Despite the biting cold of German winters, families create a deep warmth with holiday traditions like baking Lebkuchen (German gingerbread). Discover what Lebkuchen is, its roots in German history, and figure out which type of Lebkuchen is best for you. While you work to build your German fluency to order food in German, such as Lebkuchen, you can make some for yourself with our recipe options!
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What is Lebkuchen?
So, what is Lebkuchen (German gingerbread)? It’s a German Christmas food often described as Germany’s take on classic gingerbread cookies. Rather than the cute gingerbread men that you might find in an American kitchen at Christmastime, these Lebkuchen are more round and flat. Their size depends on the baker, but unless the cookie is made comically large with the intent of keeping it as a souvenir, you can expect them to be anywhere from two to four inches in diameter.
Imagine a soft, aromatic cookie made with nuts, honey, and warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Depending on the recipe, they can be either chewy and nutty or crisp and almost decorative, like the Lebkuchenherzen (heart-shaped German gingerbread). Pronounce Lebkuchen as “layb-cookin” to show off your cultural knowledge and understanding.
The history behind Lebkuchen
The tradition of baking the German cookies called Lebkuchen started as a healing practice. Way back in the 13th century, German monks living in Ulm and Nuremberg, upon hearing about the healing powers of honied cakes, developed the first recipes for Lebkuchen.
Once the dessert became popular to enjoy during Christmas in Germany, Nuremberg became the golden standard for the production of these treats due to its close proximity to the honey and spice trade in the 15th century. The Nürnberger Lebkuchen (Nuremberg German gingerbread) grew so renowned that it’s now a protected geographical indication, like Champagne or Parma ham. Today, the rising smells of fresh Lebkuchen being baked signal to all of Germany that the holidays have begun!
How to make your own Lebkuchen
To make your own Lebkuchen, you’ll need some very specific ingredients.
Using Oblaten and fresh Lebkuchengewürz for authenticity
Since the bold, unique flavor of Lebkuchen became famous through traditional methods of preparation, wouldn’t it be worth it to add some authenticity to your baking? One option is to use Oblaten, which are thin, crispy wafers. Instead of pouring your Lebkuchen mix directly onto parchment paper before baking, Germans would pour it directly onto Oblaten, which rested on the parchment paper instead. Not only does the crisp wafer add a wonderful texture to the Lebkuchen itself, but the Oblaten being on the bottom of the dessert makes it easier for you to remove them from the parchment paper once they’re done cooking!
Otherwise, the best way to make your Lebkuchen really pop in the way they did in warm German kitchens hundreds of years ago is to grind your own Lebkuchengewürz (German gingerbread spice). While a premade spice mix is always acceptable when you don’t want the hassle, it loses flavor the longer it sits on the shelf due to the evaporation of the oils in the spices. For a classically bold Lebkuchengewürz, you should consider grinding your own spice mixture.
Traditionally, Lebkuchengewürz consists of the following:
- cinnamon
- allspice
- cloves
- coriander
- star anise
- ginger
- mace
- cardamom
- nutmeg
Grinding the above ingredients in a coffee bean grinder or in a mortar and pestle will ensure the freshest and boldest Lebkuchengewürz!
Lebkuchen recipe
If you’re excited to bring the warmth of German holiday tradition into your own kitchen, try following our recipe for hazelnut-flavored Lebkuchen cookies with an orange-cardamom glaze.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups ground hazelnuts, 1 cup almond flour, ½ cup flour, 2 tsp Lebkuchengewürz (German gingerbread spice), 1 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt
- 2 eggs, ¾ cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp molasses, 1 tsp vanilla, zest of 1 orange, ¼ cup candied orange peel
- Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp orange juice, ¼ tsp cardamom
Cooking steps:
- Heat oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Mix dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat eggs, sugar, honey, molasses, vanilla, zest, and peel.
- Combine both; chill 30 min if sticky.
- Spoon onto parchment or Oblaten (thin wafers), flatten slightly.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes, cool, and brush warm cookies with glaze.
Once done, you’ll have a traditionally flavored batch of Lebkuchen that should keep for two to three weeks when stored in an airtight container. The flavor will deepen over time, so it’s best to prepare them a few days before you intend to indulge in them!
5 types of Lebkuchen you should try
While most Lebkuchen share the same bold flavors found in the traditional Lebkuchengewürz (German gingerbread spice), the texture, size, shape, and extra details can vary for this dessert.
1. Nürnberger Lebkuchen (Nuremberg gingerbread)
This is the first Lebkuchen to gain popularity in Germany due to Nuremberg’s historical spice, nut, and honey trade. Typically baked on Oblaten (thin wafers), the Nürnberger Lebkuchen is often glazed with chocolate or a sugary reduction.
2. Elisenlebkuchen (Elisabeth’s gingerbread)
Named after the daughter of a master Lebkuchen baker from Nuremberg, Elisenlebkuchen are seen as the high-quality version of the Nürnberger Lebkuchen. This premium version relies on being made with at least 25% nuts and no more than 10% flour, resulting in a softer, moister dessert.
3. Weiße Lebkuchen (white gingerbread)
Wonderfully light and airy, Weiße Lebkuchen include whipped egg whites in their recipe. If the more dense options for Lebkuchen aren’t for you, this dessert is soft and milder in flavor. The whipped egg whites also give this treat a pale color.
4. Lebkuchenherzen (gingerbread hearts)
These are firm, decorative cookies found at fairs and traditional German Christmas markets. You might not consider eating one due to the extreme firmness, but decorative colorings, sizes closer to a foot in diameter, and lovely phrases like Ich liebe dich (I love you) iced on them make for a perfect keepsake or gift for a friend!
5. Pfeffernüsse (pepper nuts)
This version of Lebkuchen may be the smallest, but it has the most flavor as a spice-packed cookie traditionally coated in a white sugary glaze. Despite what their name would suggest, they’re nut-free, but they will sometimes include a pinch of pepper for an even stronger spiced flavor.
Let Rosetta Stone help to warm your kitchen with cultural flair
For the discerning language enthusiast with a love of German that can only be matched by their passion for cultural flair, Rosetta Stone is the right place to learn German. Your focus will be directed at real-world application of language knowledge and the discovery of cultural items, like Lebkuchen, that will improve your daily life.
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