If you love cookies, these gluten free pfeffernusse cookies will soon become one of your favorites :-).
I am so excited for this holiday season. Cookies are my thing, as you can probably tell from all of the cookie recipes on my blog. The holidays are an excuse to make cookies more often :-).
Two years ago, I started this blog for fun; to try to help people who were gluten free. When we were originally diagnosed, there wasn’t much information out there and I wanted to make sure others could find delicious recipes to enjoy.
Over the past two years, my blog has grown so much and I am truly grateful for all of my readers.
I was at fencing class with my son when I got a text message from David. It was a photo of a box of regular pfeffernusse cookies and a note, “please make this gluten free for me soon.”
Pfeffernusse are a popular cookie in Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark.
My husband’s family is from Germany and his grandmother used to bake pfeffernusse cookies during the holidays. Since going gluten free, he hasn’t really thought about this cookie…until he was grocery shopping with our daughter a few days ago. Seeing the box of cookies triggered his memories and I knew I had to create a gluten free version for him.
One bite of this gluten free pfeffernusse cookie and I think you will be hooked too.
It is pretty hard to resist when he asked so nicely :-).
Want to see more gluten free cookie recipes? Click here to see all cookie recipes on this site.
 
Mix the wet and dry ingredients.
If you want a delicious German dinner to enjoy before you eat these cookies, check out my Gluten Free Schnitzel recipe!
(*Please note this post has affiliate links. Ordering through my site will not change the price you pay. A tiny commission will come to Fearless Dining to help offset the cost of running this blog. I truly appreciate the support.)
Things You Need To Make This Recipe:
- A cookie scoop makes sure all of your cookies are perfectly the same size.
- Almond flour adds a little protein to balance out the sugar.
How to make gluten free pfeffernusse cookies:
Easy gluten free pfeffernusse cookie recipe
- 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend (*Note, my flour blend has xanthan gum included. If yours doesn't, add 1 teaspoon.)
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon all spice
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 stick of butter melted (1/2 cup)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon water
- powdered sugar for dusting after the cookies have cooled
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients.
- Whisk to blend.
- In a small bowl, add all wet ingredients and mix well.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Mix well.
- Use a cookie scoop to drop dough balls onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until done.
- Remove and move to a cooling rack.
- Allow to cool.
- Drop each cookie into powdered sugar and toss to coat.
Here are More Yummy Holiday Cookie Recipes
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- Thin Mint Chocolate Truffles
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- Nutella Stuffed Linzer Cookies
-
- Minty Sugar Cookies
-
- Gingersnap Cookies
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- Slivered Almond Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
-
- Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies
These look great! I love how easy they are! I know my kids would love to help me make these!
Thank you Cindy…you trust your kids with a bowl of powdered sugar?? I am not that brave LOL.
Beautiful! I have homemade macadamia flour in the fridge right now, and think it’d add a special richness to these. Thanks!
Oh how festive! I had not heard of pfeffernusse, but I must try them!
I hope you like them Colette 🙂
I think it is absolutely adorable that your hubby sent you the text requesting these beauties. I bet he was thrilled when you were able to whip up a gluten free version. They look absolutely divine.
Thank you so much Lynn….he is pretty sweet.
I’ve made an assortment of cookies but not these. I’m looking forward to making them with my family this year. A cup of Starbucks coffee would be most enjoyable with them. Thanks for the opportunity to win the gift card and for sharing your recipe.
I’ve never heard of Pfeffernusse cookies before! I’m sure I would love them though!
I hope you get a chance to try them soon 🙂
Hi. I am allergic to almonds, what other flour would you recommend? Thank you so very much.
Hi Aimee, Almond flour doesn’t absorb much liquid, so feel free to use more gluten free flour blend but maybe try 1/4 cup of the flour blend first. If it is pretty runny, add a little more to get a good ratio. Thanks for writing. If you do come up with a good % regular flour to substitute, please come back and let us know because it would help a lot of readers 🙂
Good Morning Sandi,
Thank you so much for sharing your lovely recipe. Aimee noted that she is allergic to almonds – this is an allergy we have in common. Thus, when making these cookies, I omitted the almond flour and only used a GF flour (the brand name = GF Jules – at gfjules.com) as per the recipe and only added 1/8 cup of extra flour to the recipe. One note, they took a few minutes longer to cook than noted in the recipe – not sure of the chemistry or maybe was just my oven. These cookies came out beautifully and were incredibly tasty – just the right amount of spice which isn’t overwhelming. A nice moist cookie that isn’t hard and crumbly like a gingerbread cookie can be.
Again, many thanks for sharing so many wonderful recipes. Your site is a treasure trove of yummy stuff! Going to try the chocolate mint crinkles later today. 🙂
Wow Janette, Thank you so much for letting us know how you modified this recipe to remove the almond. This will help a lot of readers 🙂 Have a wonderful holiday. Sandi
My mother used to make this cookie every Christmas, I have tried to make her version gf with no luck. What did base ypur version on…a recipe that you used to make and just substituted the flour??? I make mom’s every year for my brother and my husband and it kills me not to be able to eat tehm.
Hi Sand, my father in law is German and I sort of modified a recipe he had. I think you will like this gluten free version very much 🙂