Pfeffernüsse are slightly spicy, small round cookies made with all kinds of good things like butter, molasses, and spices (including pepper, are you surprised?), and I LOVE them. Pfeffernüsse are hard when they are first baked, but they gradually soften as they age. With this Christmas being the first without my grandma, I find it appropriate to be making my own Pfeffernüsse. Celebrating my family heritage brings a bit of her into my family’s Christmas season and I have pepper nuts for my Squirrel—it couldn’t be more perfect.
If you make these within the next couple of days they’ll be perfect for sharing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day! They’re so easy to make–just mix the dough and chill it. Then roll the dough into a bunch of little balls (I used a melon baller to keep my dough balls evenly sized),
and put them on greased baking sheets,
and bake them!
Once they’ve cooled, you roll them in confectioners’ sugar and put them in an airtight container,
and then let them age a few days (if you can stand it!), and then eat!
Print This Recipe
German Pfeffernüsse (“Pepper Nuts”) Cookies
Makes about 10 dozen cookies
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (freshly ground is best)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons anise extract
1 cup confectioners’ sugar for dusting
1. In a heavy bottomed, nonreactive, 1 to 1-1/2 quart pot, combine the molasses, honey, and butter. Place the pot over low heat, stirring often until the butter has melted, all the ingredients are completely combined, and the mixture is creamy. Do not boil. Remove the pot from the heat, pour the mixture into a large bowl, and set aside and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Stir in the beaten eggs and the anise extract.
2. While the mixture is cooling, sift together the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, black pepper, and salt in a separate bowl. When the molasses mixture has reached room temperature, stir in the beaten eggs and the anise extract. With a large wooden spoon, gradually stir in the sifted dry ingredients until everything is thoroughly combined (the dough will be a stiff dough by this point). Chill the dough in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours.
3. After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease several baking sheets. Roll the dough into small balls (about 1/2-inch in diameter). Place the balls on the greased baking sheets, spacing them at least 1 inch apart, as they will spread slightly.
4. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cookies have lost their shiny look and are slightly firm to the touch (but still soft). The cookies may have some small cracks as well. Using a thin spatula to remove the cookies from the baking sheet, move them to a rack to cool. Once the cookies have cooled completely, roll each cookie in sifted confectioners’ sugar to coat thoroughly. Store in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers at room temperature. Allow the cookies to “age” at least 24 hours before serving (a few days to a week is even better). If desired, roll cookies in confectioners’ sugar to coat them once more before serving.
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{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
wow, these look like the person thing to make, box, and gift!
Oh these look divine! I've never tried a freshly baked pfeffernusse but I know they'd be divine! :D
You are bringing back memories… I remember eating some when I was visiting friends in Germany around Christmas…. years ago! I don't think I have ever had some since then… Yours look really delicious.
These are my mom's favorite cookies and my sisters and I actually all make fun of her b/c, truthfully, none of us love them all that much. And even though these aren't my favorite, yours look delightful!
I love these! They are my favourite cookies. The Germans have the best Christmas treats don't they! My friend's husband's family is German and they would do a huge bake-up before Christmas. I'd always make sure that I dropped around for a cup of tea (and treats!) around Christmas time.
My mom used to buy these all the time at Christmas and I loved them! I knew there was something anise in them, but I've never tried making them. Thanks so much for the recipe! Maybe my mom and I can bake these together over Christmas while we visit. :)
My mom used to always buy these for us this time of year. I knew there was something anise in them, but I never looked for a recipe to make them myself even though I love them. Thanks for the recipe! Maybe my mom and I will bake these together while we visit for Christmas.
How lovely! I just tried these for the first time (store-bought). Great flavors but a little dry for me, so I bet freshly made ones would be just right.
i remember the first time i made them! they were so hard and i threw them away – but then the grandma of my friend told me they were supposed to be at first and then become softer later. i kicked myself. ever since then i've made these a few times and i think they are the loveliest christmas cookies ever! they look absolutely great!
oh, happy spice blend. there's no way on god's green earth that i'd be able to let these age a few days before digging in. no way. :)
Every year arond this time, my sis gets cookie crazy. This looks similar to the cookies she made perhaps last christmas. I don't think she included the molasses or honey, so perhaps she didn't make an 100% authentic cookie. But it was delicious. I would have to share this more comprehensive recipe with her.
These cookies look perfect for Christmas. Looks very delicious with all the different spices. What a brilliant way to use a scoop to scoop the dough so that they come out even size. Thanks for sharing.
My first ever pfeffernusse are chilling until morning so that I can bake them first thing tomorrow. My 7 year old nephew has a snow day tomorrow and I know he will love rolling them in the powdered sugar. Waiting a few days will be impossible but we may be able to save a few for Christmas morning if I can lock them away from my husband.
very nice cookies!
Awesome post! These cookies look absolutely delish! I am sure that your grandmother would be absolutely proud of you! :)
Beautiful little cookies! I love the final photo with the ornaments in the back. Happy Holidays!
These look wunderbar (-spelling?). Had some store bought ones after Christmas. They are great. Would love to make my own but the ingredients will cost a bomb in Japan. Will buy some again later when I go to Germany.
Gonna try these tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed :))
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Thanks for sharing this recipe – As you can see my first ever were in 2009 and the pfeffernusse have become part of our Christmas tradition. I love making them and sharing them on my Christmas cookie platter.
My grandma always made these at Christmas time, but hers had the whole peppercorns in them. I cannot find a recipe like that. If anybody out there know of one, please share with me. These are
delicious but I sure would like grandma’s recipe. Thanks to all…
Made these today and I can not get over how perfect they are.
And they haven’t even sat for the 24hrs or more recommended.
I HAD to taste one:) Okay, two. lol
I 100% recommend these authentic tasting pfeffernusse!
Thank you for sharing!
I have been searching for a real German Pfeffernusse recipe and I believe I have it ! Thank you ! The only thing I am going to try different is rolling the dough out into a long log, pencil thickness and slicing them. Then after baking shaking them in a bag of powdered sugar. This is how I remember my Grandmother and my Auntie making them. Will let you know how it works out. Merry Christmas
Just finished baking all the cookies in under an hour ! For my oven, size of cookie and cookie sheets I only baked my for 10 min and 30 sec. a pan. I did roll my dough out ,after chilling 6 hours, into little fat pencil logs and sliced them. After I pulled them out of oven I let them cool for 5 or 10 min and dropped them all into a baggie of powdered sugar. The cookies are the size of quarters and just perfect for nibbling with coffee or serving on a pretty platter. …and they taste like heaven ! The spice blend is perfection, kudo’s to your Grandmother and Merry Christmas !
I am making these cookies again this year . Since I first made them in 2009 they have been a family favorite. In searching for them this year I found so many other recipes for pffernusse but I am sure none of them would be quite right — I come back to you every year for the “perfect peppernut” cookie. Thanks so many times over for your wonderful recipe and instruction .
Thank you so much Joan for your sweet words. I am so glad that you liked them! It took me a long time to get a recipe that tasted right!
Hi,
Thank’s for this recipe ! Could I dip them in dark chocolate instead of rolling the confectionner’s sugar ?
I made them, dipped in dark chocolate : they’re DELICIOUS ! Everybody loved them. Thank you so much for this recipe !!!
I am so glad!!!
How long do prefferneus cookies keep and I know they’re better with age but after you age them can you freeze them
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