These German cinnamon star cookies (called Zimtsterne in Germany) are soft, fluffy and naturally gluten free. They're a Christmas cookie made with almond flour, cinnamon, and a snowy meringue top. While most Germans buy these classic German Christmas cookies at the store, they are 100 percent better homemade than store-bought!
I couldn't find them at stores in America, which then resulted in me having to find the best way to make them at home. And wow, what a lucky disadvantage! These are so much better than the store-bought Zimtsterne!
They’re also one of my Top 5 German Christmas Cookies, and honestly? They might be the most magical of the bunch.
Let’s make your new favorite gluten free Christmas cookie!
Why homemade Zimtsterne are the best!
Store-bought Zimtsterne tend to be dry, overly chewy, and aggressively sweet. Homemade ones? Wow, what a difference!
These homemade German cinnamon star cookies are:
- Soft and cloud-like (not brick-like!)
- Naturally gluten free thanks to almond flour
- Full of warm cinnamon flavor
- Beautiful with their glossy white meringue tops
- Perfect for cookie plates, gifting, and snacking all December
And once you learn a few tricks, especially the part about not overbaking, they’re surprisingly easy!
Tips for perfect German cinnamon star cookies!
These are the BIGGEST takeaways from my recipe testing:
1. Beat the egg whites long enough.
At least 6 minutes. This gives you the glossy, thick meringue that creates that perfectly soft cookie. If you rush this step, the cookies turn dense.
2. Do NOT overbake.
This is the number-one cause of rock-hard Zimtsterne. Bake them for 12 minutes. No more. The meringue causes them to firm up quickly, so even one extra minute can ruin the batch.
3. Chill the dough for the full two hours.
This dough is sticky-sticky (like “cling to your soul” sticky). Chilling makes it workable.
4. Use LOTS of powdered sugar when rolling.
Think: powdered-sugar snowstorm. It keeps everything from sticking.
5. Keep your cookie cutter clean.
Give it a quick wipe every few stars and dip it into powdered sugar between cuts for clean, sharp edges. Keep a shallow bowl with warm water close to you to dip your cookie cutter in every so often. This helps the cookies slip right out of the cutter.
Ingredients
Here’s what each ingredient in the Zimtstern cookie does and why it matters.
Egg Whites. These create the meringue base that gives Zimtsterne their signature fluffy texture and glossy white topping. They also help bind the almond flour since there’s no wheat flour here.
Almond flour or Ground almonds (with skins). Using almonds makes the recipe naturally gluten free and gives the cookies their nutty, chewy softness. Almond meal with the skins adds color and richer flavor, just like the classic German version. Using almond flour (without skins) makes the cookies more delicate, as they it's usually finer ground. Either can be used and I used almond flour this time.
Powdered Sugar. Powdered sugar dissolves beautifully into the meringue, keeping it smooth and shiny. You’ll also use a LOT for rolling because this dough sticks to everything.
Salt. A tiny pinch balances the sweetness and brings out the cinnamon and almond flavors.
Lemon Juice. This stabilizes the meringue (a small but mighty ingredient!) and adds a subtle brightness.
Vanilla Extract. This rounds out the warm cinnamon flavor and adds depth. German bakeries often use vanilla sugar; extract works beautifully here.
Cinnamon. The star of the show. Literally. This is what turns these into true German cinnamon star cookies. Quality cinnamon makes a BIG difference. I use organic Ceylon cinnamon.
How to Make Zimtsterne
Step 1: Make the meringue
Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff. Add the lemon juice and powdered sugar, then continue beating for 6–8 minutesuntil glossy.
Remove 5 Tbsp, cover, and refrigerate—this becomes the snowy topping.
Step 2: Mix the dough
Stir in the almond flour, cinnamon, and vanilla until a sticky dough forms.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Step 3: Roll and cut
Preheat oven (convection) to 300°F / 150°C.
Dust your surface generously with powdered sugar and roll the dough to ½ inch thickness.
Cut out stars, dipping your cutter in powdered sugar between cuts.
Step 4: Top and bake
Brush each cookie with the reserved meringue. You can also brush the mixture onto your cookie as it's still in the cutter. It helps to get cleaner edges. It does make the cutting out process a little messier though. Bake your cookies on the second-from-bottom rack for 12 minutes—they should stay pale! Soft is correct; they’ll set as they cool.
How to store Zimtsterne
Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. The texture actually improves after the first day as the almond flour softens even more.
Make Zimtsterne part of your Christmas cookie assortment
Whether you’re marathon baking like Germans to create a German Christmas cookie plate, gifting tins to friends, or just taste-testing your way through December (highly recommended), these Zimtsterne belong on your list!
They pair beautifully with Vanillekipferl, Pinwheel Cookies, and Lebkuchen. And they look SO pretty! They instantly send me to Germany in those years when I can't be there for Christmas.
And once you try them homemade, you’ll never go back to the packaged version again.
German Cinnamon Star Cookies (Zimtsterne)
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 200 g powdered sugar
- 300 g almond flour Almond flour has no skins and is finer in texture and makes for a more delicate cookie. Or ground almonds (with skin), which is more traditional and will also result in a darker cookie, which you see more typically as the store-bought version.
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon I like to use organic Ceylon cinnamon.
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 100 g powdered sugar for rolling out the dough
Instructions
- Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Add in the lemon juice and powdered sugar and beat for 6 to 8 minutes. Before you move on to the next step, reserve 5 tablespoons of this mixture in a small bowl and cover it airtight. Keep cold in the fridge.3 egg whites, 1 pinch salt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 200 g powdered sugar
- Add the ground almonds, cinnamon and vanilla to the beaten egg white sugar mixture and stir until combined. Cover the dough airtight and move it to the fridge for 2 hours to chill. This makes it easier to roll out the dough. You can also keep it in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours.300 g almond flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven (convection setting) to 300 ℉ or 150℃. Prep baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Roll out the dough on a fairly thick layer of powdered sugar to ½ inch thickness. Using a small (1 to 1.5 inch in diameter) star cookie cutter, cut out stars, making sure to remove any dough residue in between and dipping the cutter in powdered sugar to prevent sticking.Pro tip: keep a shallow bowl of warm water closely to dip your cutter in between when it gets too sticky. This helps the dough slide out of the cookie cutter.100 g powdered sugar
- Using a pastry brush, brush on the reserved egg mixture. You can do this step either while the cookie is still in the cookie cutter and before placing it on your baking sheet or after moving the cut out shapes onto the baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes in the center of your oven.With the convection setting (hot air circulating), there should not be a need to rotate sheets if baking more than one sheet at once. However, depending on your oven, you may want to add this step. I would not recommend baking more than 2 sheets at once.
Notes
- Beat long enough: Whip egg whites and sugar for 6–8 minutes for the fluffiest texture.
- Don’t overbake: Bake for only 12 minutes. Longer baking makes them hard.
- Chill the dough: Refrigerate dough for 2 hours, so it’s easier to handle.
- Use lots of powdered sugar: It prevents sticking when rolling and cutting.
- Clean your cutter: Wiping it between cuts gives you cleaner star edges.
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