Pfeffernusse Spice Cookies

Years ago, I used to host an annual holiday cookie swap at a local nonprofit community center in San Francisco. Friends and members of the community would gather together bearing large batches of homemade cookies. Everyone would walk around sampling cookies and taking a few of the ones we loved.

Each person left with a tin of assorted cookies, along with a slight sugar buzz.

It was a marvelous way to meet new people in the neighborhood, as well as learn about new cookies that I wasn't familiar with. And that's exactly how I was introduced to the magical pfeffernusse.

What Are Pfeffernusse Cookies?

The executive director of the nonprofit, Rosie, grew up making pfeffernusse. Pfeffernusse cookies are a traditional German holiday cookie; the name translates to "peppernut." They don't contain nuts, though they do contain white pepper.

I had never eaten one before, but I knew the minute that I tasted one that I wanted to learn how to make them!

Sadly, I never got Rosie's recipe before she left San Francisco. Since then, I've collected and looked at numerous recipes trying to figure out exactly what made hers so special. It turns out that there are numerous variations of pfeffernusse cookies, all claiming to be authentic. (And as with all things "authentic," everyone thinks theirs is the most authentic!)

The version I eventually landed on doesn't use baking ammonia, a type of leavening agent that predates baking soda and that some people claim is important to the authenticity of the pfeffernusse. It's available online, but the idea of baking with a compound that also functions as smelling salts just didn't appeal to me.

I also eschewed coating the cookies with powdered sugar, something that a lot of recipes call for. For me, traditional pfeffernusse cookies are coated with a thin icing glaze, not a dusting of powder.

Spices in Pfeffernusse Cookies

Pfeffernusse contain a blend of warm wintry spices, which are sometimes sold in Germany under the name lebkuchengewürz. Think of it like a German version of pumpkin spice blend. Since lebkuchengewürz is difficult to source outside of Germany, and the actual contents of the spice blend varies, I've listed the individual spices below.

If you don’t have all the spices or have an aversion to some of the spices, feel free to play around and substitute with what you have in the pantry.

However, the one spice that is fairly consistent with most pfeffernusse recipes is the white pepper. So, it might be worth tracking down some for this cookie if you want the authentic experience. (White pepper is also good with fish and potato-based dishes.) Otherwise, an easy substitution of black pepper will work just fine.

Regardless of whether not this recipe is what you think of as "true pfeffernusse," these cookies will fill your home with the smell of the holidays. After my partner AJ took a bite of one, he said without any prompting, "These taste like Christmas!"

Take these to your next holiday cookie swap and watch as others declare the same!