Traditional German gingerbread cookies get a unique twist with orange glaze! The citrus from orange zest and juice compliments the warm, rich spices in these soft & chewy Lebkuchen. I can't wait to share my favorite Christmas cookies with you!
Growing up in Germany as a kid, Lebkuchen were my absolute favorite cookie. They're packed with flavor, both from the sweet glaze and the warm spices. Each bite tastes like a hug at Christmas. And the Lebkuchen we'd buy in the store were massive, which is all the more reason to love them.
Sometimes Lebkuchen are glazed with melted chocolate, or they’re baked on little wafer cookies for an extra crunchy texture. I prefer mine with this unique orange glaze. It's an adaptation from my Dad's secret recipe for Christmas Stollen. 😉
Honey versus Molasses
Lebkuchen translates to "gingerbread" in English. And while gingerbread in the U.S. is often crispy and contains molasses, gingerbread cookies in Germany are soft and traditionally sweetened with honey. Their chewy texture and distinct flavor are most popular around Christmas.
Honey also helps prolong the shelf life of cookies. Lebkuchen traditionally aren't eaten right away, so they can develop their flavor.
My Dad taught us as kids that Lebkuchen was baked in the early Fall, but not eaten until the dead of Winter, so there would be enough food to go around when all the farms were empty! :p
I use honey in my German gingerbread cookies, but I also add a little dark molasses to deepen the color. Molasses also adds a richer caramel-like flavor.
I think a combination of traditional honey and non-traditional molasses create the ultimate soft, flavor-packed Lebkuchen.
Ingredients
Cookies
- Molasses - I recommend using unsulphured dark molasses. Dark molasses has a stronger flavor than light molasses, but it's sweeter than blackstrap molasses, making it perfect for Lebkuchen.
- Honey - Traditional German baking uses honey along with molasses (or sometimes completely in place of molasses). It adds a floral sweetness that compliments all the spices.
- Dark brown sugar - You can also use light brown sugar, but I prefer the darker color and richer caramel flavor of dark brown sugar.
- Butter - Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in your cookies.
- All purpose flour - Provides the structure for these soft cookies and a neutral flavor so it doesn't compete with the spices.
- Baking spices - A blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice adds warmth and tons of spiced flavor. You could replace all the individual spices with a blend called Lebkuchengewürz.
- Salt - I recommend using non-iodized table salt or fine sea salt, which will enhance the flavors of the other ingredients and incorporate easily into the dough.
- Baking soda - Leavens the cookies to help them rise in the oven. The baking soda is activated by the acidity in the molasses and brown sugar.
- Orange zest - Adds a bright, citrus flavor that compliments all the warm spices.
- Eggs - Binds all the ingredients together to form a cohesive cookie dough.
Glaze
- Powdered sugar - Sweetens the glaze while keeping it really light and smooth, which other more granular sugars cannot achieve.
- Salt - Balances the sweetness in the glaze so it isn't overpowering.
- Orange zest - This addition is completely optional, but it takes what could be a boring glaze to a whole new level.
- Orange juice - Forms a delicious orange glaze when mixed with powdered sugar. If you want to keep your glaze white, you can use hot water or milk instead.
How to Make Lebkuchen
Below are the general steps to make deliciously soft German gingerbread cookies. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient measurements, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. In a small saucepan on low heat, add the honey, molasses, brown sugar, and butter.
3. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric whisk, add the flour mixture then the butter mixture and mix on low speed to form a dense crumbly mixture, like wet sand.
5. Cover the mixing bowl with a plate or plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, for at least 8 hours, or up to 3 days. When ready to bake, scoop and shape large balls of dough and place them on a baking sheet lined.
7. To make the the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and salt in a bowl. Whisk with a fork or whisk until it forms a smooth mixture.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, spices, salt, baking soda and orange zest.
4. Add the two eggs and mix on low speed until the eggs are mixed in, and it forms a dense cookie dough. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spoon or rubber spatula to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
6. Flatten the dough balls with the back of a spoon so they're 3 to 4 inches in diameter.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 350°F, until they begin to darken on the bottom. Allow them to cool on a cooling rack.
8. Spoon a tablespoon of the glaze onto each cookie. Add any optional toppings like sliced almonds or candied citrus peel while the glaze is still soft. Allow the glaze to set, then enjoy!!
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Instead of all the spices, you could use 1½ Tablespoons of Lebkuchengewürz, which is a spice blend often found in German stores, especially around the holidays.
- Lebkuchen are traditionally decorated with icing glaze, chopped or whole nuts like almonds, or candied fruit like citrus peels. You could also leave them plain, or decorate them with an egg wash, melted chocolate, or an elaborate design of royal icing.
- Most of the lebkuchen we’d buy in German grocery stores around Christmas were large round cookies topped just with icing. However, you can cut out fun shapes like hearts, snowflakes, and gingerbread men as well with this dough.
- If you don’t have molasses, or if you want to bake more traditional German Lebkuchen, replace the molasses with the same amount of additional honey.
- For a traditional white glaze, don’t add orange zest or orange juice. Just add hot water or milk to the powdered sugar.
Storing
Baked Cookies
Store your German gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few weeks.
Traditionally Lebkuchen can last up to 6 months! But I’m sure yours will be eaten long before then. 🙂
Cookie Dough
You can also make the dough ahead of time. Form the dough into a large disc, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
You can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Allow frozen dough to thaw in the fridge before shaping and baking.
More German Baking Recipes
- German Onion Pie (Zwiebelkuchen mit Äpfeln)
- Almond Horn Cookies (Mandelhörnchen)
- German Spiced Cookies (Pfeffernüsse)
- German Marble Cake (Marmorkuchen)
- German Applesauce Cake
German Gingerbread Cookies (Lebkuchen)
Ingredients
Cookies
- ⅓ cup unsulphured dark molasses
- ½ cup honey
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (packed into the measuring cup)
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon table salt or fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from about one medium orange)
- 2 large eggs
Glaze
- 2 cupa powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon table salt or fine sea salt
- 1½ teaspoon orange zest (from about half a medium orange)
- 2 tablespoon orange juice (from about half a medium orange)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan on low heat, add the honey, molasses, brown sugar, and butter. Stir often and be careful not to let the mixture boil. Keep stirring until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, spices, salt, baking soda and orange zest.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric whisk, add the flour mixture then the butter mixture and mix on low speed to form a dense crumbly mixture, like wet sand.
- Add the two eggs and mix on low speed until the eggs are mixed in fully, and it forms a dense cookie dough. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula or spoon to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
- Cover the mixing bowl with a plate or plastic cling wrap, and refrigerate overnight, for at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Option 1: To cut out shapes, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.Option 2: Scoop and shape 2-inch diameter balls of dough and place them on the baking sheet. Gently press them down with the back of a spoon to be about 3 to 3.5 inches in diameter.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are puffed up slightly, dry on top, and slightly golden on the bottom.
- Gently transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely. They will be very soft when they come out of the oven.
- To decorate with the glaze, in a bowl mix the powdered sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and salt with a fork or whisk. Spoon a tablespoon of glaze onto each cookie. Add any optional toppings like sliced almonds or candied citrus peel while the glaze is still soft. Allow the cookies to sit for at least 30 minutes, so the glaze can harden. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Instead of all the spices, you could use 1½ Tablespoons of Lebkuchengewürz, which is a spice blend often found in German stores, especially around the holidays.
- Lebkuchen are traditionally decorated with icing glaze, chopped or whole nuts like almonds, or candied fruit like citrus peels. You could also leave them plain, or decorate them with an egg wash, melted chocolate, or an elaborate design of royal icing.
- If you don’t have molasses, or if you want to bake more traditional German Lebkuchen, replace the molasses with the same amount of additional honey.
- For a traditional white glaze, don’t add orange zest or orange juice. Just add hot water or milk to the powdered sugar.
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