Ooo yes—Lebkuchen bars 🎄✨
All the cozy German Christmas flavor, none of the fussy shaping.
Lebkuchen Bars (German Spice Bars)
Ingredients
Dry
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2 cups all-purpose flour
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1 tsp baking powder
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½ tsp baking soda
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2 tsp Lebkuchengewürz (or substitute below)
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½ tsp cinnamon
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¼ tsp salt
Wet
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¾ cup honey
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½ cup brown sugar
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½ cup melted butter (or neutral oil)
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2 large eggs
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1 tsp vanilla extract
Add-ins (optional but traditional)
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½ cup finely chopped almonds or hazelnuts
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½ cup candied orange or lemon peel
Glaze (optional but classic)
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1 cup powdered sugar
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2–3 tbsp milk or lemon juice
Instructions
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Prep
Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment. -
Mix dry ingredients
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. -
Mix wet ingredients
In another bowl, whisk honey, brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla. -
Combine
Stir wet into dry just until combined. Fold in nuts and peel if using. -
Bake
Spread evenly in pan.
Bake 20–25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. -
Glaze
While warm, drizzle or spread glaze. Let set before cutting.
Lebkuchen Spice Substitute
If you don’t have lebkuchengewürz:
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1 tsp cinnamon
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½ tsp ground cloves
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½ tsp ground nutmeg
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½ tsp allspice
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Pinch of ground ginger
Tips for Best Flavor
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These taste even better the next day.
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Store airtight; they keep well for a week.
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For Nürnberger vibes, dip bottoms in melted chocolate 🍫
If you want, I can:
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Make them gluten-free
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Do a nut-heavy traditional version
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Turn this into a sheet-pan Christmas cookie platter
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Add a chocolate glaze or jam layer