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Home » Recipe Index » Jan Hagel (Dutch Christmas Cookies)

Jan Hagel (Dutch Christmas Cookies)

November 29, 2019 by Kara Cook 4 Comments

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jan hagel bars collage

Jan Hagel Cookies – Buttery bars topped with cinnamon sugar and sliced almonds. These tasty Dutch cookies are perfect for the holidays. 

I make dozens of treats to give to neighbors every Christmas, and I always include a few bars or brownies for variety.  These cinnamon sugar bars look so pretty on a cookie tray, and everyone loves them!

plate of jan hagel cinnamon sugar bars

 

SUPER EASY CINNAMON SUGAR BARS

These Jan Hagels are one of the first recipes I ever made all by myself. I think I was probably about ten years old. My mom got the recipe from her mom, so it’s been handed down for generations!

These cookies only have a few ingredients, and you can whip them up in just a few minutes. They are a great for kids who are just learning to cook. (But no one will ever guess how easy they are, because they taste amazing!)

The bars are nice and chewy with a rich, buttery flavor. Cinnamon sugar and almonds sprinkled on top give them a nice crunch. 

WHAT ARE JAN HAGELS?

Jan Hagel cookies are a traditional Dutch Christmas treat. They are made with a few basic ingredients, and the dough is pressed into a very thin layer on a baking sheet.

Sliced almonds or other nuts are sprinkled on top of the dough. Sometimes they are brushed with an egg white, and they are usually sprinkled with some type of sugar or cinnamon sugar.

stack of diamond shaped cinnamon sugar bars

 

HOW TO MAKE JAN HAGEL COOKIES

Ingredients needed:

  • brown sugar 
  • butter (softened to room temperature)
  • egg
  • vanilla extract
  • all purpose flour
  • salt
  • cinnamon sugar
  • sliced almonds

Cream together brown sugar and butter. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour and salt. Cover and chill dough for 20-30 minutes.

The hardest part of this recipe is patting the dough into the pan. I like to get my hands wet, then press the dough down. That works like a charm. If the dough starts sticking, just rinse your hands and start again.

Sprinkle the dough with cinnamon sugar, then spread sliced almonds evenly over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting.

HOW TO CUT JAN HAGEL BAR COOKIES INTO DIAMONDS

To get the pretty diamond shapes, just cut diagonally from corner to corner, then cut straight rows across the pan. If you don’t have a long sharp knife, you can use a pizza cutter. You will have leftover pieces on all of the edges, perfect for hungry children or husbands.

How to cut jan hagel bars into diamond shapes

They turn out so pretty with the cinnamon sugar and almonds on top. I love the diamond shapes, but you can of course just cut them into regular square bars. They will still taste just as good!

PRO TIPS:

  • Line the pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper before spraying with non-stick spray. It makes it easier to cut into diamond shapes, because you can lift the bars out of the pan and use a large knife or pizza cutter.
  • Make sure you chill the dough for a few minutes so it’s easier to press into the pan.
  • Press the dough into the pan with wet hands. It keeps the dough from sticking to your hands.

 

VARIATIONS:

  • Instead of sprinkling regular granulated sugar on top, try coarse baking sugar or pearl sugar.
  • Drizzle the tops of the bars with melted chocolate or white chocolate. 
  • For even more cinnamon flavor, add a half to a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dough with the flour.
  • You can substitute the sliced almonds for pecans, walnuts, or any type of nut you prefer. Or of course you can eliminate them altogether.

cinnamon sugar bars with sliced almonds

These easy Dutch cookies are simply delicious! Give them a try, and they just may become a new holiday tradition at your house. Of course, at my house, we bake and eat them all year long. They’re just too good to only have once a year!

jan hagel dutch cookies recipe collage

Love cinnamon and sugar? You’ll love these recipes too:

Easy Cinnamon Popcorn
Fluffy Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
Snickerdoodle Blondies
Double Cinnamon Snickerdoodles

RECIPE FOR JAN HAGEL COOKIE BARS

Yield: 3 dozen

Cinnamon Sugar Almond Bars- Jan Hagels

Cinnamon Sugar Almond Bars- Jan Hagels

Simple cinnamon sugar bar cookies topped with sliced almonds.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 23 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter or margarine
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

  1. Spray a 17x12" jelly roll pan with non stick spray, or line with parchment paper.
  2. Cream sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt.
  3. Cover and chill for about 30 minutes. Pat dough into the prepared jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, then almonds.
  4. Bake at 350 ° for about 18 minutes. Cool slightly and cut into square or diamond shapes.

Notes

--Make sure you chill the dough, or you will make a sticky mess trying to spread it in the pan.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

36

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 108Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 52mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g
© Kara
Cuisine: Dutch / Category: Dessert: Brownies and Bars

(originally published 12/13/2008, updated November 2019)


 

Filed Under: Christmas, Christmas Recipes, Dessert: Brownies and Bars, Recipe Index Tagged With: cinnamon sugar, sliced almonds

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Allen Bank

    February 3, 2021 at 5:59 pm

    Hello Kara:

    I happened upon you; your blog during much searching for Jan Hagel cookies. It had taken a bit of time and jarring of my memory to even remember the name of these cookies. They were my grandmother. For some reason these cookies that she made brought back a strong emotional reaction from me. The memory of grandma is strong and laced with love, respect anchored in her no-nonsense get it done and do it right attitude. Cooking, baking and nourishing her family was paramount to her, and she was gifted in that.

    Unfortunately I did not inherit the gene for baking… the one for loving good, basic, homemade food; well prepared with love and attention to detail… well that gene was passed on to me.

    Do you sell your baked goods (so many of which you seem to have beautifully mastered and have generously and graciously shared here). I can’t seem to find Jan Hagel cookies anywhere for sale. Any assistance in my strengthening my memories of grandma would be greatly appreciated. Tasting and ingesting her love would be miraculous.

    Thank you and keep the fires of your passion and your oven burning.

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      February 6, 2021 at 11:33 am

      Aw, I love hearing your memories of your grandma, that just made my day! She sounds a lot like my grandma – well like both of them actually. I am grateful that I inherited a love of cooking from them. Unfortunately, I don’t sell my baked goods currently. I’ve thought about starting it up in the future, but I would need to get an additional business licence and food handler’s permit. That seems overwhelming right now. 😉

      Reply
  2. Joan Lips

    November 21, 2020 at 10:28 am

    Do these cookies freeze well?

    Reply
  3. Jane

    February 26, 2018 at 3:19 pm

    This brings me back to my childhood – my grandmother made this all the time! She’s been gone for years now and I thought the recipe went with her so I’m so glad to find this recipe 🙂 To make it easier to get in the pan I broke off chunks from the chilled dough and spread them around the pan – then I placed a piece of parchment paper on top and pressed it into place with a rolling pin. Thanks for a great recipe and the memories it brought back!

    Reply

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Hi. I’m Kara, and I love to create! I share recipes, DIY tutorials, craft projects, and thrifty home decor. I hope that I can inspire you to create something! Read More…

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