Full of warm spices and flavor from the candied citrus, honey, and brown sugar, these Lebkuchen cookies are a household favorite. I love enjoying these cookies with a cup of tea, coffee, or milk. They’re so soft and chewy with an almost cake-like texture. They make for such a wonderful holiday cookie as you can make them weeks before the Christmas rush. They keep fresh and moist for a long time, and the flavor from the spices intensifies over time, leading to a deeper and richer flavor. Want to make another classic recipe for the holidays? Try my stollen recipe, Pfeffernusse cookies recipe, or gingerbread cookies recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Nuts — this Lebkuchen recipe uses almonds and hazelnuts. I recommend grounding your own nuts instead of buying pre-ground nuts, as it tends to be more fresh, leading to a better flavor and your cookies tasting more moist. Also, make sure the nuts are fresh, as old nuts can taste rancid. Spices — for the classic warm and slightly spicy aroma, you will need ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground cardamom, ground coriander, and ground nutmeg. Double-check the freshness of the spices or their flavors won’t be as strong. Baking powder — to help the cookies rise, make sure the baking powder has not expired. Candied citrus peel — the candied lemon peel and orange peel add a delicious citrus note to the cookies. If you do not have any, you can also swap for any candied citrus, such as grapefruit peel and lime peel. Sweetener — this recipe uses honey and brown sugar to sweeten the Lebkuchen. Make sure the brown sugar is soft before using.
How to Make Lebkuchen
- In a food processor, combine the almonds and hazelnuts. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Transfer to a large bowl and add the flour, spices, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until combined.
- Add ½ cup of the flour mixture and the candied orange and lemon peel to the food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Stir the chopped citrus peel into the bowl with the flour mixture.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, honey, and egg together on medium-high speed until thickened and fluffy.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the dough, cover, and let rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
- Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Flatten the dough into 2½-inch wide discs using the back of a wet spoon. Bake one sheet at a time for 20 minutes or until the edges start to brown and the centers are still soft but appear dry. Let cool for a few minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
- Make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, warm water or rum, and lemon juice.
- Brush the glaze over the warm cookies. Decorate with blanched or slivered almonds, if desired.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
If you’ve tried this Lebkuchen recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
