Pepernoten, every Dutch kid (and adult) loves them. I love them so much and I am spreading the word (here) so everyone knows about them and can indulge on them! These chocolate covered pepernoten AKA Dutch marble-size gingerbread cookies are the perfect holiday binge-watching snack!
Crunchy marble-size gingerbread cookies is my best description of them. Traditionally made around the Dutch holiday ‘Sinterklaas’ which is on the 5th of December (Sinterklaas is a historical figure similar to Santa Claus). The tradition goes hundreds of years back when they were made as a treat for children. That is probably why they are so small. Nowadays everybody eats them and I totally understand why. They are simply irresistible! Delicious little flavor bombs!
spices in pepernoten
Pepernoten, literally translated as pepper nuts, are spiced with speculaas spice which is similar to gingerbread spice but has a very small amount of white pepper in the blend so I guess that is where the name comes from. Read all about the differences in holiday spice blends here. They are also called kruidnoten (spiced nuts) which actually makes more sense.
healthy pepernoten
These cookies are traditionally made with white all purpose flour, white sugar and lots of butter. Super yummy, but when you are addicted to them (who me?) you’d want to indulge on them guilt-free. So I tweaked the recipe and after extensive testing I can say I came up with a healthier version that is as delicious as the OG; vegan and easily made gluten free.
chocolate covered pepernoten
To make them taste even better I dropped them in melted dark chocolate… Optional, but who can say no to chocolate, right?
How to make chocolate covered pepernoten?
I make these a lot with my kids. It is super easy and quick to do. This is how we make them.
7 easy steps..
1,2,3: Mix all dry ingredients. Mix all wet ingredients. Mix wet and dry mixes and knead.
4: Refrigerate the dough for 15-30 minutes so the next step will be easier to do.
5: Turn the dough into thumb size cookies. You can leave them round, but traditionally they are pressed down a bit.
6: Line them on a parchment paper lined baking tray and bake them for 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them though! You don’t want them to burn. They will crisp up even more when cooling down. So don’t leave them in the oven thinking they aren’t firm enough yet! Let them cool down completely before dipping them in chocolate.
7: OPTIONAL… While the pepernoten are cooling off, melt some dark chocolate au bain marie (melting with a double boiler). Now dip them in the melted chocolate and place them on a parchment lined baking tray. Let them harden and they are ready to eat! If you live in a hot climate like us, you probably have to place the tray in the freezer for a bit. I also keep leftovers in the freezer or fridge in a glass container to avoid stickiness (and chocolate stains).
The spices in these little cookies are what make them incredibly delicious. We all love them here in this household and I am sure you will do too! They are
crunchy – full of holiday flavor – great to snack on – perfect to make with your kids – and irresistibly delicious
This is one of our best holiday baking recipes. We just love to bake together. These are a few of our other favorites: speculaas ~ gingerbread cookies, gingerbread house in a jar (recipe here very soon. Promise!), pumpkin buns, speculaas spice banana bread. All made with one of these 3 holiday spices mixes.
Pepernoten AKA marble-size gingerbread cookies
Ingredients
- 250 gr white whole wheat flour (you can sub regular whole wheat flour or white spelt flour or 50/50 whole wheat flour and all purpose flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100 gr coconut sugar (or sub brown sugar)
- 2 tbsp speculaas spice* (or sub gingerbread spice*)
- ½ tsp fine grain sea salt
- 2-4 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (or sub other type of milk)
- 150 gr coconut oil (melted if not already)(or sub (vegan) butter)
For chocolate dipped cookies (optional):
- 1 cup dark chocolate (chopped)
Instructions
- Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Mix all wet ingredients in another bowl (start with 2 tbsp of milk). Now mix the wet and dry mixes by adding the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and knead it with your hands. Add another tbsp of milk if the dough is too dry. It should be a little sticky.
- Refrigerate the dough for 15-30 minutes so the next step will be easier to do. You can skip this step, but I wouldn't recommend it.
- Preheat the oven to 350F/175C
- Turn the dough into thumb size cookies and place them on a parchment paper lined baking tray. You can leave them round, but traditionally they are pressed down a bit.
- Bake them for 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them though! You don't want them to burn. They will crisp up even more when cooling down. So don't leave them in the oven thinking they aren't firm enough yet!
- While the pepernoten are cooling off a bit, melt some dark chocolate in a double boiler. Now dip the pepernoten in the chocolate and place them on a parchment lined baking tray.
- Let them harden for 10-15 minutes and they are ready to eat! If you live in a hot climate like us, you probably have to place the tray in the freezer for a bit. I also keep leftovers in the freezer or fridge in a glass container.
Notes
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
If you like this recipe, please consider rating it with the star rating system and leave a comment below – it’s so helpful for us and other readers. Thank you! And don’t forget to snap a picture if you make this and tag @familicious.kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #familicious.kitchen. Awesome! You can also find us on Facebook and Pinterest.
Leave a Reply