Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (2024)

Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (1)Helene Dsouza

Get creative with the decoration of your Lebkuchen cookies, Use icing sugar and little colorful sugar decorations to get into Christmas mood.

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

40 cookies

4.9 from 9 votes

RECIPE

Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (2)

Classic Lebkuchen cookies can't be missed in a German and Austrian household for Christmas.

Learn everything about Lebkuchen and how you can make them from scratch at home.

Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (3)

Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (4)

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Jump to:
  • 📕 What is Lebkuchen?
  • 🆚 Lebkuchen VS Gingerbread
  • 🎉 Decoration
  • 🍱 Storing
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

📕 What is Lebkuchen?

Lebkuchen is a German honey cake.

Lebkuchen have a firm and dense, yet soft texture, a distinct honey taste, and a wonderful aroma created by a generous blend of spices, such as ginger, cardamom, aniseed, coriander, cloves, and allspice.

It can also have almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts.

Candied lemon and orange peels are also used by some Lebkuchen bakers to refine their confection.

There are Oblaten Lebkuchen, which are placed on a communion wafer, a legacy from when nuns and monks were the Lebkuchen bakers.

There are some variations on the basic Lebkuchen, such as the Elisenlebkuchen, which is made with less flour than the regular Lebkuchen.

In fact, the Elisenlebkuchen must contain no less than 25 percent nuts and less than 10 percent wheat flour.

History

Cakes made with honey have been baked since antiquity before the industrial production of sugar made it an available and affordable ingredient.

Honey cakes have been found in Roman, Greek, and Egyptian civilizations and were often believed to have magical protection powers as sweet honey was regarded as a blessing from the gods.

The honey acts not only as a sweetener but also as a leavening and preservative.

The German Lebkuchen was invented by nuns and monks in the 13th century.

The city of Nuremberg was at the forefront of Lebkuchen manufacturing and has produced the famous Nürnberger Lebkuchen that is still made today.

Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (5)

🆚 Lebkuchen VS Gingerbread

Gingerbread is similar to Lebkuchen as it is also made with spices, but gingerbread does not usually contain nuts.

Gingerbread cookies are also made with molasses, comapred to Lebkuchen cookies which contain honey.

Gingerbread houses originated in Germany in the 16th century and their popularity increased when the Brothers Grimm wrote Hansel and Gretel, where the witch lived in a house made of cookies and candy.

You can make a gingerbread house from Lebkuchen dough, just make sure to keep it a bit longer in the oven so that it becomes firmer and is able to hold the shape better.

Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (6)

🎉 Decoration

Because of the firmness of the dough, Lebkuchen cookies lend themselves well to being decorated with different patterns.

Modern

People usually decorate their Lebkuchen cookies with candied cherry halves and almond halves.

Icing sugar is also commonly used in combination with small sugar decorations.

Lebkuchen are also often glazed or covered in dark chocolate.

Tradition

Special delicately carved wooden Lebkuchen molds that depict flowers, geometric patterns and Christmas motives are used.

The earliest molds had Biblical themes and were used to educate the public about the Gospel at a time when most people were illiterate and books were written by hand and expensive.

Different rulers also used to emboss their portraits on Lebkuchen and distribute them among people to increase their popularity.

Lebkuchen are still popular today and Lebkuchen hearts that have declarations of love inscribed with icing are a popular item at fairs and Christmas markets.

Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (7)

🍱 Storing

Traditionally, in Germany, Lebkuchen are stored in a tin box between layers of parchment paper.

If you live in a cool and dry climate, you can place apple peels in the tin box for a nice aroma and to retain cookie moisture.

Keep in a dry and cool place away from direct sunlight for up to 1 month.

But in hot and tropical countries, it would be best to consume the Lebkuchen soon after baking to prevent them from going bad.

They can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a couple of weeks.

Can you hang a lebkuchen on the Christmas tree as a deco?

Yes, can you make beautiful Christmas tree decorations made of Lebkuchen if you live in a cold climate. In tropical countries, it would be best to consume the Lebkuchen soon after baking to prevent it from going bad. They can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a couple of weeks.

Dear Reader, how are you planning to decorate your Lebkuchen cookies?

Classic Lebkuchen Recipe was first published on the 23rd of December 2012 at masalaherb.com!

Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (9)

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📖 Recipe

Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (10)

Classic Lebkuchen Recipe

Get creative with the decoration of your Lebkuchen cookies, Use icing sugar and little colorful sugar decorations to get into Christmas mood.

4.89 from 9 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: German

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 40 cookies

Calories: 114kcal

Recipe by: Helene Dsouza

Ingredients

For the dough:

For the Icing:

  • 1 Egg White
  • 2 cups Powdered Sugar

to decorate...

US - Metric

Instructions

  • Place the Honey, brown sugar and butter together into a bowl and melt and mix the ingredients to a smooth sticky paste.

  • Once the sticky mixture has cooled a bit add the white flour and baking powder and make a mold to add in your egg yolk. Keep on adding the Lemon zest, the ground walnuts, the Lebkuchen spice mix and the cinnamon powder.

    Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (11)

  • Mix it all first with a spoon or something and then work it out for 10 minutes into a smooth dough.

    Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (12)

  • Preheat your oven to a 180 Celsius!

  • Flour your working space and roll your dough to a 0.5 millimeter thickness out (don't roll out too thin!) and cut out your shapes with your cookie cutters. Make sure the dough is covered with flour, it's easier that way to cut out the shapes. Once done, dust the shapes a bit so that the extra flour falls off.

    Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (13)

  • Place the lebkuchen on a baking tray. At this point you can decorate them with nuts and candied fruits by pressing the sweets lightly into the dough.

  • Bake smaller sized Lebkuchen cookies for about 15 minutes at 180 Celsius and then let them cool and bigger ones for 20 minutes at 180 Celsius..

  • In the mean while, beat your egg white to a stiff snow. Once stiff continue to mix in the powdered sugar into the egg whites, batch by batch. The Icing should be very tough and shiny sticky. (For colored batches just add 2-3 drops of food coloring drops)

    Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (14)

  • Once the cookies have cooled, you can decorate them with the icing and top them with colorful and pretty looking sugar decorations. Either you pipe a thin line with the icing onto the cookies or you add a thin layer of icing onto the whole cookies surface. Just be creative and have fun!

Notes

  1. Store the lebkuchen cookies in a tin box in a dry climate with butter paper and some apple peels to keep the moisture in the cookies. In a humid environment store the cookies in an airtight container and keep away from heat and more humidity.
  2. Use your favorite sugar decoration
  3. Use Candied fruits such as cherries, ginger candy, orange candy or lemon candy.
  4. Choose between walnuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, pecans etc.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Classic Lebkuchen Recipe

Amount Per Serving (24 g)

Calories 114Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Cholesterol 7mg2%

Sodium 13mg1%

Potassium 53mg2%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 50IU1%

Calcium 26mg3%

Iron 0.8mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Classic Lebkuchen Recipe - German Christmas Cookies [EASY ❤] (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between gingerbread and Lebkuchen? ›

Lebküchen, on the other hand, is darker, denser, and richer than gingerbread with its focus on honey, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, cardamom, and ginger all amplified with a pinch of mace. If you like gingerbread but want to step up the flavor game, then Lebküchen is the way to go.

What is the most famous Lebkuchen? ›

Lebkuchen bakers were recorded as early as 1296 in the city of Ulm and in 1395 in Nürnberg (Nuremberg). The latter being the most famous exporter today of the product that is known as Nüremberger Lebkuchen (Nürnberger Lebkuchen).

What is the most popular cookie in Germany? ›

1 Lebkuchen: Germany's Favorite

We've come to the most popular German biscuit – Lebkuchen or known as gingerbread (“Lebkuchen” in English is “gingerbread”).

What is the white stuff on the bottom of Lebkuchen? ›

Oblaten Lebkuchen are distinguished by a signature edible wafer (collectively called Oblaten in German) on the bottom. The wafers are made from wheat flour, starch, and water.

Does Trader Joe's sell Lebkuchen? ›

Our Chocolate Covered Lebkuchen are popular with a certain crowd, but some folks don't like the nuts and spices in these traditional German gingerbread cookies.

What does lebkuchen mean in German? ›

masculine noun. gingerbread. DeclensionLebkuchen is a masculine noun. Remember that, in German, both the spelling of the word and the article preceding the word can change depending on whether it is in the nominative, accusative, genitive, or dative case.

What is the wafer on the bottom of Lebkuchen? ›

"The cookies are baked on a thin, edible wafer called oblaten. Oblaten are crisp, white wheat wafers that are available in specialty food shops. If you do not have a specialty food shop that handles oblaten, check with a local religious supply house.

Is Pfeffernusse the same as Lebkuchen? ›

Pfeffernusse and lebkuchen are both similarly flavored with honey and lots of warm baking spices but pfeffernusse are almost always small, rounded cookies coated with a powdered sugar glaze, while lebkuchen may be shaped like regular cookies or cut in bars and are generally glazed with chocolate.

What is the number one selling cookie in the world? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

What is traditional German Christmas food? ›

These delicious holiday recipes represent typical German Christmas food. Treat guests to a traditional German Christmas dinner with classic dishes like roasted goose legs, braised red cabbage. and dumplings, and don't forget the mulled wine and platter of gorgeous, festive cookies.

What is the oldest known cookie in the world? ›

Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico”.

What is a fun fact about Lebkuchen? ›

The dessert's roots can be traced to the 13th century when spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg were introduced to Europe. Franconian Monks are believed to have been the first to combine honey, spices, and breadcrumbs to create a sweet, flavorful dough. Lebkuchen has become associated with the holidays since then.

What is the best Lebkuchen? ›

We believe Leckerlee lebkuchen is hands-down the highest-quality lebkuchen you can buy in the States, and we stand by our product with a 100% money-back guarantee.

What city is famous for Lebkuchen? ›

In Germany, when you think of Christmas, you think of Nuremberg Lebkuchen, the city's famous gingerbread. These sweet and spicy treats have been baked for more than 600 years and are loved by young and old alike.

What are the three types of gingerbread? ›

The three distinct types of gingerbread are brown gingerbread, wafer-based gingerbread and honey gingerbread.
  • BROWN GINGERBREAD.
  • WAFER GINGERBREAD.
  • HONEY GINGERBREAD.

What is gingerbread in Germany? ›

"Lebkuchen" (gingerbread) is also known as "Honigkuchen" (honeycake) in some parts of Germany.

What is gingerbread called in England? ›

In Medieval England gingerbread meant preserved ginger. The hard cookies were a staple at Medieval fairs in England and on the continent. These became known as “gingerbread fairs” and the cookies called “fairings”.

What is Lebkuchen similar to? ›

Lebkuchen (German pronunciation: [ˈleːpˌkuːxn]), Honigkuchen or Pfefferkuchen ( pronounced [ˈp͡fɛfɐˌkuːxn̩]) are honey-sweetened German cakes, moulded cookies or bar cookies that have become part of Germany's Christmas traditions. They are similar to gingerbread.

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