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Vegan Gingerbread cookies; Lebkuchen ready to eat.
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Vegan Lebkuchen Gingerbread Cookies

Yummy vegan gingerbread cookies traditional in Germany. These lebkuchen are so delicious you'll want to make them every year!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Chilling time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Afternoon Tea, christmas, Snack
Cuisine: German, Vegan
Servings: 35 pieces
Calories: 101kcal
Author: Louise-Claire Cayzer

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cookies

  • 100 g brown sugar
  • 100 g agave or maple syrup I used agave, but maple is fine too
  • 200 g plain flour
  • 85 g vegan butter I like naturali block, but use your favourite
  • 100 g ground almonds
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg freshly grated is nicest
  • 1 lemon, juice and zest

For the Decorating

  • 100 g icing sugar also known as powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoon warm water
  • 100 g Dark vegan chocolate totally optional!
Metric - American

Instructions

To make the lebkuchen Cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas Mark 6
  • Melt the butter and mix in the syrup and brown sugar. Make sure the sugar is properly melted.
    100 g brown sugar, 100 g agave or maple syrup, 85 g vegan butter
  • Remove from the stove, and mix together all the dry ingredients, including the zest of the lemon.
    200 g plain flour, 100 g ground almonds, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 lemon, juice and zest
  • Carefully mix the melted butter mixture into the flour mixture. It will be not quite wet enough.
  • Now carefully add in lemon juice bit by bit. You'll end up with a soft sticky dough.
  • Form the dough into a ball and refridgerate for half an hour. This makes it easier to roll out.
  • Once the dough is cooled, roll out onto a non-stick surface and press out the cookies into shapes.
  • Put the cookies onto 2 lined baking trays and bake for around 15 minutes.
  • Depending on your cookie shape, you might need to do 3 trays of cookies! You can keep rolling the dough out until there is none left. I have even cheated with the leftovers and just rolled up with my hands and squished out onto the tray !
  • The cookies are ready when they are slightly puffed up and gently golden. They will still be quite soft when you remove them from the oven, so let them cool before handling them.
  • Allow to properly cool on a rack before decorating.

How to decorate the Vegan Lebkuchen

  • Allow the lebkuchen to cool.
  • Mix together the sugar and water. How much water you add will affect the thickness of the glaze so do how you wish!
    100 g icing sugar, 2 tablespoon warm water
  • Dip the cookies into the glaze and allow to set. Add little stars here if you want.
  • Alternatively, melt chocolate and dip the cookies in the chocolate, allowing to dry on non-stick baking paper.
    100 g Dark vegan chocolate

Video

Notes

Depending on your cookie shape, you might need to do 3 trays of cookies! You can keep rolling the dough out until there is none left. I have even cheated with the leftovers and just rolled up with my hands and squished out onto the tray !

🍊Substitutions and Variations

There are a few ways you can substitute items in this recipe should you want or need to:
  1. Coconut Oil: Melt the same quantity of coconut oil to replace the butter.
  2. Orange zest and juice: replace the lemon with orange for a slightly different but equally delicious flavour.
  3. Gluten Free: Replace the wheat flour with your favourite gluten free flour blend. Gluten free flour sometimes needs extra liquid, so just add more lemon juice as needed.
  4. Chocolate Glaze: Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the icing powder for a chocolatey glaze. Alterntively microwave or melt chocolate chips over a water bath and use melted chocolate to decorate.
  5. Gingerbread Spice: Feel free to play with the balance of gingerbread spices. If you can't find mixed spice, substitute all-spice or pumpkin spice mix.
 

🔪Equipment

  1. You'll need a saucepan, a large mixing bowl and at least two baking trays or cookie sheets to make these Christmas cookies.
  2. If you want to go for fancy piped icing, you will also need icing bags and nozzles.

Nutrition

Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 95IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg