I am obsessed with tomtes. These whimsical Nordic gnomes are just too darling, especially when they come in cookie form! It may sound crazy, but I am positively giddy in the knowledge that I will be baking and decorating hundreds of Pepperkaker Tomte Cookies this month (there is no such thing as too many tomtes), plus, the pepperkaker (crispy Norwegian gingerbread) is just so delicious.

These traditional cookies are available from SarahBakes by the dozen or in my Norwegian Classics Assortment, and there is still time to place your order to guarantee availability and our pre-order sale pricing! I would love to bake some pepperkaker tomtes for you this holiday season at SarahBakes, so get your tomte on and place your order today!

A gift for my fellow home bakers…the recipe!

Norwegian pepperkaker is one of my favorite cookies to bake for the holidays and I am happy to share my recipe with you so that you can also delight in the wonderful world of Norwegian gingerbread. These traditional cookies are crispy-thin and full of the fragrant flavor of warm spices with just a hint of black pepper. Instead of using molasses, like other gingerbread recipes, I use golden syrup, which is sweeter and somewhat butterscotch in flavor.

The dough is wonderfully pliable and forgiving, and I roll it out very thin – 1/8 of an inch if possible, and no thicker than 1/4 inch. You can cut the cookies into any shape you like, and you can find the darling tomte cutter I use at one of my favorite stores on earth, Stabo Scandinavian Imports. The cookies bake quickly and a single batch yields 6 to 7 DOZEN cookies – seriously, there is just so much to love about these Nordic gingerbread cookies. They are perfect just as they are or with a splash or festive royal icing, or even a simple dusting of powdered sugar. Click on the image below to get the recipe.

Pepperkaker for everyone!

Whether you bake your own or let me bake them for you, I hope your holidays are filled with the fragrant and delicious joy that is Norwegian pepperkaker. I would love to hear what you are baking this holiday season and if you have any traditional recipes that you make every year. Happy baking, happy eating and god jul! 🧡🎅