German Lebkuchen Bars
Soft, chewy German Lebkuchen bars sweetened with honey and brown sugar, warmly spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, studded with toasted nuts, and finished with a vanilla glaze. An easy, make-ahead take on the classic German honey-spice cake, perfect for holiday baking and gifting.
Equipment
- 9x13 baking pan
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Zester
Ingredients
For the Bars
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 lemon zest only
- 1 cup chopped almonds or hazelnuts toasted if possible
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp milk or lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9x13 pan with parchment.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the honey, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth.
- Combine: Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. Stir in the nuts.
- Bake: Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until set and just lightly golden but still soft (do not overbake). Cool completely.
- Glaze: Whisk the glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle over the cooled bars. Let set, then lift out by the parchment and slice into bars.
Notes
Do not overbake; the bars should be soft and chewy and firm up as they cool. The flavor improves after resting overnight, so they're great made ahead. Cool completely before glazing. Toast the nuts for deeper flavor. Lemon juice in the glaze gives a brighter finish; milk a mellower one. Store airtight at room temperature up to 10 days, which makes them ideal for gifting.