Classic Lebkuchen Recipe

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 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)

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📕 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!

Global Food Recipes

with Spices and Herbs

Free E-Book available for a limited time. Grab yours now and get instantly inspired!

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You missed out!

📖 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:

▢ 7 Tablespoons Honey
▢ ¾ cup Brown Sugar
▢ ½ stick Butter
▢ 2 ¾ cups All Purpose Flour
▢ 1 ½ Teaspoon Baking powder
▢ 1 Egg Yolk
▢ dash Lemon Peel freshly grated or dried
▢ 1 cup Walnuts ground
▢ 5 Teaspoons Lebkuchen spice blend or homemade Lebkuchen spice mixture
▢ 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon Ground

For the Icing:

▢ 1 Egg White
▢ 2 cups Powdered Sugar

to decorate...

▢ Colorful Sugar Decoration as shown
▢ Candied fruits
▢ Nuts

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

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.
Use your favorite sugar decoration
Use Candied fruits such as cherries, ginger candy, orange candy or lemon candy.
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 most popular German cookie? ›

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

What does Lebkuchen mean in German? ›

What is Lebkuchen? Lebkuchen (pronounced leyb-koo-kuh n) is a centuries-old German spiced treat traditionally baked during the winter holiday season. While lebkuchen is often translated to English as gingerbread, it's not exactly what most Americans envision when they think of gingerbread.

Is Lebkuchen the same as gingerbread? ›

What is Lebkuchen? Most dictionaries translate Lebkuchen as “gingerbread”, but that's not quite right. “Gingerbread-like”, perhaps. Consider it a rich, dry, soft biscuit pastry that traditionally uses plenty of honey and spices.

What is the Lebkuchen tradition in Germany? ›

Lebkuchen, a delectable German gingerbread, has a rich history steeped in tradition, dating back centuries. Originating in the medieval monasteries of Franconia, these spiced treats have evolved over time, becoming an integral part of German holiday festivities.

See Details ›

What is the number one 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 a heart cookie in Germany? ›

However, there's another special treat you will see being sold in the Bavarian Markets during the festival: Lebkuchenherzen. Lebkuchen refers to German gingerbread, while herzen means heart! These hearts are adorned with names or sweet sayings similar to Valentine's cookies, and given to loved ones.

Get More Info Here ›

What is a favorite saying to have on a Lebkuchenherz? ›

Useful German and English Phrases

"Ich liebe Dich" (I love you) "Ich mag Dich" (I like you) "Spatzl" (Little sparrow) "Weil i Di mog" (Because I like you—in Munich dialect)

Tell Me More ›

What is a fun fact about lebkuchen? ›

Not surprisingly, Lebkuchen have historical roots in Medieval Europe, when they were first eaten as Lekach, a type of honey cake that was brought through trade routes to Central and Eastern Europe by Italian Jews. Honey cakes were the primary treat for feasts in Medieval Europe.

Keep Reading ›

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 wafer on the bottom of Lebkuchen? ›

Lebkuchen dough is usually placed on a thin wafer base called an Oblate. This was an idea of the monks, who used unleavened communion wafer ingredients to prevent the dough from sticking. Typically, they are glazed or covered with very dark chocolate or a thin sugar coating, but some are left uncoated.

Keep Reading ›

What is a German gingerbread heart called? ›

Lebkuchenherzen have become a staple in German celebrations, especially around Oktoberfest and Christmas time. They're typically decorated with intricate icing designs and lettering, including endearing or funny messages.

What is cookie called in German? ›

Originally Answered: What are Keks and what are Plätzchen in German? Keks = Cookie.

Tell Me More ›

What is lebkuchen in Christmas traditions? ›

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. Orignial Nuremberg Elisenlebkuchen - a culinary delight!

Know More ›

Is lebkuchen only at Christmas? ›

The city is famous for it, which means that once the Christmas market opens, you can't swing a cat in this town without knocking over a display of it. Lebkuchen can of course be purchased all year round, and in fact, there was a whole Lebkuchen Week market set up in the middle of the city back in October.

Know More ›

What is the name of the German cookie? ›

Lebkuchen. This traditional German cookie is one of the most popular around Christmastime because it has those classic gingerbread flavors. The soft, chewy, and lightly glazed treats are a must-have for your cookie plate. Get the Lebkuchen recipe at A Beautiful Plate.

Read The Full Story ›

What is the number one dessert in Germany? ›

The Apfelstrudel is the most popular pastry in Germany. Germans often top Apfelstrudel with vanilla cream and whipped cream. What is Germany's most famous dessert? Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte is Germany's most famous dessert.

Learn More ›

What do Germans call cookies? ›

Kekse are biscuits/cookies in general while Plätzchen are a Christmas speciality, although the terms are somewhat interchangeable.

What is Europe's favorite cookie? ›

Europe's favorite cookie with coffee since 1932. Biscoff Cookies are a type of shortcrust biscuit known as "speculoos", a Belgian specialty.