The best-known German cookies are the Leibniz butter biscuit from Bahlsen, the Prinzen Rolle chocolate sandwich cookie, and Hanuta, a hazelnut wafer by Ferrero. If you only try one, start with Leibniz: it is the plain butter biscuit almost every German grew up with, and the base for half the other cookies on this list.
German supermarkets have a whole aisle of biscuits, and from the outside it is hard to tell which ones are everyday classics and which are just packaging. This guide covers the ones Germans actually mean when they talk about "Kekse", what makes each one different, and how to choose.
What is a Leibniz biscuit?
Leibniz is a rectangular butter biscuit with a scalloped edge. Hermann Bahlsen launched it in Hanover in 1891 and named it after the philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who lived and worked in Hanover. The edge has 52 "teeth", a detail Bahlsen chose for the look and that German kids still count (and bite off one by one).
It is crisp, not very sweet, and tastes of butter rather than sugar. That restraint is the point: Germans eat it with coffee, dunk it in milk, and use it as a layer in no-bake desserts.
The family has grown a lot since 1891. Leibniz Mini Butter Biscuits are the classic in bite size. Leibniz Cream Chocolate puts a chocolate layer on the biscuit. And Leibniz Pick Up! sandwiches a solid chocolate bar between two biscuits - the lunchbox snack of a whole generation.
What is Prinzen Rolle?
Prinzen Rolle ("prince roll") is a round chocolate sandwich cookie: two cocoa biscuits with a chocolate cream filling, sold in a long roll. It is made by De Beukelaer. If you know Oreos, you know the format, but the biscuit is softer and less dark, and the filling is chocolate rather than vanilla.
The original chocolate Prinzen Rolle is the one to start with. There is also a Choco & Cream version, a whole grain version and Minis in small packs.
What is Hanuta?
Hanuta is two thin wafers with a cocoa-hazelnut cream and hazelnut pieces in between, individually wrapped. The name is short for Haselnusstafel, "hazelnut bar": HA-NU-TA. Ferrero brought it to Germany in 1959, and it has been a standard in German school bags ever since.
Strictly speaking it is a wafer, not a cookie, but in Germany it sits right next to the biscuits on the shelf and in everyone's snack drawer. The classic 10-pack is the standard. There is also a plant-based Hanuta Crispy Cocoa - check the ingredient list on the product page if you need it for a specific diet.
Which other Bahlsen cookies are worth knowing?
Bahlsen makes far more than Leibniz. A few that Germans buy for themselves, not just as gifts:
- Kipferl - crescent-shaped hazelnut shortbread, a shape that comes straight from the traditional Christmas cookie plate.
- Ohne Gleichen - chocolate-covered wafer pralines, also in a dark chocolate version.
- Waffeletten - rolled wafers lined with chocolate.
- Chokini - chocolate cookies with orange.
- Blätter Brezeln - caramelized puff pastry pretzels.
How do the German cookies compare?
| Cookie | Maker | What it is | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leibniz Butterkeks | Bahlsen | Crisp butter biscuit, 52 teeth | Coffee, dunking, desserts |
| Leibniz Pick Up! | Bahlsen | Two biscuits with a chocolate bar inside | Lunchboxes, snacks on the go |
| Prinzen Rolle | De Beukelaer | Cocoa sandwich cookie, chocolate cream | Sharing, kids |
| Hanuta | Ferrero | Hazelnut wafer, individually wrapped | School bag, afternoon snack |
| Kipferl | Bahlsen | Hazelnut crescent shortbread | Tea, holiday plate |
| Ohne Gleichen | Bahlsen | Chocolate-covered wafer pralines | Gifts, guests |
Which German cookie should you try first?
Start with Leibniz to understand the baseline, then Prinzen Rolle and Hanuta to see the chocolate and hazelnut side. If you would rather not choose, the Leibniz Pick Up mixed box or the German Snack Box cover several at once. Everything else is in the Biscuits & Snacks collection.
Shipping: orders are processed within 1-3 business days, and delivery to the USA and Canada takes 7-14 business days after dispatch (7-18 for the Gulf countries). International orders may be subject to customs duties, taxes or import fees, which are paid by the customer. Biscuits travel well, but they are fragile, so expect the odd broken edge on a Leibniz - Germans would just call that a snack.
FAQ
What are the most famous German cookies?
Leibniz butter biscuits from Bahlsen, Prinzen Rolle chocolate sandwich cookies from De Beukelaer, and Hanuta hazelnut wafers from Ferrero are the three names almost every German knows. Around the holidays, Spekulatius and Lebkuchen join them.
Why does the Leibniz biscuit have 52 teeth?
Hermann Bahlsen picked 52 for the look when he created the biscuit in 1891. It has no deeper meaning, but it has stayed the same ever since and is part of the brand.
What does Hanuta mean?
Hanuta is short for the German word Haselnusstafel, meaning hazelnut bar: the first two letters of Haselnuss, Nuss and Tafel.