Paleo Lebkuchen hearts (German gingerbread) with almonds and honey

Paleo Lebkuchen hearts made with ground almonds, honey, egg, cocoa and gingerbread spice, with no grains or dairy. A Christmas dessert, 218 kcal per two hearts.

At a glance

• Serves 10
• Prep time: 45 min
• Cooking time: 11 min
• Total time: 56 min
• Calories: 218 kcal per serving
• Protein: 6 g
• Fat: 17 g
• Carbs: 9 g

Ingredients

• 250g ground almonds
• 80g honey
• 1 egg
• 30g coconut oil
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp gingerbread spice
• 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 pinch of salt

Method

You’ll need: oven · baking tray · mixing bowl · cookie cutters

1. Mix the ground almonds, cocoa, gingerbread spice, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a bowl.
2. Melt the coconut oil, whisk it with the egg and honey and knead everything into a dough with the almond mixture.
3. Leave the dough to firm up in the fridge for 30 minutes, then roll it out 6 to 7 mm thick between two sheets of baking paper.
4. Cut out 20 hearts and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
5. Bake the hearts in a preheated oven at 170 °C (150 °C fan) for 9 to 11 minutes and leave them to cool on the tray – they firm up as they cool.

Good to know

You'll know Lebkuchen hearts from German Christmas markets, usually hard and decorated with colourful icing. These ones are soft and nutty and need no flour.

Swaps

Honey → maple syrup. Coconut oil → ghee (more buttery). Almonds → half hazelnuts (stronger flavour). Cocoa → more gingerbread spice (lighter colour).

Cooking tips

Almond dough browns quickly, so take the hearts out as soon as the edges darken. Use a straw to poke a hole for a ribbon before baking.

Storage

Keeps for 2 weeks in a cookie tin.

Allergens

Contains almonds and egg; honey is not suitable for children under one year old, fine during pregnancy.

Dairy-free recipes