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!
Why you’ll love this stollen cookie recipe
- Festive flavors: These dried fruit cookies encapsulate the rich, traditional flavors of German stollen, making them a perfect treat for the holiday season.
- Stollen cookie: These handy stollen bites offer the same festive taste as a whole Christmas Stollen but in convenient, bite-sized portions.
- Food gift: These dried fruit cookies make delicious homemade gifts during Christmas time.
Ingredients
- 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.
- 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.
How to make stollen cookies
1. Activated yeast and dry ingredients.
2. Stollen dough before the rise.
3. Shaped stollen cookies before baking.
4. Stollen cookies after baking.
Serving
Serve these stollen cookies as a tasty addition to your Christmas dessert table, or package them in an airtight container for a delicious homemade gift during the festive season.
FAQ
Yes, you can prepare the dough a day ahead, allowing it to rise in the refrigerator overnight for a convenient next-day bake.
Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They also freeze well for longer storage.
Related recipes
For more German Christmas cookies and treats, check out the following recipes:
- German gingerbread cookies
- Coconut macaroons
- Candied pecan maple clusters
- Chocolate crossies
- Baumkuchen
My Weihnachten guide has more festive German tips as well.
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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
- 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.
