Description
German Lebkuchen Cookies with Chocolate Glaze Delight — perfect for breakfast alongside coffee and meal prep gifting. Makes 30 cookies in 55 minutes with simple, wholesome ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon quality pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 cups hazelnut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 teaspoons Lebkuchengewürz (German spice mix)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (to coat candied peel; gluten free flour can be substituted)
- 4 ounces candied lemon peel
- 4 ounces candied orange peel
- Backoblaten (either 70mm or 90mm) or white communion wafers (substitute for Backoblaten)
- Blanched whole almonds cut in half lengthwise
- 3 ounces quality dark or milk chocolate
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil (or oil of choice; do not use butter)
- 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons water or milk
Instructions
- Set your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (about 150 degrees Celsius) and allow it to reach temperature for even baking.
- Toss the candied lemon and orange peels with approximately 1/4 cup all-purpose flour to prevent sticking, then pulse them in a food processor until finely minced. Set aside this aromatic mixture for incorporation into the dough.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Add the brown sugar, honey, and vanilla extract, continuing to beat until the mixture is fully combined and smooth.
- Add almond flour, hazelnut flour, salt, baking powder, Lebkuchengewürz, and the processed candied peels to the wet mixture. Stir vigorously or use a stand mixer with paddle attachment to beat for about 2 minutes until thoroughly combined. The dough should be moist but scoopable; if too thin, add a bit more almond or hazelnut flour.
- Scoop portions of the mixture onto each Backoblaten or communion wafer, smoothing the tops and leaving a slight margin around the edges. Arrange these on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Place the cookie sheet on the middle rack and bake for 25-30 minutes until the Lebkuchen are set and lightly firm to touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on the sheet.
- For the chocolate glaze, melt the chocolate with coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl, heating in short bursts and stirring to smoothness. For the sugar glaze, stir sifted powdered sugar with water or milk until smooth and pourable.
- Set a wire rack over a cookie sheet to catch drips. Dip half of the cooled Lebkuchen halfway into the chocolate glaze and the other half into the sugar glaze, letting excess drip off. Return each glazed cookie to the wire rack. While still wet, press three almond halves onto each cookie for decoration.
- Allow the glazes to fully harden and the Lebkuchen to dry before storing.
- Store in an airtight container. These cookies keep for several weeks and their flavor improves as they age.
Notes
- Fridge storage is not recommended for assembled cookies. Refrigerator humidity softens the Backoblaten wafer base within 12 hours, turning the crisp foundation unpleasantly chewy and damp. If you must refrigerate briefly, place cookies in a single layer inside an airtight container lined with parchment paper, and consume within 1 day.
- Freeze unglazed cookies for the best long-term results. Cool baked cookies completely for 30 minutes, then stack between parchment sheets in a rigid freezer container. They keep for up to 3 months at 0 °F. Thaw at room temperature for 1 hour before applying glaze fresh, following food storage guidelines for safe handling.
- To reheat in a conventional oven, preheat to 300 °F and place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Warm for 5 minutes—no longer, or the chocolate glaze will melt and pool. This gently revives the spice aroma without drying out the nut-flour crumb. Let them cool 2 minutes before eating.
- Microwave reheating works in a pinch but requires care. Place one or two cookies on a microwave-safe plate and heat at 50% power for 10 seconds. The nut-heavy crumb can turn rubbery if overheated, so err on the side of less time. The chocolate glaze softens quickly—allow 1 minute of resting before handling.
- Air fryer reheating produces a lightly crisped exterior that refreshes day-old cookies nicely. Set the air fryer to 280 °F and place cookies in a single layer—do not stack. Heat for 3 minutes, checking at the halfway point. The circulating air firms up the wafer base slightly while warming the spiced interior. Cool for 2 minutes on a rack before serving.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: German
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookies
- Calories: 142 calories
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 38mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 31mg