Nürnberger Lebkuchen (German Gingerbread) Recipe

By
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin learned to cook German food while living in Germany for 11 years and has worked in the food industry for many years.
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Updated on 05/22/22
Nuernberger lebkuchen recipe

The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 32 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
354 Calories
16g Fat
49g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 32
Amount per serving
Calories 354
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 20%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 173mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 49g 18%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 58mg 4%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 161mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Nürnberger lebkuchen or gingerbread has been around since the 14th century when Nürnberg was a rich city with good trade associations. You can make Nürnberger lebkuchen in your home without any special German ingredients. You will need thin oblaten that look like Catholic communion wafers and can be purchased at a German deli. If you can't find ​oblaten, no problem, adjustments are made in the recipe. These soft, spicy cookies keep for several weeks.

Ingredients

For the Cookie:

  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 cup (200 grams) sugar

  • 4 large eggs

  • 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 1/16 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground anise seed

  • 2 tablespoons (12 grams) cocoa powder

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

  • 1 cup (225 milliliters) milk

  • 1 3/4 cups (150 grams) almonds, ground

  • 1/2 cup candied lemon peel, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon rum, or orange liqueur

  • 1/2 cup raisins, soaked in rum and chopped

  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut

  • 32 oblaten (baking wafers, 3-inch size)

For the Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons rum, or liqueur

  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Steps to Make It

Make the Cookies

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 375 F.

    Ingredients for cookies
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  2. Cream together the butter, sugar, and eggs until light and fluffy.

    Hand mixer
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  3. Mix in the flour, spices, cocoa powder, and baking powder, alternating with milk. Note that you can use prepared lebkuchen spices (1 tablespoon) if available rather than the listed spices.

    Mix in flour, spices, cocoa powder
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  4. Fold in the nuts and lemon peel.

    Mix
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  5. Stir in the rum, followed by the raisins and coconut.

    Stir in rum
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  6. Place the oblaten on parchment-lined baking sheets. Drop about 3 tablespoons of cookie dough onto the wafer and smooth to the edges. If you are not using the oblaten, draw 3-inch diameter circles on parchment paper using a cup or biscuit cutter as a template. Drop about 3 tablespoons cookie dough into the center of each circle.

  7. In both cases, use the back of a spoon to fill out each circle, slightly mounding the dough toward the center.

    Put on baking tray
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn down oven to 350 F if cookies are browning too much.

    Bake
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  9. Let cool for a few minutes, then remove to a cookie or cake rack.

    Let cool
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

Make the Glaze

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for glaze
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  2. While the cookies are baking, make the glaze. The glaze is to be applied while the cookies are still warm. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan on the stove. Bring to a boil and boil for a few minutes.

    Mix glaze
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  3. Add the vanilla and 1 to 2 tablespoons rum or liqueur. Sift confectioners' sugar over the hot sugar syrup and stir.

    Add vanilla
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  4. Using a pastry brush, brush the warm glaze over the warm cookies. Let dry completely.

    Brush glaze on cookies
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

Tip

  • Dry glazed cookies for a day (so the cookie stays a bit crunchy) then store in an airtight container or freeze.