Lebkuchen also known as German Honey Bars are a traditional German cookie recipe that has been given as Christmas gifts since the 1300's.
German Honey Bars or Honey Cakes is a gingerbread flavored cookie bar that just keeps getting better after you bake them.
The cookie tastes very similar to gingerbread with a denser, richer and chewier texture. They also have a nutty flavor from the toasted almonds that are in the recipe.
The sugar glaze that is spread over top of the baked cookie bars are flavored with lemon zest and juice that adds a delightful citrus flavor to the cookies.
Like all spice cookies the flavors get richer over time. The flavor of Lebkuchen gets better as the cookie ages as the flavor of the spices marry.
German Honey Bars Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient amounts and to print the cookie recipe.
- dry ingredients: unbleached all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, dark brown sugar
- spices: ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground ginger
- wet ingredients: honey, molasses, melted unsalted butter, a large egg
- nuts: slivered almonds
Glaze Ingredients
- powdered sugar
- lemon juice
- lemon zest
How to make German Honey Bars
- Prep the baking pan: Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper leaving about an inch over hang. Set aside until needed.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lightly toast the almonds on a baking sheet in the oven for about 10 minutes. Toss after 5 minutes. Toast just until some of the almond pieces are golden brown. Transfer the nuts to a bowl or paper plate to cool.
Making the cookie batter
Step 1: In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, and ground ginger until the spices are even distributed through out the flour. Set the bowl aside.
Step 2: In a medium sauce pan mix the honey and molasses. Heat the mixture until boiling. Remove from the heat.
Pour the hot mixture into a large bowl and allow to cool until the sides of the bowl are just warm to the touch.
Step 3: Add the brown sugar, melted butter, and beaten egg to the cooled honey and molasses.
Step 4: Beat with a hand held mixer until combined.
Step 5: Slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl and beat on low until the flour is mixed into the wet ingredients.
Step 6: Switch to a wooden spoon when the dough gets too stiff to beat with the mixer. Mix until combined.
Step 7: Add the toasted almonds to the bowl and mix well until the almonds are evenly mixed in.
Step 8: Spread the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan.
Step 9: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 22 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire cooling rack. Cool completely.
How to make Lebkuchen (Honey Bars) Glaze
Sugar glaze for cookies is very easy to make with three simple ingredients.
Step 1: Add the lemon juice and lemon zest to the bowl of powdered sugar.
Step 2: Mix the glaze ingredients with a wire whisk until all lumps of powdered sugar are dissolved.
Step 3: Spread the glaze over the top of the cooled pan of cookies.
Step 4: Allow the glaze to harden for about 30 minutes before cutting into 1 x 3 inch cookie bars.
How to store the German Honey Bars
These cookies will last a long time if stored in an airtight container. The flavors of spice cookies like these only get better as time goes on.
These cookie bars are perfect for shipping to friends and family because they will not get stale during the time it takes for them to travel through the mail.
Recipe FAQ's
Lebkuchen or German Honey Bars are a traditional German cookie that has been given as gifts since the 1300's. It is very similar to gingerbread but Lebkuchen is much darker and has a more denser, rich and chewier texture than gingerbread.
Lebkuchen also called Pfefferkuchen is a gingerbread cookie that has a sweet nutty flavor from honey and toasted almonds. The spicy flavor taste almost just like the spices that are used when making gingerbread cookies. German Honey Cakes or cookies are slightly crunchy from the nuts that are used to make them.
German Honey Cookies or Lebkuchen can be frozen and will last up to 6 months in the freezer. Freeze the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers to prevent the cookies from sticking together.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Quickly toast the almonds: If you have an air fryer you can quickly toast the almonds in the air fryer for about 3 minutes on 400 degrees.
- Cooling the honey and molasses: Make sure the molasses and honey has cooled down to warm before adding the other ingredients. If the mixture is hot the egg will cook and you will have pieces of scrambled egg floating around in it. The brown sugar will also form very hard lumps and you will not be able to break them up.
- How to spread the thick cookie dough in the pan: If the dough sticks to your spoon or offset spatula dip it in warm water which will help spread the cookie dough. Wipe off any batter and re-dip as needed.
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German Honey Bars (Lebkuchen)
Ingredients
Cookie Bar Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup molasses
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon melted, unsalted butter
- 1 large egg, slightly beaten
- ½ cup slivered almonds, roughly chopped and toasted
Lemon Cookie Glaze Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
Recipe Prep
- Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper leaving about an inch over hang. Set aside until needed.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lightly toast the almonds on a baking sheet in the oven for about 10 minutes. Toss after 5 minutes. Toast just until some of the almond pieces are golden brown. Transfer the nuts to a bowl or paper plate to cool.
Make the cookie batter
- In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, and ground ginger until the spices are even distributed through out the flour. Set the bowl aside.
- In a medium sauce pan mix the honey and molasses. Heat the mixture until boiling. Remove from the heat.
- Pour it into a large bowl and allow to cool until the sides of the bowl are just warm to the touch.
- Add the brown sugar, melted butter, and beaten egg to the cooled honey and molasses.
- Beat with a hand held mixer until combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl and beat on low until the flour is mixed into the wet ingredients.
- Switch to a wooden spoon when the dough gets too stiff to beat with the mixer. Mix until combined.
- Add the toasted almonds to the bowl and mix well until the almonds are evenly mixed in.
- Spread the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 22 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire cooling rack.
- Cool completely.
Glaze the cookies
- Add the lemon juice and lemon zest to the powdered sugar.
- Mix the glaze ingredients with a wire whisk until all lumps of powdered sugar are dissolved.
- Spread over the glaze over the top of the baked and cooled sheet of cookie batter.
- Allow the glaze to harden for about 30 minutes.
- Cut the cookies into 1 x 3 inch cookie bars.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
Video
Recipe Expert Tips
- Quickly toast the almonds: If you have an air fryer you can quickly toast the almonds in the air fryer for about 3 minutes on 400 degrees.
- Cooling the honey and molasses: Make sure the molasses and honey has cooled down to warm before adding the other ingredients. If the mixture is hot the egg will cook and you will have pieces of scrambled egg floating around in it. The brown sugar will also form very hard lumps and you will not be able to break them up.
- How to spread the thick cookie dough in the pan: If the dough sticks to your spoon or offset spatula dip it in warm water which will help spread the cookie dough. Wipe off any batter and re-dip as needed.
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