19 german cookie recipes

Kekstorte is a classic German no-bake cookie cake layering crisp butter cookies with rum-spiked cocoa-coconut cream, chilled overnight in a loaf pan until sliceable and rich.

German filbert cookies shape buttery hazelnut dough into delicate crescents and dust them in powdered sugar or dip in chocolate. Holiday cookie classic with deep nutty flavor.

Pfeffernuesse are traditional German pepper nut cookies spiced with cinnamon, cloves, mace, nutmeg, and allspice. Tiny rounds dried overnight and finished with a drop of brandy.

German honey spice cookies rolled into bite-sized balls with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, mace, and black pepper, then dipped in a sweet vanilla glaze. A traditional Pfeffernusse-style holiday cookie.

Authentic springerle, the embossed German anise Christmas cookies. Egg dough pressed with carved molds, dried overnight, then baked low so the white design stays crisp. Aged to mellow the flavor.

Classic springerle: traditional German anise cookies embossed with intricate designs, dried overnight, and baked pale, then mellowed for a week into crisp, picture-perfect holiday treats.

German springerle, the classic embossed anise cookie made with eggs, sugar, flour, and crushed anise seed. Patterned with a springerle roller and dried overnight to lock in the design before baking.

Lemony springerle, traditional German embossed cookies stamped from a wooden mold and air-dried overnight before baking. Lemon zest brightens the classic anise.

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.

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.

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.

Pfeffernuesse (German pepper nut cookies) are tiny round spice cookies flavored with cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg, and mace, finished with a drop of brandy before baking. A traditional Christmas cookie from Germany.

German chocolate pretzel cookies (Schokoladenpretzel) hand-shaped from cocoa dough and topped with cocoa frosting. A fun baking project that makes about 2 dozen pretzel-shaped cookies.

Traditional German lebkuchen: honey-and-molasses spice cookies studded with citron and nuts, finished with a brushed sugar glaze. A heritage Christmas cookie that gets better as it ages.

Pfeffernüsse-style German spice cookies with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace, and allspice, finished with a drop of brandy before baking. A traditional holiday cookie that keeps for weeks in a tin.