Grain Free Pfeffernusse
on Dec 03, 2025
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Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
Spice up your holiday season with a healthy, grain-free twist on a classic German treat! These Grain-Free Pfeffernusse Cookies are perfectly spiced, subtly sweet, and wonderfully chewy—without any gluten or refined grains. If you’re looking for the best paleo Christmas cookie recipe that tastes just like the original, you’ve found it!
Pfeffernusse (pronounced FEF-fer-noose-uh) translates to “pepper nuts.” These small, round, highly-spiced cookies are a traditional holiday favorite in Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia.
Our recipe keeps the traditional warmth from spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, but we use almond flour and coconut sugar to make them accessible for those following a grain-free, paleo, or gluten-free diet.
Ingredient List
- Almond Flour–
- Baking Soda– not to be confused with with baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Allspice
- Nutmeg
- Ground Black Pepper– just used the cracked pepper in your cabinet
- Ghee– make sure its soft
- Coconut Sugar
- Molasses– light or dark molasses works best for this recipe
- Egg– make sure they are room temp
- Vanilla– be sure and measure with your heart
- Confectioner’s Sugar
Step By Step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl mix together almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and pepper.
- In separate bowl mix the room temp ghee and coconut sugar and mix until combined. Add molasses, egg and vanilla mix to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients in to the dry and stir until evenly combined.
- Scoop small 1 inch balls onto cookie sheet.
- 350 degree oven for 13-15 minutes or until small cracks form on the top.
- Let the cookies cool completely, then place them in a large ziplock bag with the powdered sugar and shake to coat.
Pro Baking Tips
- Don’t Overbake! These cookies are best when they are slightly soft and chewy inside. They will firm up as they cool.
- Spice Freshness: Use fresh spices! The key to the best Pfeffernusse flavor is using fragrant, recently purchased spices.
- Storage: Store your grain-free Pfeffernusse in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. They also freeze beautifully before or after coating!
Holiday Cookies Galore
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Grain Free Pfeffernusse
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup ghee room temp
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl mix together almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and pepper.
- In separate bowl mix the room temp ghee and coconut sugar and mix until combined. Add molasses, egg and vanilla mix to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients in to the dry and stir until evenly combined.
- Scoop small 1 inch balls onto cookie sheet.
- 350 degree oven for 13-15 minutes or until small cracks form on the top.
- Let the cookies cool completely, then place them in a large ziplock bag with the powdered sugar and shake to coat.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I love these cookies and have recently started cutting gluten from my diet. Perfect timing!
Hope you love them!
Sounds sooo yummy!
Any replacement ideas for the coconut sugar? (I have an allergy to coconut) 🙁
If you are okay with regular cane sugar, that is fine!
Made this with my toddler and the flavor was amazing but my cookies flattened. Help!
Make sure you let the dough chill in the fridge before you bake! Also make sure the balls are not to large.
Omg this are my new all time fave cookies!!! They are chewy and the perfect amount of sweetness!! AMAZING!
We love to hear this!!! Enjoy
Loved these! Hit the spot for the holiday season. The chewiness of the cookie was perfect
Yessss!
This is an amazing post I love and like food
Keep it up thanks
Give u five star review
Absolutely love these cookies! Pfeffernüsse are a family favorite and I love being able to make this grain free version. Making some to take with me when I fly to see family this Christmas!
Yes they truly are the best!
Any suggestions for the quantity of honey I might use to replace all the coconut sugar?
Same amount I would assume, just not sure what the outcome will be.
Hi. I thought I’d never be able to have the beloved cookies of my childhood every again. I can’t wait to try this. Can unsalted butter be used in place of the ghee? If so, should it be melted and cooled or just room temperature? Thanks.
You should be able to just use it at room temp!