Traditional German Gingerbread Cookies (Lebkuchen)

5 from 2 votes

A quick and easy recipe for traditional German gingerbread cookies (Lebkuchen). Perfect for baking with kids!

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Total Time18

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: German

Servings: cookies

Calories: 100kcal

In a large mixing bowl, mix the soft butter, honey, and brown sugar with an electric mixer or stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Add the eggs one at a time while stirring until all wet ingredients are well combined.
1/2 cup butter, 125 g honey, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs
Slowly add the two types of flour, baking soda, cocoa, lemon zest, and spices. Mix everything until you have homogenous sticky cookie dough.
2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 cups wholemeal rye flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground clove, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, 1 tbsp cocoa
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour. This makes it easier to work with.
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
To make the cookies, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface and cut out your preferred shapes. Make sure they are about the same size to ensure they bake evenly. Place the cookies onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
Bake the gingerbread cookies in the oven for 8-10 minutes on the baking sheet. Let them fully cool down on a wire rack.
To make the icing, thoroughly mix the powdered sugar with water and add it to a piping bag. You can use a sandwich bag and cut off a corner to make your own. Add the icing to the cookies and let them dry for 1 hour or until dry to the touch. Enjoy!
1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp water

Don't skip the chilling time. The dough will firm up, making it easier to create the cookies.

If the dough gets too warm while working it, chill it again. Resist adding more flour to the surface or the cookies will be dry.

Bake the dough for longer if you're using it for a gingerbread house for more stability.