Traditional German Easter Food: Beloved Dishes for Ostern

Have you ever wondered what Germans eat for Easter? Traditional German Easter Food is an exciting mix of colourful green dishes for Maundy Thursday, meat-free fish dishes on Good Friday, and the most incredible array of food on Easter Sunday - from freshly baked Easter bread and beautiful lamb-shaped cakes to a classic German carrot cake. The highlight is the big Easter dinner, featuring some of the most beloved traditional German recipes.

I grew up in Germany, and my childhood memories are filled with Easter egg hunts, daffodils and the smell of freshly baked bread. I grew up near Frankfurt, where the Easter traditions differ from where we live now in Bremen, in the north of Germany. Every year I discover new regional German Easter dishes, and I am so excited to share them with you.

In this post you'll find traditional German Easter recipes for every day of the Easter week: from Maundy Thursday green dishes right through to the big Easter Sunday feast.

Easter in Germany

Easter in Germany is called Ostern - a word believed to derive from "Ost" (East), the direction of the rising sun, symbolising resurrection and new beginnings. You'll find that Easter in Germany is deeply influenced not only by its Christian background, but also by some old pagan traditions.

Easter food in Germany varies beautifully by region - growing up near Frankfurt, my Easter table looked quite different from what we enjoy here in Bremen today. And that is exactly what makes German Easter food so fascinating to explore!

How Do You Say Happy Easter in German?

To wish someone Happy Easter in German, you say Frohe Ostern! Click below to hear how to pronounce it.

The Holy Week in Germany (Karwoche)

Let's talk through the different Easter dishes we eat in the days leading up to Easter. The Holy Week is called "Karwoche" in Germany - the prefix "Kar" derives from the Old German word "Chara" meaning grief or mourning, symbolising the week of Jesus's crucifixion. The week consists of six key days:

• Palm Sunday (Palmsonntag)
• Maundy Thursday (Gründonnerstag)
• Good Friday (Karfreitag)
• Easter Saturday (Karsamstag)
• Easter Sunday (Ostersonntag)
• Easter Monday (Ostermontag)

Palmensonntag (Palm Sunday)

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus's arrival in Jerusalem. In Germany, priests lead processions and bless branches. As palm leaves are not native, box trees and local evergreens are used.

This is also when Easter decorating begins and the first Easter markets open.

Gründonnerstag (Maudy Thursday)

Gründonnerstag - which translates as Green Thursday - is the day we remember Jesus's last meal before his crucifixion. The name is actually a little misleading: "Grün" doesn't derive from the German word for green at all, but from the antiquated term "gronan", meaning to mourn or cry.

Nevertheless, the green connection stuck, and it has become a beloved tradition to eat green dishes on this day. As Maundy Thursday is still part of the fasting season, meat is traditionally avoided. Popular green dishes include:

• Fresh salads
• Spinach - try my creamy Rahmspinat or Spinach Dumplings
• Kale - check out my authentic Grünkohl recipe. Herb sauces and spreads - try my German Herb Butter or Frankfurter Grüne Soße

Typical Gründonnerstag recipes

Karfreitag (Good Friday) 

"Karfreitag" is the German term for Good Friday - the day we remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. On this day, we refrain from both meat and sweets, making fish and vegetables the traditional choice for the dinner table.

Typical Good Friday dishes include:

🍝 Fun fact: There is one sneaky exception to the no-meat rule on Good Friday - Maultaschen! These Swabian pasta pockets, similar to large ravioli, are traditionally filled with meat and spinach.

According to legend, cheeky Swabian monks invented them to hide the forbidden meat filling from the eyes of God - which is why Maultaschen are still nicknamed "Herrgottsbescheißerle" in Swabia, meaning "little God cheaters!" Germans have been getting creative with fasting rules for centuries."

Karsamstag (Easter Saturday)

Easter Saturday is a wonderfully busy day in German households - and still technically part of the fasting period! Shops are open and families spend the day baking Easter bread, decorating eggs and preparing for the big feast ahead.

On Saturday night, many communities across Germany light large Osterfeuer - Easter bonfires - a tradition rooted in old Germanic customs to drive away winter. Priests light the Easter candle from the fire, and the flame is traditionally kept burning until Good Friday the following year. Afterwards, families gather around the fire sharing chocolate buns and Bunny shaped Buns and Easter eggs, wishing each other Frohe Ostern. It is one of my favourite German Easter memories.

Ostersonntag & Ostermontag (Easter Sunday & Monday)

Easter Sunday is the highlight of the entire Easter week - the day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the end of Lent. In most German households the day begins with an Easter egg hunt in the garden, followed by a leisurely Easter brunch with the whole family. Then comes the main event: the big Easter feast!

Easter Monday is a national holiday in Germany - something that often surprises Americans! Shops remain closed and families simply continue the celebrations, enjoying leftover dishes, visiting relatives and making the most of the long weekend together.

Read on to find out exactly what ends up on the German Easter table! 👇

German Easter Brunch

Easter Sunday in Germany always begins with a long, leisurely brunch - and it is one of my favourite meals of the entire year. Well, that's not quite true! The day actually begins at 6am with two very excited children charging into the garden for the Easter egg hunt. But once the chocolate has been found and the chaos has settled, we do sit down together with a nice cup of coffee and enjoy a proper Easter breakfast before heading to church.

Planning your German Easter menu? Here's what a traditional Easter brunch table looks like:

• Freshly baked Easter bread - see below!
• Cold cuts of meat and cheese (Lachsschinken - smoked ham - is a classic)
• Coloured boiled eggs
• German Meat Salad (Fleischsalat)
• Egg and Apple Salad

💡 Pro tip: All yeast breads can be prepared the night before - let the dough do its second rise overnight in the fridge, then take it out in the morning and allow it to come back to room temperature before baking. Your Easter morning just got a whole lot more relaxed!"

German Easter Cakes and Desserts

No German Easter celebration is complete without Kaffee und Kuchen - coffee and cake - on Easter Sunday afternoon. This is one of Germany's most beloved traditions, and Easter is the perfect excuse to go all out. After the big Easter dinner, the table is cleared and out come the cakes!

• The Easter Lamb Cake (Osterlamm) -The Osterlamm is the star of the German Easter cake table - a simple sponge cake baked in a lamb-shaped mould and dusted with powdered sugar. It is charming, it is traditional, and it is honestly the Easter lamb that even vegetarians will be happy to see on the table! 🐑 See my German Easter Lamb Cake recipe.
• Rüblikuchen - German Carrot Cake - If you think you know carrot cake, Rüblikuchen will surprise you! Unlike the American or British version, there is no cream cheese frosting here - instead it is made with ground almonds (affiliate link), which gives it a wonderfully moist, dense texture, and finished with a simple lemon glaze. It is less sweet, more nutty and honestly far more interesting. Once you try it, regular carrot cake will never quite cut it again. Try my Rüblikuchen recipe.
• Mohnkuchen - Poppy Seed Cake - A Mohnkuchen - poppy seed cake - is deeply traditional in German baking and a wonderful addition to the Easter cake table. Its rich, earthy flavour pairs beautifully with a strong cup of German coffee. Try my German Poppy Seed Cale Recipe.

Gugelhupf - Two Ways

The Gugelhupf is a classic German bundt cake that appears on Easter tables all over Germany. I have two Easter versions that I absolutely love

• Eierlikör Gugelhupf - made with homemade German egg liqueur (Eierlikör), this is gloriously moist, rich and indulgent. A true showstopper
• Lemon Gugelhupf - bright, zesty and perfectly springlike. This one disappears within minutes every single time

Another popular cake to make around Easter is this Swiss Carrot Cake (Rüblikuchen). Rüblikuchen is made with either almonds or hazelnuts and glazed with lemon icing.

The Easter Bunny (Osterhase)

"Did you know that the Easter Bunny is actually a German invention? The Osterhase was first mentioned in Germany as far back as 1678 - making Germany the true home of the Easter bunny!

But it wasn't always the bunny. In previous centuries it was birds who were believed to bring the eggs, flying to Rome on Maundy Thursday and returning on Easter Saturday to drop eggs in people's gardens. In different regions it could be a cuckoo, a fox, a stork or a rooster responsible for hiding the eggs.

It is thought that Protestant traditions helped establish the rabbit as the Easter egg bearer - since hares and rabbits carry strong Christian symbolism, the bunny eventually won out over its feathered rivals. And the rest, as they say, is history!

German Easter Egg Hunt

The Easter egg hunt is an absolute highlight for children across Germany. On Easter Sunday morning, kids run out into the garden to search for chocolate Easter eggs hidden by the Osterhase - just as my own children proved at 6am this year!

The tradition is believed to have pagan origins, celebrating the goddess Ostara and the arrival of spring. When Christianity spread across Europe, the gifting of eggs was discouraged - so people began hiding them instead, keeping the tradition alive covertly.

German Easter Tree (Osterbaum)

One of the most beautiful German Easter traditions - and one that always surprises American visitors - is the Easter tree. Branches of forsythia or willow are arranged in a vase and decorated with painted, hollowed-out eggs in every colour imaginable.

The tradition has its roots in pagan times, where eggs symbolised fertility and the victory of life over death. Today you'll find Easter trees both in gardens and as stunning centrepieces on dining tables across Germany. If you haven't tried making one, I cannot recommend it enough - it is one of the loveliest ways to bring a little German spring into your home!

Ostermarkt (German Easter Markets)

Much like the famous German Christmas markets, Easter markets spring up in towns and cities across Germany in the weeks leading up to Easter. You'll find everything from hand-painted eggs and handmade crafts to seasonal food and sweet treats.

They range from huge funfairs - like the famous Osterwiese in my home city of Bremen, one of the largest Easter fairs in Germany - to charming arts and crafts markets like the beautiful Ostermarkt in Nuremberg. If you ever get the chance to visit one, do not miss it. And wherever you go, you'll always find something delicious to eat!