German Lebkuchen Hearts

Name: German Lebkuchen Hearts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 150 g Soft brown sugar ((¾ cup)); 3 Tablespoons Softened butter; 150 g Runny honey ((7+½ tablespoons)); 1 Medium Egg; 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract; 200 g Plain flour ((1+¾ cups)); 120 g Ground almonds ((1 cup)); 1 Teaspoon Baking powder; 2 Tablespoons Cocoa powder; 2 Teaspoons Ground ginger; 1 Teaspoon Ground cinnamon; ½ Teaspoon Ground allspice; ¼ Teaspoon Ground nutmeg; ¼ Teaspoon Ground cloves; Pinch Salt; 2 Tablespoons Candied mixed peel ((can be subbed for lemon or orange zest)); 400 g Dark chocolate ((14oz) note 1)

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These Lebkuchen hearts are soft, cakey and slightly chewy. Full of warming spices and a dark chocolate coating, these German gingerbread cookies make for an indulgent Christmas treat that you’ll want to bake again and again.

stack of 3 german lebkuchen cookies with the top one cut in half

If you love gingerbread but want to try something different this Christmas, these German Lebkuchen hearts are just the thing! As well as the classic gingerbread spices, Lebkuchen cookies also have hints of citrus, almonds and cocoa throughout. They’re ultra cakey and dense and can be coated with dark chocolate or a sweet icing sugar glaze depending on your preference.

Ingredients list

Here’s everything you’ll need to make dark chocolate Lebkuchen hearts…

Wet ingredients

150g Brown sugar: I used light brown sugar as it was all I had at the time but dark brown sugar will give a more rich, dark flavour.
3 Tablespoons butter: Use your butter from room temperature to make it easier to mix. Because it’s so cold during the winter months, I just pop my butter in the microwave for 10 seconds which is enough to soften it nicely without melting it.
150g Honey: Use runny honey for this recipe. If you don’t have honey, you can swap it out for equal amounts of agave nectar. I wouldn’t recommend using maple syrup because it has a very strong and distinct flavour that may overpower the spices.
1 Egg: You'll need 1 medium-sized egg for this recipe.
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract: For extra flavour.

Dry ingredients

200g plain flour: Also known as all-purpose flour. This gives the cookies their structure and helps them to hold their shape in the oven.
1 Teaspoon baking powder: For a slight leavening effect, creating that classic German Lebkuchen cakey texture.
Spices: I used 2 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Feel free to adjust the amount of each to your personal taste.
Salt: Just a pinch.
120g Ground almonds: You can swap ground almonds out for ground hazelnuts, ground pistachios or any other ground nuts that you like.
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder: I LOVE adding cocoa powder to my Lebkuchen cookies because I think it makes them taste more similar to the ones you can buy at the German Christmas markets.
2 Tablespoons mixed peel: Candied mixed peel gives the cookies a strong citrusy flavour which I love but if you prefer a more subtle flavour, you can use regular orange zest or lemon zest instead.
400g Dark chocolate: To coat the Lebkuchen hearts in. I have included a recipe for a glaze further on in the post so if you’d prefer to use that, you’ll need icing sugar and some orange juice or lemon juice.

stack of 3 dark chocolate lebkuchen hearts

Equipment

Grab the following kitchen equipment:

Baking tray and baking paper: A large tray or two plus enough baking paper to line them.
Bowl: A large mixing bowl to make the cookie dough and a small heatproof bowl to melt the dark chocolate.
Utensils: You’ll need a wooden spoon, a few teaspoons and a tablespoon.
Rolling pin: To roll the dough out.
Heart-shaped cookie cutter: I used a 2.5-inch cookie cutter for the cookies in the photos which were quite large compared to the shop-bought ones. You can use a 1.5-inch cutter if you prefer bite-sized cookies.
Kitchen scale: I have included imperial measurements in the recipe card but I’d recommend using a kitchen scale for accuracy if you’re a beginner baker.

How to Make Dark Chocolate Lebkuchen Hearts

Ready? Let’s get baking these scrumptious German gingerbread hearts!

Step 1: Line a large baking tray or two with baking paper.

Step 2: To a large bowl, add 150g of soft brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of softened butter and 150g of runny honey. Mix well until smooth and creamy. I did this by hand but you can use an electric whisk if you prefer.

Step 3: Add 1 medium egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the bowl and mix well. Don’t worry if the consistency looks a little odd at this step!

wet mixture after adding egg and vanilla

Step 4: Now it’s time to add the dry ingredients. To the bowl, add 200g of plain flour, 120g of ground almonds, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of ginger, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon allspice, and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg and ground cloves.

Step 5: Mix all of the ingredients using a wooden spoon. When the mixture is starting to stick, use your hands to press it together into a ball of dough (it will be very sticky). Then gently knead in 2 tablespoons of candied mixed peel or orange zest.

Step 6: Wrap or cover the dough and pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes. This will help the hearts hold their shape in the oven and it’ll also give the flavours a chance to develop more.

Step 7: While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F (or 160°C/325°F if you’re using a fan or convection oven).

Step 8: Remove the dough from the fridge and flour your work surface and a rolling pin. Take 2-3 tablespoons of dough at a time and roll it out to ½-inch thick. Cut out your heart shapes and place them onto your lined tray(s).

Do NOT try to roll the entire ball of dough at once as it’ll just stick to your work surface. Working with small pieces helps to prevent this. Also, try to avoid adding too much extra flour to the dough itself as this will spoil the soft cookie texture.

Step 9: Bake your Lebkuchen cookies for 12-15 minutes, until you can gently press on them without leaving a dent. Allow them to cool completely on the tray.

Step 10: Melt 400g of dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. One at a time, dip your Lebkuchen hearts into the dark chocolate then carefully transfer them back to your lined baking tray to set.

cookies coated in melted dark chocolate on a lined baking tray

Step 11: Let the dark chocolate harden before enjoying your cookies.

Lebkuchen sugar glaze recipe

If you don’t want to use dark chocolate to coat your gingerbread hearts, you can whip up this quick icing sugar glaze instead:

Place 180g of icing sugar into a medium-sized bowl then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (or freshly squeezed orange juice) and 1 tablespoon of cold water.
Mix well until smooth then dunk your cookies in!

Top tips

These dark chocolate Lebkuchen hearts are a lot bigger than the ones you’ll find in the stores. I’d recommend using a 1.5-inch heart-shaped cutter if you prefer bite-sized cookies.
Dip your cookie cutter into flour before using it. This will help the dough slip out of the cutter easily.
Although you need to flour the surface and rolling pin, don’t add any extra flour to the dough itself- it’s supposed to be sticky. If you add too much flour, the cookies will be hard and dry instead of soft and cakey.
For apricot-filled Lebkuchen hearts, roll the dough to ¼-inch thick and cut out your hearts. Place a teaspoon of apricot jam onto the centre of one heart and cover it with a second heart. Gently press the edges together, being careful not to alter the heart shape.
Once the dark chocolate coating has set, you can drizzle your hearts with white chocolate for an extra special look.

FAQs

How long do German Lebkuchen hearts last?

They'll last for around 1 week if you keep them in an airtight container. I recommend storing them in a cool, dry place such as a kitchen cupboard to maintain the best texture.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, this dough actually tastes even better if you let it sit for a while before baking! It can be stored covered with clingfilm at room temperature for up to 24 hours or in the fridge for up to a week.

Can I freeze them?

Yes, for up to 3 months! Place your gingerbread hearts into an airtight container or freeze them solid on a baking tray then pop them into a freezer bag. To defrost them, let them sit out at room temperature for an hour or two until soft. Do not refreeze.

What if I don’t have a heart-shaped cutter?

A star cookie cutter will work well for this recipe but feel free to use any cookie cutter that you like. To make them without a cutter, just roll 2 tablespoons of dough into balls and gently press down on them until they're around ½ an inch thick. Don't flatten them too much or they'll end up crunchy instead of cakey.

overhead shot of dark chocolate german gingerbread hearts

More Christmas cookies:

I hope you like my dark chocolate Lebkuchen hearts! If you try them at home, please leave me a comment or rating below to let me know how you get on. Enjoy!