About

Those early experiences as a kid instilled a deep love of German baking within my heart. Every Fall, I try to recreate those boisterous Oktoberfest memories with chewy, salty pretzels. And the cold, dark Winter nights are way more enjoyable with a batch of comforting spiced Pfeffernüsse cookies dunked into rich German hot chocolate.

These beloved recipes are my cherished links between my past + present, and I'm so excited to share them with you!

Beyond flavor and texture, there's another reason why I love baking German classics. The names of these delicious dishes are such a nostalgic comfort to me! Whenever my dad bakes his annual Christmas Stollen bread, it reminds me of thrilling Christmas mornings as a kid and magical twinkle-light-filled nights in Weihnachts markets.

In Germany, baked goods taste different than in the United States. German cakes and German breads aren't meant to stay pillowing soft for weeks at a time. Most German baked goods are best eaten fresh, the day of baking. Of course, there are some exceptions, like beloved Lebkuchen that are sometimes stored for months to allow the flavors to develop before enjoying them.

German baked goods from a Bäckerei (bakery) or Konditorei (confectionary) are truly something special. The enticing aroma of a fresh loaf of bread being pulled from a hot oven is intoxicating. And the rich, decadent layers in a Black Forest Cake are simply divine. My goal is to figure out how to recreate those treats in my home kitchen, as if they were straight from a German bakery! So join me as we explore the magical world of German baking, one cookie at a time. 🙂

Humbly Homemade Reader Favorites

What You'll Find on Humbly Homemade

• Reliable Recipes - I rest (and re-test) all my recipes numerous times to ensure they are easy to follow and simple to recreate in any kitchen.
• Accessible Ingredients - Sometimes while the most authentic flavor would come from a German ingredient, that's not always readily available to bakers around the world. That's why I test my recipes using the most easily accessible ingredients to still achieve a bakery-worthy flavor and texture.
• Approachable Recipes - Listen, I was once a very novice baker and I ended up with so many failed attempts and what felt like wasted time and energy. To prevent my baking besties from the same pitfalls, I try to make my recipes as approachable as possible for everyone from beginner bakers and college students to elite baking connoisseurs.
• Traditional German Flavors - I try to create all my recipes to produce the same texture, flavor, and look as the baked goods I ate while living in Germany. Sometimes that means we need to add a special ingredient like ground poppy seeds or sourdough. Other times we'll explore a special technique, like baking with steam.
• Step-by-Step - All of my German recipes include step-by-step instructions and photos in the posts. This is to provide a visual reference that you can follow along with. And be sure to read each post for all my helpful tips and troubleshooting.
• Inspiring Photos - In case you were wondering, I take all my own photos; I don't hire out any photography. I try to capture the final texture of each recipe, along with inspiration for how you can present it to your friends & family.

Comment Policy

I love love loooove getting comments on my blog posts! It brings me so much joy to read someone sharing that they've made one of my recipes. And I'm always open to questions and constructive feedback, so if something didn't turn out quite right (or if there's a typo - I'm human too!), please leave a comment. I check my comments obsessively, and I'll get back to you asap.

Note though that I have zero tolerance for any comments that are in any way disrespectful, rude, or hateful. I reserve the right to remove or not publish any comments.