If you're looking to add a little rustic charm to your holiday season, a batch (or five) of German Christmas cookies is the way to go! From chewy Lebkuchen to crispy Spekulatius, these Weihnachtskekse allow you to effortlessly recreate German Christmas market vibes in your own home. After growing up in Germany, I rounded up my favorites so you can share them with family & friends.
Vanillekipferl
German vanilla crescent cookies are made from tender almond flour dough and shaped into crescents. The sweet aroma and enticing flavor of vanilla is achieved with vanilla extract, so you don't need to break the bank on whole vanilla beans.
Lebkuchen Herzen
These festive Lebkuchenherzen are just like the gingerbread heart cookies you'd find in Germany at Oktoberfest and Christmas markets. A blend of molasses, honey, brown sugar, and melted butter creates cookies that are crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside.
Pfeffernüsse
Glazed Pfeffernüsse are packed with warm spices, sweetened with honey + brown sugar, and topped with a simple glaze. Best of all, you don't need to chill the dough, so they're ready in 40 minutes!
Mandelhörnchen
These chewy almond horn cookies are made with just 6 simple ingredients! The soft almond paste + almond flour dough is rolled in sliced almonds for added crunch.
Spekulatius
German Spekulatius cookies are made with ground spices + cocoa powder to add a warm & cozy flavor, while fun cookie cutters or molds create festive designs.
Bethmännchen
These nostalgic German marzipan cookies are so easy to make from scratch with just 6 ingredients. They're chewy, nutty, and decorated with sliced blanched almonds.
Kulleraugen
These German jam thumbprint cookies have sweet jam baked right on top of the buttery, crumbly cookies to achieve the perfect ooey-gooey texture.
Zimtsterne
These nutty German cinnamon star cookies are made with just 4 ingredients! And a crunchy meringue topping gives each cookie festive European Christmas market vibes.
Springerle
German Springerle cookies are flavored with anise extract & orange zest and embossed with intricate designs. They're crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and perfect for dunking into coffee.
Spritzgebäck
These nostalgic Christmas German Spritz cookies are buttery, soft, and easily made without a fancy cookie press. Best of all, they bake in just 10 minutes!
Orange Glazed Lebkuchen
Traditional chewy Lebkuchen get a unique twist with citrus glaze to compliment the warm, rich spices.
Butterkekse
These German Butterkekse are made with powdered sugar, softened butter, and cornstarch to create tender, delicate, melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
Chaz T says
Carissa!!!! I’m so excited to find you have a whole internet presence dedicated to these kinds of recipes and German heritage recipes. I used to help babysit you and your sister as kids in Wiesbaden, and it’s very gratifying to see how you’ve expanded your interests over the years 🙂 Cool site, and best of luck with your baking adventures.
Carissa Erzen says
Hey Chaz! How have you been!? It's been so fun trying to recreate the flavors we grew up with. It's never quite the same as being there in person, but still really enjoyable! (: And my dad always has to test-taste everything LOL