Pfeffernusse Cookies
The Pfeffernüsse Cookie or “Peppernut Cookie” is a traditional German Christmas cookie that tastes like you’ve combined gingerbread cookies with good-n-plenty candies; lots of spice, crisp candy coating, and a hint of licorice. YUM! Pfeffernusse cookies are sometimes soft and glazed, though you might also find them with more of a crispy shortbread texture and/or tossed in powdered sugar.
To me, a soft, glazed pfeffernüsse (peppernut) cookie is the superior choice. The glaze really helps balance the spice and lock in moisture. It seriously extends the life of the cookie. My test batches still tasted fresh baked 1 week out and were still moist in the center after 2 weeks. Can’t go wrong with that. Especially if you need a make ahead Christmas cookie that will last in the mail or until the big day!
Get the Recipe: Pfeffernusse Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 3 cups All-purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ tablespoon anise seeds, ground
- ¼ teaspoon black cardamom seeds, ground
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg, fresh grated
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons date paste
- ¼ cup unsulphured molasses
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 large egg, room temperature (approx. 50-55g)
Cookie Glaze
- 2½ cups powdered/confectioner's sugar
- ¼ cup water
Equipment
- 1 spice grinder (optional)
- 1 Whisk
- 1 stand mixer with beater attachment
- parchment paper
- 1 1/2 sheet baking tray
- #50 cookie scoop (1.6in/4cm)
- 1 small bowl
- 1 fork
- 1 cooling rack (optional)
Instructions
- First, measure out and add all of the dry ingredients: flour, spices, and baking soda to a single bowl and whisk them until they are fully mixed together and uniform. Set the dry ingredients aside.
- Begin adding the wet ingredients to a stand mixer with a beater attachement. First, whip up the butter until it lightens and increases in volume a touch. Next, add the brown butter and cream the two ingredients together for another 2-3 minutes. (Scrape down the bowl with a spatula for each new ingredient added to ensure proper mixing.)
- The date paste gets added next. Mix it in until it becomes uniform and all of the clumps are gone. At this point add in the molassess and honey and whip until the mixture begins to look like frosting. Once the proper texture is reached, add in the egg and mix until it returns to the same texture it was before the egg was added.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until the dry flour is no longer visible. Do NOT overmix. The dough should be very soft. If you overmix the dough it will toughen. Use a sturdy spatula for a final bowl scrape and hand mix, to make sure all of the ingredients are homogeneous and ready to scoop.
- Grab a #50, 1.6in (4cm) cookie scoop and line a 1/2 sheet baking tray with a silicone mat. The scoop should hold roughly 1.3tbsp or 25g of dough and should yield roughly 34 cookies. Scoop cookies onto the tray until all of the dough is gone. Once scooped, roll all of the dough mounds into balls and cover them with your prefered cling wrap. Chill the dough for 24 hours for best results. (See FAQs on chill times)
- After resting the dough, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). When the oven is at temperature for 15-20 minutes, arrange your cookies roughly 1in (2.5cm) apart and place them in the oven. The cookies don’t spread much. As soon as they are in, turn the temperature down to 350°F (177°C) and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- While the cookies are baking make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar and water. It should make a thick glaze that visibly ribbons upon itself and takes 1-2 seconds to reincorporate. Set the glaze aside.
- When the cookies are done baking, their tops should be completely puffed and not look wet. The cookies may also crack a bit, that’s okay. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool for at least 5 minutes. They should be slightly warm and fully set before coating. Prep for coating by placing down parchment or wax paper underneath a cooling rack near the bowl of glaze. Give the glaze a good mix just before dipping the cookies.
- To coat the cookies, place them individually in the bowl of glaze, bottom facing down. Use a fork to scoop glaze over the top of the cookie, until it is fully covered. Then, slide the fork under the cookie and lift it up out of the bowl. Let the glaze drip a bit before placing the cookie onto the cooling rack. The cookies will harden to the cooling rack as they dry. Allow the glaze to set and harden for about an hour before giving them a gentle twist to unstick them a bit. Then, continue drying for another hour or so before storing and/or eating.
Notes
- If you plan to use some pre-ground spices and some freshly ground whole spices, add all of the measured spices (even pre-ground) to a spice grinder and grind everything together. The additional volume will help promote a smaller grind size.
- If you cannot find anise seed, substitute with 2 teaspoons (4.8g) star anise or ½ tablespoon (7.5ml) anise extract. The star anise is the same flavor as the seeds, but not as strong so you’ll need a bit more. For the extract, it has a slightly sweeter and kind of stewed fruit taste. Still usuable for the licorice taste, but IMO using ground spice will taste better.
- The allspice gives these cookies an added boost of spice, beyond the black pepper and ginger. If you prefer a sweeter more mellow cookie, leave the allspice out.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the baked, glazed cookies in a lidded container, at room temperature, for up to 1 week.
If you intend to freeze the cookies, do not freeze them after they are glazed. Freezing the finished cookies will cause the glaze to sweat when they come back up to room temperature. I recommend individually freezing the unbaked dough balls on a lined tray. Once frozen, store them in a bag, for up to 3 months, and bake as many as you’d like at a time. Glaze after baking as instructed in the recipe.
There may be affiliate links in this post. A Little Spoon, LLC is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to help content creators earn fees by linking to affiliated sites.
This looks incredible! Quick question — do you think I could swap honey for a bit more molasses, or would that make them too rich? Would love to hear your thoughts before I bake!
Hi! Yes, doubling the molasses would make these very deep in flavor and you would probably lose the taste of some of the less intense spices. If you don’t have honey, agave or golden syrup would be good 1:1 subtitutes. Without the honey, the other flavors will brighten slightly, but the texture and outcome of the bake will be much the same. You could replace the honey with 1/3c (75g) more brown sugar. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you’ll need more of the sugar. Also, add in 1/2tbsp milk (7.6g) to make up for the loss in liquid. You could also use unrefined, granulated sugar. Use the same 1/3c (80g) and add 1 tbsp milk (15.2g) or extra molasses (20.5g). Fair warning, the honey adds density and moisture. If you decide to sustitute with sugar, the cookie will be cakier. Still good, but the texture will be a bit different. Hope this helps you decide!