78 german cookie recipes

Hoernchen are German almond crescent cookies made with ground almonds, butter, and vanilla, dipped in colored sugar or sprinkles for a festive holiday cookie.

Spritzgeback are classic German pressed butter cookies flavored with almond extract. Pipe them through a cookie press for decorative shapes, then bake until just golden.

Pfefferkuchen, a German honey spice cake with whole wheat flour, coffee, cinnamon, cloves, and rum, glazed while hot. A traditional Christmas cookie bar that stays soft for weeks.

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.

Heidesand cookies are traditional German sandies made with just three ingredients: browned butter, flour, and vanilla sugar. A crispy, nutty slice-and-bake cookie with deep caramel flavor.

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.

Traditional German sauerbraten marinated for 3 days in vinegar and spices, then braised until fork-tender with a sweet-sour gravy thickened with gingersnap cookies. Authentic old-world pot roast flavor.

Anise holiday spice cookies with anise, lemon, and vanilla extracts plus a peppery warm spice blend of nutmeg, cloves, and mace. The grown-up Christmas cookie that tastes like a German bakery in December.

Traditional German springerle cookies with anise and lemon, stamped with intricate designs using a springerle rolling pin. A classic holiday cookie that air-dries overnight for a crisp, white finish.

Spritzgeback, the traditional German pressed butter cookie made with rich butter, powdered sugar, and almond or lemon extract. Tender, melt-in-your-mouth shapes pressed through a cookie gun for the holiday tin.

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.

Soft, spiced German brown sugar cookies loaded with cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, and plump raisins. This old-world drop cookie recipe makes 4 to 5 dozen and fills your kitchen with warmth.

German anise cookies beaten for 20 minutes until fluffy, dried overnight, then baked golden for distinctive chewy-crisp springerle-style treats.

Toasty pecan drop cookies with German sweet chocolate, cinnamon, and toasted pecans. Brownie-like centers with crisp edges, two dozen in 30 minutes.

Traditional German Pfeffernusse cookies with five warm spices, candied citron, and lemon. Tiny spiced rounds that dry overnight and ripen for days before eating.