Lebkuchen Cookie Recipe

Classic German Lebkuchen are soft and chewy, full of spices, and coated in a plain or chocolate glaze. This lebkuchen cookie recipe is the quintessential holiday cookie and will transport you to the Christmas markets in Germany.

What are Lebkuchen?

Technically lebkuchen is the name of a flavor/ spice mixture. Therefore many things can be called lebkuchen but most commonly it is found in the form of these chewy cake like cookies.

Are Lebkuchen Gluten Free?

Some lebkuchen recipes are made with a ground nut base which makes them naturally gluten free. However, this recipe uses both flour and ground almonds. I find this combination much easier to work with and it creates a slightly lighter cookie.

Can these be made in advance?

Yes! These lebkuchen cookies actually taste best 3-4 days after being baked as long as they are stored in an airtight container. This is because there are so many spices and flavors in the cookie, that their flavor actually develops and deepens as they sit.

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Tips for making Lebkuchen Cookies

• Cook the wet ingredients until they come to a boil, but watch closely because it will easily boil over.
• Allow the cooked wet ingredients to cool to just warm before whisking the eggs. If you add it in too early, you will cook the eggs and make sweet scrambled eggs.
• If your almond flour has any clumps, make sure to sift it before adding it to the dry ingredients.
• Allow the dough to chill for at least 90 minutes to 2 hours before scooping. Otherwise the dough will be too soft.
• Brush on the glaze and melted chocolate to the cookies immediately after they come out of the oven. This helps create that crinkly top and ensure that the glazes stick to the cookies and seal in the moisture.

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Ingredients

• Butter: Butter adds moisture to the cookies. For this recipe it can be cold since it will be melted down with the other wet ingredients.
• Honey: Honey helps give lebkuchen their classic flavor and texture.
• Brown and White Sugar: These cookies use brown sugar for warmth and chewiness and white sugar for extra sweetness.
• Milk: Any milk will use for this recipe.
• Almond and Vanilla extract: Extracts are very strong and therefore should be used sparingly. It is also important that they are added to the wet ingredients after they have been heated because the flavor can evaporate out if it is cooked pre-baking.
• All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour should work for these Lebkuchen! I have not yet tried any other flours with this recipe.
• Almond Flour: Lebkuchen are always made with some amount of ground nuts – I find it easiest to use almond flour rather than blanching and blending the almonds but you can do that if you prefer.
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder: Both of these leaven the cookies which give them the more cake like texture.
• Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, All spice, Nutmeg: These five spices create the classic lebkuchen flavor. The fresher the spices, the stronger the flavor.
• Eggs: 2 eggs are used in these lebkuchen cookies. I use standard large eggs from the grocery store. It is important that the eggs are at room temperature.
• Candied orange peel and Crystalized Ginger: These two are somewhat optional if you can’t find them. However, they are commonly found in lebkuchen and add a nice bit of extra flavor.
• Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is used for the plain glaze.
• Dark Chocolate: Dark Chocolate is melted and used as the chocolate glaze.

How to make Lebkuchen Cookies

Prepare the Wet Ingredients

• In a small sauce pot, combine the butter, honey, brown and white sugar, and milk.
• Set over medium heat and stir frequently until it comes to a boil.
• Once boiling, remove the pot from the heat and stir in both extracts. Set aside to cool while preparing the dry ingredients.

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Prepare the Dry Ingredients

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices.
• If needed, chop the candied orange peel and crystalized ginger into 1/4″ pieces.

Make the Cookie Dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the eggs on high speed until light and fluffy.
• With the mixer running on medium speed, slowly pour in the prepared wet ingredients. To avoid splatter, pour the wet ingredients down the side of the mixing bowl.
• Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again.
• Pour in the whisked dry ingredients and the chopped add ins.
• Use a rubber spatula to combine the wet and dry ingredients.
• Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge to chill for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or up to overnight.

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Bake the Cookies

• Preheat the oven to 350 F and arrange two racks in the oven so that they divide the oven into thirds.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Use a 1/4 cup scoop to scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave at least 2″ between each cookie. Approximately 8 cookies should fit on each baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Rotate and swap the baking sheets after 10 minutes so that they bake evenly.
• While the cookies are baking, prepare the glazes.
• Whisk the powdered sugar and water together to create a glaze that is the consistency of honey – add more water or powdered sugar as necessary.
• Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave – stirring frequently.
• Immediately after the cookies are finished baking, brush the plain glaze onto half of the cookies and the chocolate glaze onto the other half.
• Leave the cookies to cool for at least 30 minutes before enjoying.

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