These delicious pan-fried pancake patties are called Quarkkeulchen, a delicacy from Saxony, in the east of German. These moreish patties are made from mashed potatoes combined with quark. A sweet treat that can serve as a lunch or dessert.
My friend Doro, who grew up in Dresden, told me about this dish. She remembers having this dish as a child on Fridays. Traditionally you would not serve meet on a Friday. So her Oma would serve a sweet lunch such as kartoffelpuffer, blueberry dumplings, or pfannkuchen and these potato pancakes. One of her favorite dishes was Quarkkeulchen with Apfelmus.
What are Quarkkeulchen?
Quarkkeulchen are pan-fried pancake-like patties made from mashed potato and a quark mixture. They originate from the state of Saxony but were a popular recipe in DDR (formerly German Democratc Republic). Here they are a favorite sweet dish that can also be found at Christmas Markets. In restaurants, they are served as desserts.
The name "Quarkkeulchen" (also sometimes spelled as Quarkkäulchen) is derived from the high-German term "Kaule" which means as much as "ball" and describes the shape of the dish. They are shaped into round patties which might remind you of the frikadellen, but these are definitely vegetarian!
Other names for this dish are Quarkkließe which translates as Quark Dumplings.
What is Quark
Quark is a dairy product made from soured milk, that is very popular in Germany. It has a consistency that lies somewhere between cream cheese and yogurt. Quark is used in dips such as quark dip, and spundekäs, and desserts such as plum or apricot dumplings or cakes such as German cheesecake.
How can I substitute Quark?
You can substitute quark by mixing Greek yogurt and cream cheese. I have successfully used it in many recipes that have quark as an ingredient. The Greek yogurt-cream cheese mix has a similar texture to quark. It is firmer than Greek yogurt yet softer than cream cheese.
Other options are to substitute quark with cottage cheese or ricotta for this dish.
How to make Quarkkeulchen.
They are very simple to make. It is an ideal recipe for leftover mashed potatoes.
Ingredients you'll need: for exact measurements please jump to the printable recipe card.
- potatoes - use starchy potatoes such as Maris Piper or russet potatoes. They are ideal for mashing. You can cook the potatoes the day before, for a drier consistency.
- quark - if you cannot get hold of quark you can use a 50/50 Greek yoghurt, and cream cheese mix as a substitute.
- egg - this helps to bind the potato pancake
- flour - gives the pancake more stability. Scale up the flour if you like a firmer consistency.
- granulated sugar - you can scale this up or down, but as quarkkeulchen tend to be served with sweet condiments, I think more is less
- salt, lemon zest
- raisins (these are optional: if you don't like raisins leave them out.)
Quarkkeulchen Recipe Steps
- Prepare: Finely mash the potatoes. Combine the mashed potatoes, flour, quark, egg, mashed potato, raisins (if using), salt, sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl.
- Assemble: Shape the potato mix in little patties about 1,5 cm / 0,5 inch thick.
- Cook: Fry the patties on each side on medium heat until they are golden brown.
How to serve
Serve these German potato patties with a sweet condiment of your choice. You can dust them with powdered sugar or sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. I like mine with apple sauce or cherry compote.
Storage
You can store your leftover potato patties in the fridge for up to four days. They can be reheated or served cold. They are also suitable for freezing.
More Saxon Foods
Recipe
Quarkkeulchen (Sweet Potato Pancakes)
Ingredients
- 500 g potatoes starchy
- 250 g quark can be relaced with each 50:50 Greek Yoghurt - Cream cheese mix, Cottage Cheese or Ricotta
- 60 g flour
- 1 egg medium size
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest opional
- 4 tablespoon raisins optional
To fry
- 3 tablespoon neutral oil sunflower, rapeseed or coconut oil
To serve
- 1 jar apple sauce
- 2 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 4 tbsp cinnamon sugar 4 tablespoon granulated sugar + 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon (affiliate link)
Instructions
- Peel and boil the potatoes in salted water until they are soft. Drain them and mash with a potato ricer or masher until you have a nice and creamy consistency. Leave to cool. (This works even better if you cook the potato the day before as they will be a little drier).500 g potatoes
- Mix the potatoes, flour, quark, egg, mashed potato, raisins, salt, sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl.250 g quark, 1 egg, 3 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 pinch salt, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 4 tablespoon raisins
- Cover your hands in flour and shape the potato mix in little potato patties about 1,5 cm / 0,5 inch thick.
- Heat up the oil in a pan and fry the patties on each side on medium heat until they are golden brown.3 tablespoon neutral oil
- Serve the Quarkkeulchen warm. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar before serving. See notes which condiments to serve them with.1 jar apple sauce, 4 tablespoon cinnamon sugar, 2 tablespoon powdered sugar
Eileen Hayes says
This is a recipe my mother made which she got from my grand mother on my father’s side of the family She emigrated from Germany when a child. Our family had them frequently I never knew how to correctly pronounce them. Thank you!
Marita Sinden says
Thanks Eileen! I am glad that I could help you find a dish from your mother's - precious memories to cherish.