German Christmas Stollen Cookies
Transport yourself to a German Christmas market with these delicious German Christmas stollen cookies. As a bite-sized version of a traditional Dresdner stollen recipe, these bites offer the same classic dried fruit and citrus flavors that you love in the classic Christstollen. Perfect as a gift during the holiday season!
Growing up in Germany, stollen has been a much loved treat during the festive season. This recipe for bite-sized stollen offers the same authentic taste but in a handy cookie to maintain maximum freshness.
Just like the traditional stollen, these dried fruit cookies combine dried fruit, citrus peel, ground nuts, and plenty of spice to make delicious and comforting treat that stores well.
Just like my pecan chocolate clusters, these dried fruit cookies make delicious homemade food gifts during Christmas time.
You can learn more about how Germans enjoy the holiday season, aka Weihnachtszeit, in my comprehensive Weihnachten guide. For more German Christmas cookies and treats, check out my German gingerbread cookies, Baumkuchen, and German butter cookies.
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German Christmas Stollen Cookies
Ingredients
- 5 oz raisins
- 5 oz dried red currants
- 1/2 cup milk lukewarm
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup ground almonds
- 1 tsp Christmas spice mix or pumpkin spice mix
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3.5 oz candied citrus peel
Instructions
- Add the sultanas and dried red currants to a medium bowl and pour over boiling water until they're fully submerged. Set aside to plump up.5 oz raisins, 5 oz dried red currants
- Activate the dry yeast by combining lukewarm milk, yeast, and 1 tbsp of the sugar. Mix and let it froth up for 5-10 minutes.1/2 cup milk, 2 tsp active dry yeast
- In a large bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, ground almonds, Christmas spice, and sugar.1/4 cup sugar, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup ground almonds, 1 tsp Christmas spice mix
- Add the activated yeast, softened butter, vanilla extract, and eggs to the flour mixture. Mix until fully combined.3/4 cup butter, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Drain the sultanas and red currants and incorporate the soaked fruit into the dough alongside the candied citrus peel.3.5 oz candied citrus peel
- Knead the dough by hand or with a dough hook until it becomes smooth and elastic. Shape it into a large dough ball and then let it rise in a warm place covered with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap 1-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
- Roll the dough into small balls (about 2oz each) and place them on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the stollen cookies for 15-20 minutes until golden brown, then cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Roll in icing sugar while warm. Enjoy immediately or store them in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
- Dry ingredients: You’ll need all-purpose flour, active dry yeast (or instant or fresh yeast), and granulated sugar.
- Wet ingredients: Warm whole milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and eggs at room temperature.
- Dried fruit: Sultanas and dried red currants, glazed lemon peel and orange peel. You can also add lemon zest or orange zest for extra freshness.
- Nuts: Ground almonds add a wholesome texture and nutty flavor to these Christmas cookies. You can substitute them with ground walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts as well.
- Christmas spice: I use 1 tsp of my Christmas spice mix which is a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, all-spice, ginger, and cloves. Add a knife tip of each instead if you don’t want to make up a large spice mix. Alternatively, you can use a pumpkin spice mix.
- Icing sugar: For dusting the cookies post-baking.
Variations
Rum raisins: Traditionally rum-soaked raisins add extra flavor to homemade stollen. Simply soak the raisins and red currants in 1/2 cup of rum.
Marzipan: Fill the stollen cookies with homemade marzipan to create an indulgent and sweeter treat.
Crinkle cookies: Roll the cookies in icing sugar before baking for crinkle cookie coating.
Step-by-step photos: stollen cookies
1. Activated yeast. Add to dry ingredients.
2. Stollen dough before the rise.
3. Shaped stollen cookies before baking.
4. Stollen cookies after baking.
I made this recipe for the first time yesterday. I love stollen and was excited for the outcome.
Well, this recipe is like none other I have seen or tried, and will definitely be a Christmas staple. These cookies taste like German Christmas to me. Perfect!
Thanks Judi, that’s great to hear. Enjoy the cookies and frohe Weihnachten!