National Pfeffernuesse Day Date in the current year: December 23, 2024

Pfeffernuesse have been part of yuletide celebrations in Europe since the mid-19th century. They were brought to the United States by European immigrants and have become quite popular here as well.

There are a lot of pfeffernuesse recipes that have been created throughout the years, but most often these cookies are made with flour, brown sugar, and spices – most commonly cloves, cinnamon, and anise. The cookies can be sweetened with honey or molasses. Sometimes they are dusted with powdered sugar.

Pfeffernuesse are hard when they are first baked, but they gradually soften with age. That is why many people prefer to cook pfeffernuesse a couple of days before Christmas so that they can eat soft spiced cookies on Christmas Eve. Probably this is the reason why National Pfeffernuesse Day is celebrated on December 23.