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Our Favorite Gluten Free Pfeffernusse Cookies

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I would be grateful if you shared this post :-)

If you love cookies, these gluten free pfeffernusse cookies will soon become one of your favorites :-). Crunchy, with a hint of spice, these German holiday cookies make a delicious treat all year long.

Gluten Free Pfeffernusse Cookies stacked on top of each other. One cookie is next to the stack with a bite taken out

Thank you readers

Three 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. (For my cookie fans, my kids asked me to tell you to try two of their favorites: Gluten Free Nutella Stuffed Linzer Cookies and these Gluten Free Russian Tea Cookies.

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 :-).

You will love how this recipe came to be. I was at fencing class with my son when I got an urgent text message from Mr. Fearless Dining. It was a photo of a box of regular pfeffernusse cookies and a note, “please make this gluten free for me soon.”

Pfeffernusse Cookies

Pfeffernusse are a popular cookie in Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark.

My husband’s family is from Germany and his grandmother used to bake homemade 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.

Gluten Free Pfeffernusse Cookies on a cutting board

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.

Three Gluten Free Pfeffernusse Cookies stacked on top of each other on top of a red gift bag.

pfeffernusse dry ingredients in a bowl

In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.

You may need to chop up a bit of the almond flour like you can see in this picture. I store my almond flour in the refrigerator to prevent it from going rancid. This cold makes the almond flour bunch up a bit sometimes.

pfeffernusse liquid ingredients being whisked together

Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Next, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Pfeffernusse dough balls next to a cookie scoop

How to make the perfectly shaped cookies

Use a cookie scoop to make your cookie balls. I used to drop the cookies onto the cookie sheet with a spoon, but my son really likes when the cookies are all uniform and “pretty” so I now use a cookie scoop.

Once the cookies have baked, you will want to roll them in powdered sugar.

This cookie recipe is perfect for a holiday party, or even a cookie exchange party. Although these gluten free pfeffernusse cookies remind me of Christmas, they are a delicious cookie to bake all year round! Here are my favorite gluten free cookies to make for a cookie exchange party.

If you want to create a delicious German dinner to enjoy before you eat these cookies, check out my Gluten Free Schnitzel recipe! This recipe also includes a recipe for German potato salad that is delicious with the schnitzel!

More Delicious Gluten Free Cookie Recipes To Try!

(*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:

  1. A cookie scoop makes sure all of your cookies are perfectly the same size.
  2. Almond flour adds a little protein to balance out the sugar.

recipe love

How to make gluten free pfeffernusse cookies:

Gluten Free Pfeffernusse Cookies

Gluten Free Pfeffernusse Cookies

Yield: 18 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Easy gluten free pfeffernusse cookie recipe

Ingredients

  • 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

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients.
  3. Whisk to blend.
  4. In a small bowl, add all wet ingredients and mix well.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
  6. Mix well.
  7. Use a cookie scoop to drop dough balls onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
  8. Bake for 8-10 minutes until done.
  9. Remove and move to a cooling rack.
  10. Allow to cool.
  11. Drop each cookie into powdered sugar and toss to coat.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: g
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 78 Saturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 23mg Sodium: 42mg Carbohydrates: 7.7g Fiber: 0.1g Sugar: 7.1g Protein: 0.4g
**If your gluten free flour blend doesn't include Xanthan Gum, please add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon! **Please note this nutrition information is calculated by a recipe plugin and is an estimate based on the ingredients used in this recipe.
© Sandi Gaertner
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Aviva

    I just made a batch, and they turned out great! I’m at altitude, so I used a scant 1/2 tsp of baking soda, amped up the spices, and they’re delicious.

    Reply

    • Sandi Gaertner

      Hi Ang. They freeze really well, but hold off on the powdered sugar until you thaw them out. Otherwise the sugar gets odd when it defrosts. Thank you so much!

      Reply

      • Ang

        Thanks! I was thinking the powdered sugar wouldn’t do well. They turned out SO good! Love all the spices in every bite! My kiddos enjoyed them too. We will be freezing the rest for the big Christmas with my family!I did put the butter in when it wasn’t entirely melted. The wet ingredients ended up too cold and separated but I popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds and all was good! Thanks for this awesome recipe!

        Reply

  3. Debra C.

    How delicious! I love that your hubby came home with the request also. Very fun and what a treat! These cookies look delicious!

    Reply

  5. Katie D

    I’ve never been able to try these cookies because I haven’t seen a GF version. It’s so perfect that you have one! My niece is GF too and I’m sure she’ll love these for the holidays 🙂

    Reply

  6. Monica | Nourish & Fete

    These look beautiful, and it’s so lovely that you were able – and willing – to recreate these for your husband! We will most likely head to at least one Christmas market in Germany this year, and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for these! Yum!

    Reply

  7. Helen of Fuss Free Flavours

    I love all the different traditions there are from other countries and cultures. These cookies sound wonderful, and so lovely to make for the Christmas period. A little bite of deliciousness.

    Reply

  9. Marilyn

    Hi, Thanks for this wonderful recipe. My son takes a german language class that has a student and a teacher that can not have gluten.. Every week parents bring snacks. Last week someone brought really delicious chocolate chip cookies but the two could not have any. I felt so bad. I found this recipe to make especially for them AND THEY BOTH LOVED IT!!! I loved the recipe so much I made a regular flour batch just for my family and it was still amazing.

    Reply

    • Sandi Gaertner

      Hi Marilyn, I am so glad you and your son made these for the class! Your story made my day 🙂 I can’t tell you how often it is my kids who can’t eat something brought for the class. Thank you!!

      Reply

  10. Sand

    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.

    Reply

    • Sandi Gaertner

      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 🙂

      Reply

  11. Janette

    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. 🙂

    Reply

    • Sandi Gaertner

      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

      Reply

    • Sandi Gaertner

      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 🙂

      Reply

  14. Tina Hobbs

    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.

    Reply

  15. Lynn | The Road to Honey

    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.

    Reply

  17. Heather

    Beautiful! I have homemade macadamia flour in the fridge right now, and think it’d add a special richness to these. Thanks!

    Reply

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