policy
  • About
  • Request
  • Contact
  • Privacy

Copyright © 2023 Ā· The Daring Gourmet Ā· All Rights Reserved

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
  • Shop