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a stack of three chocolate-covered lebkuchen with a red bow on a white plate next to a lebkuchen broken in half. There's a cup in the background
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5 from 28 votes

German Lebkuchen Recipe

This traditional Lebkuchen recipe is easy to make from scratch and loaded with nuts, candied fruit, and flavorful spices.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Total Time32 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: German
Servings: 30
Author: Julia Foerster

Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups ground hazelnuts
  • 1 3/4 cups ground almonds
  • 1/2 cup candied citrus peel pulsed in a food processor
  • 1/2 cup candied orange peel pulsed in a food processor
  • 3 tbsp German gingerbread spice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 30-40 wafers with a 70mm diameter (Oblaten)
Cups - Metric

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs and sugar. Beat for about 15 minutes at medium speed until white and fluffy.
  • Add the ground hazelnuts, ground almonds, finely chopped candied orange peel, finely chopped citrus peel, gingerbread spice and lemon zest. Whisk until combined then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rest in the fridge overnight or for at least 10 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 320° F (160° C), line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Scoop the mixture with a spoon or an ice cream scoop onto the wafers (Oblaten) and smooth down the top until the very edge of the wafer with a wet knife. The dough should be thicker in the center and thinner on the edges. Set them on the lined sheet.
  • Bake for about 22 minutes, or until the Lebkuchen are set but still soft in the middle and have barely started to brown around the edges. Leave them on the tray to cool down completely.
  • Once the Lebkuchen are cooled, place a wire rack over a baking sheet (to catch the drippings). Dip the Lebkuchen in the chocolate glaze and let the excess drip back into the bowl. Then place the Lebkuchen on the wire rack. Let them dry completely and store them in an airtight container.

Video

Notes

Recipe originally published December 2015. Updated with recipe video and more detailed instructions.

Nutrition

Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 0.8mg