Authentic German Stollen Recipe

German Stollen is a sweet German Christmas bread made of rum-soaked raisins, almonds, citrus, and marzipan nestled in an easy yeast dough.

I grew up in Germany, and had MANY Stollen in my life. They are often dry for me and I don’t love them. That was until I experimented with some recipes and created this moist and perfect Stollen.

I finish my Stollen with a touch of spice to bring together the most warming flavors.

In the past, when I had the choice between Plätzchen (German Christmas cookies) and Stollen, I usually skipped eating Stollen. That's because it can be so dry and dense.

However, this recipe is moist and fluffy and quite addictive when paired with a cup of coffee or hot tea.

This Stollen recipe uses easy-to-find ingredients and simple-to-understand step-by-step instructions, so you can easily create authentic German Stollen from wherever you are in the world.

Stollen was first mentioned in Germany in 1329. It has grown in popularity and is now baked and eaten throughout the world. In Germany, it is baked all year round, but during Christmas time, it is also known as Christstollen or Weihnachtsstollen. Click here for even more German Christmas food inspiration.

How to make Stollen

When making Stollen, it's best to think ahead. It traditionally rests for one to two weeks after baking to fully develop all of its flavors.

However, we ate the first loaf right after baking. It was SO GOOD!

This German Christmas bread recipe makes two loaves, so I have another loaf in the fridge waiting. But you do not have to wait to eat it or find a compromise like we did.

I start by soaking my raisins and almond slivers in some rum and hot water overnight.

The next day, I make a yeast dough from a quick roux, a sponge, and all the ingredients, including the drained raisins. I hand-shape 2 skinny logs of marzipan (optional) to add in the middle of each loaf before baking.

Right after baking, I brush the Stollen with melted butter and sprinkle it with sugar. Once completely cooled, I cover it in powdered sugar wrap it up, and let it rest in a cool place (I put mine in the fridge). However, feel free to break this rule and eat it immediately like we did with our first loaf. It was absolutely delicious and addictive.

This Stollen recipe is moist and fluffy unlike other Stollen I have had in the past. It definitely makes the best Stollen I have ever had!

How to store Stollen

If you can resist eating your Stollen right after baking, follow these steps to store it.

Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to keep in all the moisture. Then store it in a cool spot (like that cold spare bedroom or that cold room in your basement) for up to a week.

I just keep my Stollen in the fridge, which is perfectly acceptable too. It's important to wrap it up airtight after each time you eat some, so it does not dry out.

An hour before eating this German Christmas bread, move it to a warm spot, so it gets a chance to regain its fluffy texture.

If you don't think you will eat all of the Stollen in one week, wrap it airtight and freeze it for later. You can also make Stollen dumplings with leftovers, which are so delicious.

Ingredients

You don't need any hard-to-find ingredients to make authentic German Stollen.

• Raisins. Use whichever raisins you can find. I used Thompson raisins.
• Almonds. I soak the almonds with the raisins to avoid them from drawing moisture from the Stollen.
• Rum. Rum adds a classic warming flavor to your Stollen. You can add a little bit of vanilla extract instead if you'd like to skip using rum.
• Milk. I use 2 percent cow's milk but feel free to use a different kind of milk or even a dairy-free alternative.
• Yeast. Active-dry yeast works great in this recipe.
• Flour. I use a high-gluten all-purpose flour for almost all of my baking.
• Butter. The better the butter, the better your Stollen. After baking, you will brush it with melted butter and I can definitely taste the difference. I use grass-fed butter.

• Sugar. Just pure cane sugar.
• Cinnamon. I use a Ceylon cinnamon, but any variety will do.
• Nutmeg. I like to grind nutmeg fresh (I also use it in my homemade Spätzle, cheese fondue, and more). It's so much more flavorful than 
• Vanilla bean. The real deal. I usually buy some in bulk online, so I have them ready for Vanillekipferl (my favorite German vanilla bean Christmas cookies), Dampfnudeln (steamed dumplings with vanilla bean sauce) and Milchreis (homemade rice pudding).
• Orange zest. I use a little bit of orange zest in my Stollen instead of the candied orange that I don't really care for as much. Make sure you use organic orange.
• Lemon zest. I also use a little lemon zest instead of candied lemon. Make sure you use organic lemon.
• Marzipan. Marzipan is an almond paste that is commonly used in German baked goods and can be eaten on its own too or used for cake decorating. You can optionally add this into your Stollen as the last step before baking.
• Powdered sugar. After the Stollen has completely cooled, you will 'preserve it' in powdered sugar and wrap it tightly to keep it from drying out.

More German Christmas baking recipes

I love making all the Plätzchen (German Christmas cookies), my favorites being my Vanillekipferl (vanilla bean cookies and they were also my Oma's favorite). Stutenkerle (Weckmänner) is another fun German Christmas baking project, especially for St Nicholas Day on December 6th.

And if you're looking for a fun Swiss tradition to implement, try this fluffy yeast-raised bread called Dreikönigskuchen. It's commonly eaten on January 6th to mark the end of the Christmas season.