Homemade German Spaetzle Recipe (German Egg Noodles) (2024)

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Easy German Spaetzle Recipe – ready in only 15 minutes and a great German side dish for all kinds of recipes! It’s super easy to make from scratch and downright delicious.

Spätzle is a special kind of egg noodle that is often enjoyed as a side dish with gravies or sauces but also the main ingredient in other dishes like the famous Käsespätzle. Toss them with a little bit of melted butter and you have an easy but so delicious side dish that the whole family enjoys! Theytaste like chewy egg noodles and can be made savory but also sweet.

Homemade German Spaetzle Recipe (German Egg Noodles) (1)

Have you tried spaetzle before? No? Then prepare yourself for an amazing treat. This easy homemade spaetzle recipe is the only one you ever need and a great alternative to rice, noodles, or potatoes. It can be madein advance which makes preparing a meal for the whole family less stressful.

Germany has great cakes like myGerman Apple Streusel Sheet Cakeand my Plum Cake with Streuselbut there’re also many delicious savory dishes like Schnitzel, pork roast, and dumplings.

Spaetzle are one of my favorite dishes! Theymake a great side for everythingthat comes with a sauce or gravy like goulash or beef stroganoff but are also a delicious main dish with melted cheese and crispy fried onionsor with a simple mushroom gravy.

Homemade German Spaetzle Recipe (German Egg Noodles) (2)

The word Spätzle literally means“little sparrows” in English but they are also called Knöpfle in Germany because they look like little buttons. You can get them in many different sizes and shapes in Germany.

My mother-in-law always makes a bigger version that is called Spatzen (“sparrows“). They taste like the little ones but are sized like small potatoes and you don’t need special equipment to make them.

A few years ago we always bought pre-made spätzle because we thought making them at home from scratch was too difficult and time-consuming. But after making the first batch, we can’t eat the pre-made ones anymore. It’s so easy to make them at home and they taste so much better!Spaetzle are made with flour, eggs, and milk (or water) – you could say they are German egg noodles.

The easiest way to make them at home is by using a spaetzle maker. There are many different ones but the one we use is aboard with holes in it which comes with a scraper (like this one). It’s super easy to use even if you’ve never done it before!

But you can also make spaetzle without a press and use a colander or steamer with large holes instead. You probably have one of these at home anyway!

Homemade German Spaetzle Recipe (German Egg Noodles) (3)

HOW TO MAKE SPAETZLE FROM SCRATCH

You put a few spoons of dough on the board and slide the scraper back and forth, the batter drops through the holes into the simmering water and after a minute or so the spaetzle are done. You need to use a big pot because they will rise to the surface when they’re done.

After you used about half of the batter you probably need to drain the first batch to make room in your pot for the other half otherwise they will stick together and don’t cook completely. If you don’t use them immediately add a little butter while they’re hot and store them in an airtight container.

To reheat, melt some butter in a pan and toss them in it to warm through. They’ll get a bit crispy which makes them even more delicious in my opinion. And if you have leftover spaetzle you need to try my easy Kaesespaetzle recipe.

Homemade German Spaetzle Recipe (German Egg Noodles) (4)

The batter for this easy German side dish is mainly made of eggs and flour. In Germany, you can buy special Spätzle flour which is a little bit coarser than all-purpose flour but normal all-purpose flour will do the job just fine. But please don’t use self-rising flour for this recipe or you’ll end up with a big mess.

You could make them only with eggs but it’s easier to add a little bit of water or milk. There seems to be a big discussion if water or milk is better (or more traditional) but I like to make mine with milk because they taste better in my opinion but if you’re allergic to milk you can easily substitute the milk in my recipe for water.

You could also add some more spices to the batter but traditionally spaetzle don’t have much taste of their own because they are supposed to be eaten with flavorful foods like gravy or cheese. One way to spice things up a bit is to add herbs like parsley, chives, or basil to the batter.

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Homemade German Spaetzle Recipe (German Egg Noodles) (5)

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Easy German Spaetzle Recipe

By: Julia Foerster

Easy German Spaetzle are ready in only 15 minutes and make a great side for all dishes served with a sauce!

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 8 large eggs
  • ¾ cup milk, or water

Cups - Metric

Instructions

  • In a bowl, whisk together the flour, eggs, milk, and salt. Stir until the batter is well combined and develops bubbles. You can also use a mixer. The batter should neither be too thin nor too thick or it will be difficult to make the spaetzle with your spaetzle maker. Let the batter sit for 5-10 min.

  • Put a colander into a bowl to drain the Spaetzle once cooked and bring a large pot of water over high heat to a boil, add about 1 Tbsp of salt to the water, and reduce temperature to a simmer.

  • Press batter through a spaetzle maker, a large holed sieve or colander into the simmering water.

  • Work in batches, after using about 1/3 of the batter stop adding new spaetzle and let them cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until they float to the top. Stir occasionally. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the spaetzle to the colander so that excess water can drip off.

  • Serve the spaetzle immediately or saute them in butter to crisp them up a little. If you don't serve or saute them right away, add 1 or 2 Tbsp of butter to the hot spaetzle to prevent them from sticking together.

Notes

  • This makes a big batch of Spaetzle that is perfect for a big family dinner. You can also half the recipe by adjusting the servings below the image in the recipe card.
  • You can use milk or water to make Spaetzle. Using water is more traditional but they taste richer with milk which I prefer. You can also use a combination of water and milk.
  • Clean used equipment with cold water, the dough is very sticky and gets stickier when using hot water.
  • Leftover Spaetzle can be stored, tossed with some melted butter or oil, in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, saute them in some butter.
  • Instead of a spaetzle maker, you can also use a colander with large holes and a silicone spatula or scraper.
  • UPDATE 10/23/19: The recipe has been re-tested because of reader feedback and the amount of milk has been increased from 1/3 cup+2 Tbsp to 3/4 cup of milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 940mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 255IU | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3.7mg

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Homemade German Spaetzle Recipe (German Egg Noodles) (6)

Here are a few more delicious German recipes:

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About Julia Foerster

Hi, I'm Julia! Born in Germany, I call Canada now my home and love to share my favorite dishes with you! Here you'll find hundreds of recipes, all made from scratch, with lots of tips and detailed step-by-step instructions.

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Homemade German Spaetzle Recipe (German Egg Noodles) (2024)

FAQs

What is egg noodles in German? ›

Spätzle is a type of pasta or dumpling or noodles. Spätzle dough typically consists of few ingredients, principally eggs, flour, and salt.

What is the difference between spaetzle and noodles? ›

Usually when you make pasta, you form a dense dough from flour and eggs, which you knead, rest, roll, and cut until your arms feel like they're on the verge of falling off. To make spaetzle, you just mix flour, egg, and a bit of milk into a pancake batter-like consistency.

What is German spaetzle made of? ›

All-purpose white flour, eggs, water, and salt. Some people actually make them with only 3 ingredients: flour, eggs, and salt. No water. German Spaetzle made without water is a lot more yellow and has a stronger taste, however, they are much harder to press through the scraper or Spaetzle press.

What is Swabian egg noodle? ›

April 2022) Spätzla, Spätzle [ˈʃpɛtslə] or Spatzen are Swabian or Alemannic pasta of an elongated shape which is served as a side dish or with other ingredients like cheese and onion as a main dish.

What's the difference between egg pasta and egg noodles? ›

Eggs are the big differentiating factor between egg noodles and other pastas. But it isn't that regular pasta is made without them entirely (although technically it can be). Rather, it's that the dough generally calls for a smaller proportion of eggs. So, in a way, pretty much all pasta is a type of egg noodle.

What is the difference between Chinese egg noodles and German egg noodles? ›

Chinese egg noodles are distinct from the German egg noodle pasta known as spaetzle. Irregularly shaped and short, spaetzle is usually made with semolina flour, milk, and eggs. Spaetzle has a consistency reminiscent of a dumpling.

What type of flour is best for spaetzle? ›

You can make spätzle with only rye flour, but they will look better if you add some wheat or spelled flour. Rye flour should be very health-promoting. Whole-wheat flour does not have a type designation, because this is where the whole grain is ground.

What kind of flour is used in spaetzle? ›

Spaetzle Ingredients

Flour – All-purpose flour will work. If you only have bread flour, you will need to add 5% more water. Water – Tap water works fine with this. Salt – I like to use sea salt, but any salt will do.

What does Spätzle mean in German? ›

The short noodles are usually irregularly shaped and made from a simple batter of eggs mixed with flour (all-purpose or semolina) and milk or water. Its name derives from the word spatz (“little sparrows”) but is also thought to mean “clump” in German. It's known as spätzli in Switzerland and nokedli in Hungary.

What goes on top of spaetzle? ›

Spaetzle is basically a blank, buttery canvas that will absorb whatever flavorings you care to mix into it. I've served the dumplings plain with melted butter and chopped chives. I've crisped them in a pan of brown butter and almonds. I've topped them with hearty beef stew.

Is spaetzle Swiss or German? ›

Spaetzle is a kind of an egg noodle pasta dish that is popular in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Hungary. It means “Little Sparrows” in old German.

What noodle is similar to spaetzle? ›

Knoepfle is the Swiss version of Spaetzle, an drop noodle made of an egg noodle dough. It's our family tradition and they are the best holiday side dish recipe. It's kind of a labor of love but it's worth every second! I know, it's a weird word: Knoepfle.

What are egg noodles called in Italy? ›

Tagliatelle and pappardelle are both traditional types of egg pasta.

Are kluski noodles the same as spaetzle? ›

Kluski — The name kluski, which we use for straight, thick egg noodles, is simply the Polish word for "noodle." These are especially good in soup or served as a side dish simply dressed with butter and parsley. Spaetzle — This homemade German noodle can be found in dry form, but it's easy to cook fresh with your meal.

What is another name for egg noodles? ›

Tagliatelle and pappardelle are both “egg noodles”, each of them is of a more or less defined thickness and width, the wider being pappardelle.

What are the egg noodles called? ›

The most common varieties of fresh egg noodles you'll find are wonton noodles, Hong Kong-style (chow mein) noodles, and lo mein noodles.

What are other names for egg noodles? ›

Different names for egg noodles include:
  • Youmian, used in lo mein, is a thin egg noodle common in Asian cuisines.
  • Lokshen is a wide egg noodle that appears most often in Jewish dishes from Eastern European.
  • Kesme or erişte, common in Eurasian cuisine.

What is the German word spaetzle? ›

The short noodles are usually irregularly shaped and made from a simple batter of eggs mixed with flour (all-purpose or semolina) and milk or water. Its name derives from the word spatz (“little sparrows”) but is also thought to mean “clump” in German. It's known as spätzli in Switzerland and nokedli in Hungary.

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