Lebkuchen recipe

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These classic German Lebkuchen Christmas biscuits are simple to make and oh-so moreish!

easy lebkuchen recipe
(Image credit: Future PLC)
  • healthy
Makes24
SkillEasy
Preparation Time10 mins plus cooling
Cooking Time10 mins
Total Time20 mins plus cooling time
Cost RangeCheap
Nutrition Per PortionRDA
Calories140 Kcal7%
Fat6 g9%
Saturated Fat2 g10%
Carbohydrates20 g8%

Our delicious Lebkuchen recipe is the perfect festive treat. Serve with hot tea or mulled wine or try packaging them up as an edible gift.

Lebkuchen is a traditional German gingerbread biscuit synonymous with Christmas Markets and the festive season.They’re beautifully spiced with cinnamon, clove and mace, and have some wonderful citrus notes from orange and/or lemon zest.

Our easy Lebkuchen cookies are soft and chewy, unlike their crunchy gingerbread counterpart. Classically Lebkuchen are heart or star-shaped and finished with icing but you can bake them any shape you like.

Feeling really fancy? Try drizzling with melted chocolate, a mix of white and dark would look very attractive. They’re great served with hot chocolate, a cup of tea or coffee, or even a hot mug of mulled wine.

Ingredients

  • 100g honey
  • 100g muscovado sugar
  • 90g unsalted butter
  • 250g self raising flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 1tbsp ground ginger
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½tsp mixed spice
  • ¼tsp ground nutmeg
  • 100g ground almonds
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 100g icing sugar
  • 1-2tbsp water or orange juice

WEIGHT CONVERTER

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Method

  1. In a small pan, melt the honey, muscovado and butter together, set aside.  In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and spices, along with the ground almonds. Add the zest of the orange, pour over the butter mixture and mix into a dough. Wrap in baking paper and chill for 15-20 mins.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. On a floured surface, roll the dough to 1cm thick and cut desired shapes. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake for 8-10 mins, these want to still be soft when baked. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. 
  3. Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar and liquid together until smooth, dip the top of the biscuits in the glaze and leave to set. If you desire, melt some dark chocolate and coat the bottom of the biscuits. Leave to set.
Top Tip for making Lebkuchen

These will store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

The German biscuit lebkuchen is very much like our gingerbread. Due to the cinammon and other spices ther are generally quite sweet, nutty and have a spicy aroma. Like gingerbread, lebkuchen is a nice, soft biscuit, and if you add chopped nuts can also have a delicious crunch.

These biscuits are so delicious they don't really need to be decorated, but if you wanted to gift them as a present or just elevate their look for your own enjoyment it's super easy! As they can have a nice flat surface, you could use royal icing to decorate your biscuits.

You can do as intricate or as simple a design you like, just make sure you get the right consistency of icing so it doesn't run all over the place. You can follow our easy guide on how to make royal icing to help you.

Keiron George
Freelance Food writer

With over 12 years of experience, arts graduate Keiron turned to food to channel his creativity, specifically cake decorating. Keiron set up his wedding cake business in 2015. And, in late 2016 won a scholarship at the world-renowned culinary institute - Le Cordon Bleu, London, where he studied the art of French Pâtisserie. He's worked in some of London’s finest 5-star hotels, collecting a wealth of knowledge along the way. As a Food Writer and Stylist food isn’t just a job, it truly is Keiron's passion.