Pfeffernusse {Authentic German Recipe!} - Plated Cravings (2024)

FAQs

What does Pfeffernusse mean in German? ›

The name literally means 'peppernuts', and does not mean it contains nuts. The cookies are roughly the size of nuts and can be eaten by the handful, which may account for the name. They are named for the pinch of pepper added to the dough before baking.

Pfeffernusse and lebkuchen are both similarly flavored with honey and lots of warm baking spices but pfeffernusse are almost always small, rounded cookies coated with a powdered sugar glaze, while lebkuchen may be shaped like regular cookies or cut in bars and are generally glazed with chocolate.

Pfeffernusse have a flavor similar to a traditional gingerbread cookie but have a distinct kick from the ground pepper and a hint of licorice from the anise extract. These cookies hold up really well, so they are perfect for holiday cookie exchanges.

Pfeffernusse cookies are packed with an intense spice flavor that will truly tantalize your taste buds! After the cookies cool, they become very hard. Hard enough that they require dipping into a liquid such as cold milk or hot coffee to soften them for eating.

Both are sweetened with a mixture of sugar and honey/syrup, flavoured with warm spices and often use the same technique to make the dough. The difference, as you may have guessed from the name, is the primary flavour. Whilst pure gingerbread uses only ground ginger, pfeffernüsse use a full quintet of spices.

Lebkuchen (pronounced leyb-koo-kuh n) is a centuries-old German spiced treat traditionally baked during the winter holiday season. While lebkuchen is often translated to English as gingerbread, it's not exactly what most Americans envision when they think of gingerbread.

Lebkuchenherzen have become a staple in German celebrations, especially around Oktoberfest and Christmas time. They're typically decorated with intricate icing designs and lettering, including endearing or funny messages. Try your hand at making them and share them with someone you love!

Nutrition Facts in Aldi Pfeffernüsse Gingerbread Cookies

There are 6 servings per package of three cookies. So, 18 cookies per bag. Each serving has 110 calories, 15 grams of sugar, and only a half gram of fat. There's a tiny bit of protein, with 2 grams per serving.

Lebkuchen is a traditional German cookie that is usually baked for Christmas. It is most like a soft gingerbread cookie, made with molasses and full of warm spices. The glaze provides the perfect complement, a little sweet and with a hint of lemon.

Borrowed from German Pfeffernüsse, plural of Pfeffernuss (literally “pepper nut”).

What is on the bottom of German gingerbread cookies? ›

Another easy-to-find in Germany 'round Christmas time, also for making lebkuchen, is back-oblaten, or baking wafers, which typically line the bottom of lebkuchen. They're helpful in keeping the sticky cookie from sticking while baking, and a fun bit of texture to the cookie itself.

Roughly 80,000 tons are produced annually, most being consumed within Germany. Lebkuchen Schmidt, Nuremberg's most famous baker, has been producing gingerbread since 1601. From its location on the city's Hauptmarkt, where Nuremberg's famous Christmas market takes place each year, Schmidt forms the cookies by hand.

Pfeffernusse, or “peppernuts,” are little balls of holiday cheer that originated in Germany. It's believed their name comes from the whole spices that are ground into powder to flavor the dough since traditional Pfeffernusse don't contain nuts, despite the name.

These sweet cookies are a classic German treat. Be the first to review! These German "gingerbread hearts" (Lebkuchenherz) are a common sight in Bavaria during the fall and winter holidays.

Kekse are biscuits/cookies in general while Plätzchen are a Christmas speciality, although the terms are somewhat interchangeable.