Eggless Peppernuts – Traditional German Christmas Cookie // No Maida, No Sugar

Name: Eggless Peppernuts – Traditional German Christmas Cookie // No Maida, No Sugar
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 150
Cuisine: Baking
Ingredients: 180 g Whole Wheat Flour (Aata), (1+1/4 Cup); 110 g Jaggery Powder, (3/4 Cup); 150 g Butter (vegan or dairy), (1/2 Cup), room temperature; 1/2 tsp Ginger Powder,; 2 Pieces of Star Anise, ground; 1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder,; 1/2 tsp White Pepper Powder,; 3 to 4 Pieces of tsp Cardamom, peeled, ground; A Pinch of Salt,; 1/2 tsp Baking Soda,; 1 to 2 tsp Milk (dairy or vegan),

Christmas is around the corner and all I am thinking about is cookies and cakes and non-alcoholic gluhwein (Oh yeah! That’s a thing too). The aroma of baked cookies and cakes at home makes you feel festive. This time we decided to make a traditional German Christmas Cookie (which is more popular in Denmark). These Christmas cookies are highly addictive, crispy, and crunchy and because of their nut size, you can’t stop yourself from eating a handful of them.

Baking these cookies during the Christmas holidays can be a fun exercise to do with the kids. They are going to enjoy it. Bake an extra batch so that you can gift these cookies to your family and friends too. I even heard that people make it a month before the holidays because it develops more flavor by then. So, take out your baking essentials, and let’s get baking!

What is Peppernut Cookies (or Pfeffernusse Cookies)?

Peppernut Cookies (or Pfeffernusse Cookie) is a traditional German Cookies made during the festival season. These are tiny nut-sized, crispy, and crunchy cookies flavored with different spices. White pepper is one of the main ingredients for these cookies and I guess that is why they are called Peppernut Cookies. Another ingredient that is commonly added is Star Anise. All these spices make it warm and unstoppable during the cold winter season.

This recipe is inspired by the cookies our friend got for us from Denmark. It is quite popular there during the festive season. I tried to replicate the same taste and made them eggless and without any refined flour or sugar.

Tips to bake them perfectly

Sifting: Sifting the dry ingredients is very important. Sometimes your sugar or flour contains some tiny lumps that are unnoticeable. And it gets difficult to form a smooth dough if they have any lumps.
Room temperature ingredients: Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. We do not want extra soft or hard butter for the recipe. Take the butter out of the fridge 30 minutes before baking.
Refrigerating the dough: Butter melts while you mix the dough and roll. That makes the dough extra soft to handle. Refrigerating the dough for 25 to 30 minutes helps in making it firm and easy to roll and shape.
Overmixing: Overmixing the dough is another problem that results in hard and unpleasant cookies. It even develops gluten that results in flaky cookies. To prevent that, mix only until you do not see any dry flour in the bowl.

What is the texture of Peppernut Cookies?

These cookies are firm, crispy, and crunchy. They spread and puff up a little while baking. They are soft right after baking but once they are cooled they become extra crispy.

How to store Peppernut Cookies?

You can put these cookies in an air-tight container and leave them on the counter for up to a month. So, you can start baking them well in advance, and that makes these cookies perfect for gifting during the festivities.

Can we freeze the cookie dough?

You can refrigerate the cookie dough for 4 to 5 days.

You can even put it in a zip-lock back and freeze it for up to a month. When you want to bake cookies, put the dough in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to soften, and then roll and bake them.

Is this recipe vegan-friendly?

Yes. All the ingredients used in this recipe are plant-based and vegan. You can either use dairy or vegan milk. Also, use either dairy or plant-based butter. It is your choice.

Ingredients List

Cooking Method

More cookies – just as good

Now grab all the ingredients because you are ready to make these addictive and cute little Christmas cookies at home. It is perfect to make in this festive season and grab all the attention and appreciation.

If you try this recipe and like it too, please share the photo of your creation on Instagram and tag us @thefearlesscooking. We just love to see your recreation of our recipes.

Happy Cooking 🙂

Love from us

Richa