Peperkoek is delicious and easy to prepare. It's Dutch sweet bread. And these three recipes for peperkoek, kruidkoek, and a sugar-free version are all delicious.
Ontbijt koek
This blog is a favorite Dutch quick bread called ontbijtkoek (literally translated breakfast cake) or peperkoek (pepper cake) this spiced cake is an integral part of the breakfast table in Holland. Rye is (usually) its most important ingredient, coloring the cake a light brown. It is often spiced with cloves, cinnamon, ginger, succade (candied citrus peel) and nutmeg.
Oudewijvenkoek or ontbijtkoek
Several parts of the Netherlands have their own local recipe, of which the most famous is "Oudewijvenkoek" (old wives' cake) which is mostly eaten in the northern regions, and is flavored with anise seed. Ontbijtkoek is traditionally served at breakfast with a thick layer of butter on top, as a replacement for bread. However due to its sweet taste it is also served as a snack.
Which flour to use?
The recipes below use whole-wheat flour or all-purpose (plain) flour since it is much easier to find than the traditional rye flour. (You can replace 1 cup of whole-wheat or all-purpose (plain) flour with rye flour in the recipes below for a more traditional taste if you wish).
Recipe Source:
Ontbijtkoek (breakfast bread) Http://www.24kitchen.nl
Sugar free peperkoek: http://gezondlevenvanjacoline.blogspot.nl
The recipes listed in the challenge use gingerbread spices. The gingerbread spice blend I use is the one common in the Netherlands, you can make your own using this recipe:

Recipe: Gingerbread Spice Blend

Gingerbread spice blend
Pas met de knoppen het aantal personen aan.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons cinnamon ground
- 2 teaspoons nutmeg ground
- 1 teaspoon cloves ground
- 1 teaspoon cardamom ground
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper ground
- 1 teaspoon coriander ground
- 1 teaspoon ginger ground
- 1 teaspoon anise ground
- 1 teaspoon mace ground
Instructions
- If you can't get all the ingredients allready grounded use a pestle and mortar to ground them.
- Mix everything and put in an airtight jar.
Nutrition
Recipe 2: Peperkoek cake

Ontbijtkoek (Peperkoek) (Dutch Gingerbread Spice Bread)
Pas met de knoppen het aantal personen aan.
Equipment
- whisk
Ingredients
- 1 egg large
- 1 tablespoon sugar syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon ground gingerbread spices
- 1¼ cups brown sugar
- 2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
Bake your cake
- Preheat oven to moderate 350 °F (180 °C/gas mark 4) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Put the egg, syrup, water, spices, and brown sugar in a bowl. Whisk until everything is dissolved.1 egg, 1 tablespoon sugar syrup, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon ground gingerbread spices, 1¼ cups brown sugar
- Add the whole-wheat flour and the baking powder into the bowl and mix all the ingredients until the flour is wet. It doesn’t matter if there are some lumps left.2 cups whole-wheat flour, 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
- Pour into the baking tin and bake in the oven for 70 minutes.
- To check if the sweet bread is done, stick a wooden skewer or toothpick into the middle. If it comes out clean, the sweet bread is ready.
- Take the cake out of the oven, allow cooling in the tin for 5 minutes
- After 5 minutes, take the cake out of the pan and let the cake cool down on a wire rack to room temperature before serving.
Notes
3. Dark Brown sugar - Dark brown caster sugar gets its specific color and taste due to the added molasses. You can optionally use light brown sugar, but the color and taste will be different. 4. Egg - Use an egg size L, or two eggs size S. If you want a vegan gingerbread, you can make the recipe without egg and replace it with one mashed banana. 5. Oven temperature -
A conventional oven is used. When using a convection oven (with air fan) decrease the temperature with 30 °F (320 °F) / 20 °C (160 °C) 6. Soft top - If you want a soft top, place baking paper on the cake, so that you cover the batter. 7. Also delicious -
- Add currants, raisins and/or walnuts for even more flavor (2 oz. (50 grams) of dried fruit / 1 oz. (25 grams) of finely chopped nuts).
- 2 oz. (50 grams) of finely chopped chocolate.
- Room temperature - Wrap in plastic foil or store in an airtight container up to three days.
- Refrigerator - Don't store in the refrigerator, the cake will become moist and that's not very tasty.
- Freezer - Wrap in aluminum foil (double wrap) and store up to 1 month in the freezer. Let thaw at room temperature.
8. Nutritional value
The loaf can be cut into 10 slices. The nutritional value is shown per slice.
Video
Nutrition
Recipe 2: Kruidkoek
Original recipe in metric. Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients:
- 4 cups (960 ml) (17-⅔ oz) (500 gm) all-purpose (plain) flour
- 1½ teaspoons (7 gm) baking powder
- 2½ cups (600 ml) (17-⅔ oz) (500 gm) brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 teaspoons (10 gm) ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons (10 gm) ground nutmeg
- 2 cups (500 ml) milk
Directions:
- Preheat oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 and line a 30cmx12 cm (12“x5“) baking tin with parchment paper.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl
- Put the milk in a small saucepan and warm until it almost comes to a boil. Remove from the heat
- add the sugar and whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
- Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients whisk (by hand or using a machine) until the batter is totally smooth.
- Pour into the baking tin and bake in a preheated moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 oven for 90 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean
- Take the cake out of the oven, allow it to cool in the pan for 5 minutes
- After the 5 minutes take the cake out of the pan and let the cake cool down to room temperature before serving.
Recipe 3: Sugarfree Peperkoek
Original recipe in metric. Servings: 12 slices.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (480 ml) (8¾ oz) (250 gm) whole-wheat flour
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (200 ml) milk
- 1 large egg
- 4½ tablespoons (100 gm) honey
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple butter OR butter
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) (⅓ oz) (10 gm) baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) (1 oz) (30 gm) ground gingerbread spices
Directions:
- Preheat oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 and line a 30cmx12 cm (12“x5“) baking tin with parchment paper.
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan. When it is almost boiling add the apple butter and honey.
- Whisk very well.
- Using a bowl and a whisk OR in the bowl of the kitchen-aid machine place the egg and spices and turn it on (low speed). Pour the milk mixture into the bowl while the machine is mixing
- Add the whole-wheat flour to the mixture, one tablespoon at a time while whisking, when done add the pinch of salt mix for a few seconds until combined.
- Pour into the baking tin and bake in a preheated moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 oven for 50 minutes until done.
- Take the cake out of the oven, allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes
- After the 5 minutes take the cake out of the pan and let the cake cool down to room temperature before serving.
Storage & Freezing Instructions/Tips:
- Storage: About 4 days at room temperature (wrapped in foil)
- You can store it (well-covered) in the freezer up to one month.
Additional Information:
Here is a link to a recipe using half rye and half all-purpose (plain) flour http://www.thedutchtable.com/2010/02/ontbijtkoek-dutch-spice-bread.html
Debbie says
Thanks so much for hosting this month's challenge. I was about to make some Taai Taai and came across the baker's challenge for December and decided to try something new. I love spice cakes and ginger bread so thought I would probably like this as well. I've been having this every morning for breakfast since Christmas and it remains nice and fresh a long time. I think next year I will make this for friends for Christmas. I will try it with 1/2 rye and 1/2 gluten free baking flour next time for one of my friends who is gluten free...I think this may work well. Thanks so very much for the introduction to something new:) Merry Christmas!!
andrea says
What nice to hear. I love taai-taai, but we eat it in the beginning of December with Sinterklaas. This sweet bread we eat all winter. We love it anyway and I'm glad you did to.
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
I love dutch spiced breads like this. Definitely need to make the recipe as I am SO craving a slice right now!
andrea says
Yes, this is indeed a great recipe and I'm pleased you like it to. Tell me how you liked it when you bake one!