Vegan Pfeffernusse Cookies

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/21/21
Vegan pfeffernusse cookies

The Spruce

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 24 servings

Pfeffernusse cookies are a spicy, fragrant cookie perfect for Christmas. The essential ingredient is, surprisingly, the black pepper, which combines with the rest of the spices and the molasses for a truly unique taste. It may look like a lot of spices when you're baking these up, but the combination is, we promise, perfect. And, since they are vegan, you can feel extra good about treating yourself and the environment well for the holidays when you make your vegan Christmas cookies. 

This version of pfeffernusse cookies is made with no eggs and dairy, but with vegan margarine and an egg replacer making it dairy-free and egg-free. 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup room temperature vegan margarine, more for the pan

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup molasses

  • Egg replacer for 1 egg, such as Ener-g or Bob's Red Mill, made according to package instructions

  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for vegan pfeffernusse cookies
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  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two baking sheets. 

    Oil on baking tray
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  3. Combine the flour with the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda and pepper. Set aside.

    Flour in a bowl
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  4. Using an electric mixer, beat together the vegan margarine, brown sugar, and molasses until well combined and as light and fluffy as you can get it.

    Beating in eggs
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  5. Add in the prepared egg replacer and vanilla, again beating until well combined and as fluffy as possible.

    Add the egg replacer
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  6. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients, mixing until well combined. The dough should be a bit more dry and crumbly.

    Add dry ingredients
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  7. Roll the cookie dough into 1-inch balls and place them on prepared cookie sheets. Do not flatten. If the dough is too crumbly, you can moisten your hands a bit when rolling the dough to get it to stick together.

    Roll into balls
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  8. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes, until just starting to crack; do not over-bake.

    Bake the cookies
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  9. Allow the cookies to cool, then gently roll in confectioners' sugar until completely coated. You can also place the sugar in a bag or a bowl and gently roll the cookies around. 

    Allow the cookies to cool
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  10. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
130 Calories
4g Fat
22g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 130
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 27mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 19mg 1%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 85mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)