Lebkuchengewürz is called for in many German Christmas baking recipes! Skip the store-bought Gingerbread spice mix for this easy, cheaper, and more flavorful version.
‘Lebkuchengwuerz‘ or German gingerbread spice is used in many German Christmas recipes and makes a great addition to your holiday baking! It gives German Gingerbread (Lebkuchen) its unique flavor but also tastes great in other baked goods or sprinkled onto your morning coffee.
It’s similar to American gingerbread and pumpkin pie spice but the ratios are different and will yield a different flavor. It adds a different and unique flavor to baked goods and makes your house smell like a German Christmas Market.
This special spice mix is hard to find in stores outside of Germany and if you find it it’s expensive. Making your own spice mix is very easy and the results will be so much more flavorful than store-bought mixes.
Why you should make this recipe
- So much more flavorful than a premade spice mix
- Cheaper than store-bought spice mix
- Easy to make
- Versatile – can be used in so many ways
Ingredient Notes
Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom for quantities.
- Star Anise – This spice can be hard to find and often is only available whole and not ground.
- Ground Mace – Mace and nutmeg come from the same tree, the nutmeg tree. Mace is the covering on the seeds of the fruit from the tree. It is spicier and tastes more intense than nutmeg.
- Green Cardamom – Similar to the star anise this spice is often only available whole. Before grinding it you need to remove the seeds from the pods.
- Ground Nutmeg – Nutmeg is the pit of the fruit that grows on the nutmeg tree.
- Ground Cinnamon – I recommend using Ceylon cinnamon because of its flavor profile.
- Ground Allspice
- Ground Coriander – Coriander is the seed of the cilantro plant.
- Ground Ginger – Don’t replace ground ginger with fresh ginger!
- Ground Cloves
How to make this recipe
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.
- Prep: Measure out all the spices and use a spice grinder (affiliate link) if necessary.
- Combine: Combine all the spices and mix with a spoon.
- Finish: Use in your recipe or store in an airtight container.
Expert Tips
- You can use pre-ground spices or whole spices ground in a spice grinder for an even more flavorful version. I don’t list measurements for the whole spices because it depends on the output of your grinder.
- If you can’t find all of the spices in your local grocery store check out a health food store or online store.
- This homemade spice mixture also makes a great hostess or neighbor gift!
- You can add it to any desserts or drinks if you want to add some gingerbread flavor – like waffles, cookies, cakes, or pancakes
Recipe FAQs
(German gingerbread spice) and American gingerbread spice?
The main differences are the ratio of spices and the addition of Green cardamon and star anise in the German version.
I don’t recommend leaving out any of the spices because they all play an important role in the flavor profile. But if you really can’t find some of them it’s ok to skip one or two.
Uses for Gingerbread spice
Many German Christmas baking recipes call for Gingerbread spice mix like Lebkuchen, Magenbrot, and many Pfeffernuesse recipes. The flavor profile also works really well in other baked goods like Christmas cookies, muffins, cakes, brownies (check out my Christmas Brownies), pancakes, or waffles. Just add a few teaspoons to the batter.
It also makes a great addition sprinkled onto drinks like eggnog, coffee, or hot chocolate.
This homemade gingerbread spice mix can also be used in many gingerbread-flavored recipes that call for individual spices like my Gingerbread cake or my spice cake recipe. Just add up the individual amounts of spices and replace them with the same amount of spice blend.
Storing
Store the spice mixture in an airtight container – a mason jar or a container with a tight-fitting lid works well. This blend tastes best if used within 1 or 2 weeks.
More German Christmas recipes to try
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Lebkuchengewürz (German Gingerbread Spice)
Ingredients
- 2½ Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground star anise
- ¼ tsp ground mace
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
Instructions
- Combine all the ground spices.
- Store the spice mix in an airtight container.
Notes
- You can use pre-ground spices or whole spices in a spice grinder for an even more flavorful version. I don’t list measurements for the whole spices because it depends on the output of your grinder.
- If you can’t find all of the spices in your local grocery store check out a health food store or online store.
- This homemade spice mixture also makes a great hostess or neighbor gift!
- You can add it to any desserts or drinks you want to add some gingerbread flavor – like waffles, cookies, cakes, or pancakes
- Store the spice mixture in an airtight container – a mason jar or a container with a tight-fitting lid works well. This blend tastes best if used within 1 or 2 weeks.
- This recipe makes about ¼ cup of the spice mix.
- You can double or triple this recipe.
Rose Conrad says
This is the second recipe I have found that suggests buying whole spices and grinding them just before use. There are no quantities listed for the whole spices so how does one do this? Do you grind them individually and then measure?
LaLoni Kromer says
I’ve been looking how to make my one mix. I use to make the houses in Germany but now I’m back in the states. Thank you for posting it.