78 german cookie recipes

The Pennsylvania Dutch settlers made these at Thanksgiving and stored them in a stoneware crock until Christmas. The cookies can be made at any time, but allowed to age for 4-6 weeks.

My kids love these cupcakes, they are easy to make, and very yummy.

A large batch cured German style sausage from scratch.

Triple chocolate cheesecake on a chocolate cookie crust, made with cream cheese, melted semisweet chocolate, grated German chocolate, and a splash of creme de cacao. Slow-baked low and slow for a velvety, crack-free finish.

German pfeffernusse: spiced honey cookies with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, mace, and a touch of black pepper, dipped in vanilla glaze. Traditional Christmas cookie recipe.

Creamy vanilla cheesecake on a cookie crumb crust, drizzled with melted caramel and German chocolate toppings, then showered with toasted pecans. Every slice is a candy-counter dream come true.

Zimtsterne are German cinnamon star cookies: a chewy ground-almond and cinnamon dough crowned with a crisp white meringue glaze. Naturally gluten-free and a staple of the German Christmas cookie tin.

Gingersnap pot roast slow-cooked with sweet potatoes and carrots in a tangy gingersnap-vinegar gravy. A German-inspired crockpot dinner where the cookies thicken and flavor the sauce.

Festive lebkuchen cookies made with honey, brown sugar, allspice, and lemon. A traditional German Christmas cookie decorated with white icing.

Lebkuchen (German honey cakes) blend honey, brown sugar, lemon, almonds, citron, and warm spices into a chewy spice cookie cut into fancy holiday shapes. Traditional Christmas cookie from Nuremberg.

Pfeffernuesse are traditional German Christmas peppernut cookies, fragrant with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and a hint of black pepper, studded with citron and almonds and a touch of brandy. A heritage holiday cookie.

Mandel-Halbmonde are German almond crescents: buttery shortbread cookies shaped like half-moons, baked pale, then rolled twice in powdered sugar. The kind of melt-in-your-mouth Christmas cookie every German bakery puts on the holiday plate.

Braune Zucker Platzchen, traditional German brown sugar cookies with cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, raisins, and nuts. Spiced drop cookies that store well in airtight tins.

Traditional German Spekulatius Christmas cookies spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, made with ground almonds and butter. Thin, crisp, and warmly spiced, these are a holiday cookie tin essential.

German pfeffernusse cookies spiced with cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, cloves, and nutmeg, then rolled in powdered sugar while warm. Crunchy little spice balls with a molasses backbone.

Traditional German Kasekuchen made with sieved cottage cheese, sour cream, and raisins in a buttery cookie crust. A lighter, tangier European-style cheesecake.