Zimtsterne: The Star of My Christmas Cookie Tray

Christmas is a magical time filled with family traditions, cosy moments and of course, delicious treats. And for me, no festive season is complete without a batch (or three!) of Zimtsterne, those delightful cinnamon stars that are a staple of German Christmas baking. These cookies aren’t just sweet treats; they’re a nostalgic bite of my childhood and a tradition I’ve carried with me through the years.

What makes Zimtsterne truly special is their balance of textures. The soft, chewy base is infused with warm cinnamon and nutty almonds, while the crunchy meringue-like topping gives them a satisfying finish. One bite and I’m transported to bustling Christmas markets with the smell of mulled wine filling the chilly air. (They still work down under for summer Christmas – trust me, I’ve tried 😅)

Gather the ingredients:

3 large egg whites
240g icing sugar
365g ground almonds (almond meal) or ground hazelnuts (hazelnut meal)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp of of vanilla sugar
Pinch of salt

Let’s bake Zimtsterne:

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Sift the powdered sugar into the eggs and stir until combined. Reserve 2/3 cup of the egg white mixture to glaze the cookies (keep in the fridge until needed).
Add the grounded nuts, cinnamon, vanilla sugar and salt and mix. The dough should be a fairly stiff but pliable mass. If it’s too soft or sticky to work with add a little more nut meal and powdered sugar.
Rest the dough in the fridge for 1 hour, line a baking tray (Don’t miss this step, chilling the dough will make it way easier to get those pretty stars cut out.)
Preheat the oven to 120ºC (normal setting, not fan).
Roll the dough onto a non-stick surface sprinkled with powdered sugar to a thickness of about 8mm and cut out stars using a cookie cutter. Transfer them to the lined baking tray.
Spread the egg white mixture onto each cookie using a toothpick or a pastry brush all the way to the edges.
Place the tray on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the oven door just a little and let the cookies sit for another 10-15 minutes to further dry out. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

For me, Zimtsterne are the taste of Christmas. They’re perfect for enjoying alongside a mug of Glühwein or hot chocolate, or as a sweet surprise in a festive biscuit tin. Whether you’ve grown up with these cinnamon stars or are discovering them for the first time, they’re bound to become a favourite.

Love Christmas? Discover more inspiration here.