German Christmas Cookies

Christmas cookies come in all colors, shapes and sizes, but some of them really excel at capturing the flavor of the holidays. Our German Christmas cookies are a perfect example! These tasty little bites are dusted in a snowy layer of confectioners’ sugar and share a similar warming spice profile to pfeffernuesse cookies. They also have crunch from chopped almonds as well as a light citrusy flavor and chewy texture from lemon zest and candied citron.

Our recipe uses many ingredients found in traditional German Christmas cookie recipes, like anise flavoring, cinnamon and allspice. They’re the reason that these cookies are such a festive treat. Our German Christmas cookie recipe is easy to make together with your family and yields several dozen cookies, so it is perfect for cookie swaps, holiday fairs, or gifting to neighbors and co-workers. This is one of the best cookie recipes to try this year!

Ingredients for German Christmas Cookies

• Flour: There’s nothing fancy here—you can use good old all-purpose flour to make German Christmas cookie recipes. Remember that you can sift flour without a sifter, an important step to removing any lumps that may impact the dough’s texture.
• Sugar: This German Christmas cookie recipe uses two types of sugar. Granulated sugar is added to the dough to sweeten the cookies, and confectioners’ sugar is used when rolling the cookies to give them a completely white coating.
• Baking soda: Just 1/2 teaspoon baking soda is all you need here. If yours has expired, you’ll want to test the baking soda to ensure it still rises before adding it to the dough.
• Eggs: Two eggs bind the cookie dough together, giving it moisture and richness. Using room-temperature eggs is always a good idea when baking.
• Butter: Use the best butter brand to create the best-tasting cookies. It needs to be melted first: Either microwave it in a bowl in short bursts or melt it over low heat on the stovetop.
• Spices: German Christmas cookie recipes have a blend of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice, which gives the cookies an unmistakable holiday flavor.
• Lemon zest: Fresh lemon zest brightens the cookies with a citrusy zing. There are several ways to zest a lemon, with a microplane being the quickest and easiest.
• Anise extract: Even if you don’t usually care for licorice flavor, you’ll be surprised how well it works in these German Christmas cookies. Anise extract contributes a mild flavor that pairs beautifully with the fruit and spice.
• Almonds: These little cookie balls have a hefty dose of chopped almonds for crunch and nuttiness.
• Candied citron: This candied peel comes from citron fruit, which tastes like a cross between lemon and grapefruit. It’s a common flavoring in holiday treats like fruitcakes and panettone.

Directions

Step 1: Make the cookie dough

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg and allspice in a large bowl.

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In another bowl, combine the eggs, butter, lemon zest and extract.

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Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.

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Finally, fold in the chopped almonds and candied citron.

Step 2: Shape the dough balls

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Shape the dough into 1/2-inch balls and place them 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets.

Editor’s Tip: Cookie scoops are one of those invaluable cookie-baking supplies. A scoop makes it easy to measure consistent amounts of dough. If you roll the dough into too-large balls, you may end up making 4 dozen instead of 12 dozen cookies!

Step 3: Bake the cookies

Slide the pan into the oven and bake the cookies until set, 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 4: Roll the cookies in sugar

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Roll the warm cookies in confectioners’ sugar, then cool on wire racks.

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Recipe Variations

• Substitute other dried fruits: Instead of citron, try making these cookies with chopped dried fruit, like figs, apricots, sultanas or currants. Candied lemon peel, orange peel or cherries can also be used.
• Try other nuts: Finely chop walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans or pistachios, and use them instead of almonds.
• Play with extracts: The licorice flavor in these cookies is subtle, so you can amp up that flavor by adding a full teaspoon of anise extract. You can also try using other extracts, like vanilla, rum, almond or orange.

How to Store German Christmas Cookies

First, allow the cookies to cool completely. (Covering cookies while they’re still warm is a common cookie storage mistake.) Transfer the German Christmas cookie recipe to an airtight container and cover the container tightly. Store the cookies at room temperature.

How long do German Christmas cookies last?

German Christmas cookies last up to one week. However, these cookies are so popular and delicious that they don’t tend to last that long!

Can you freeze German Christmas cookies?

You can freeze cookies like German Christmas cookies for up to three months. After they’re baked, let them cool without rolling them in confectioners’ sugar. Once completely cool, transfer them to a freezer-proof container or a resealable bag with the air pressed out. Thaw the cookies at room temperature and roll them in sugar once thawed.

German Christmas Cookie Tips

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What do you do if your cookie dough is too sticky?

If the German Christmas cookie dough is too sticky to work with, cover the bowl of dough and refrigerate it for 30 minutes. Briefly chilling the dough will firm it up just enough to make it easier to handle.

How do you get confectioners’ sugar to stick to German Christmas cookies?

The key to coating cookies in confectioners’ sugar is to roll them while they’re still warm. Then, if your cookies still need a second coating, you can roll them in the sugar again once they’re cool. That’s a trick we use when making our popular pecan snowball cookies.