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    Home » Side Dishes

    How to make homemade Spaetzle (German Egg Dumplings Recipe)

    Published: Mar 4, 2021 · Modified: Nov 4, 2023 by Marita Sinden · 14 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe

    Let me share my easy spaetzle recipe with you that you can make in about 20 minutes. I will explain the different spaetzle makers to you and give you some background on this traditional German side dish.

    German Spätzle
    Jump to:
    • What are Spaetzle?
    • How to make homemade Spaetzle from scratch? 
    • How to cook the Spaetzle – Overview of different methods and spaetzle makers (affiliate links)
    • Cooking German Spaetzle- Frequently Asked Questions
    • Troubleshooting your Spaetzle dough
    • What do you serve with Spaetzle?
    • Recipe

    What are Spaetzle?

    You might have heard them referred to as "Swabian noodles", “German noodles”, “German egg dumplings” or “German pasta”. They are dumplings made from flour and a liquid (either milk or water) and served as a side with many German meals. 

    They go well with anything that is cooked with a nice sauce such as Sauerbraten, Rouladen and Beef Goulash.

    Where does Spätzle originate from?

    Spaetzle originates from Southern Germany. A region called Swabia – colloquially called “Schwabenländle‘.

    Spaetzle – the origin of the name.

    There are two theories of the origin of the term Spätzle. The most popular is that Spaetzle is derived from the word Spatzen (in English - Sparrow). This is because the form of the Spaetzle resembles little sparrows - one end looks like the beak of the sparrow, the other like a tail. 

    The second theory is that the term is derived from the Italian word “spezzato” – which means broken or chopped up. 

    spätzle on a wooden spoon

    How to make homemade Spaetzle from scratch? 

    There are several different recipes and methods to make authentic spaetzle. I am going to try to outline the most popular ones for you. However, first, let's start with the dough.

    Ingredients:

    • plain flour – Germany type 405, UK plain flour, US all-purpose flour
    • eggs
    • milk or water (I like using milk as it makes it creamier)
    • melted unsalted butter
    • salt

    Instructions to make the Spaetzle dough: 

    1. Place eggs, salt and milk, melted butter in a mixing bowl. Sift flour over the top and immediately beat into a loose dough using a wooden spoon or a hand or stand mixer until it bubbles.
    2. Leave the dough to rest for about 10 minutes, this will allow the gluten to develop.
    3. In a large saucepan bring water to boil. Add a little salt to it.
    making spätzle dough

    How to cook the Spaetzle – Overview of different methods and spaetzle makers (affiliate links)

    Method 1: Spaetzlehobel (Spaetzlemaker shaped like a wood planer).

    Image of Spaetzlehobel

    Spaetzlehobel

    Buy Now →

    (affiliate link)

    This is my preferred method. You place the Spaetzlemaker over a pot of boiling water. You pour from a ladle a portion of the spaetzle dough into the opening on the top and then move the top part of the spaetzle maker forward and backward until little Spaetzle falls into the water. 

    This method can be a bit messy, as the spaetzle dough might spill over the side. Also, the spaetzle with this spaetzle maker will be shorter than other methods. (as in my picture)

    Method 2: Spaetzlepress (a Spaetzle maker shaped like a potato ricer)

    Image of spaetzle press

    spaetzle press

    Buy Now →

    (affiliate link)

    This method is perfect for making long Spaetzle. Similar to making mashed potato, you fill the dough into the opening then you press down the handle and press the dough into the hot water. This method is straightforward and recommended for beginners. 

    The only disadvantage is that the spaetzle press (affiliate link) can be a little difficult to clean afterward.

    Method 3: Spaetzlesieb (a Spaetzlemaker that looks similar to a sieve. You place them over your pot). 

    Image of spaetzlesieb

    spaetzlesieb

    Buy Now →

    (affiliate link)

    Place the sieve over the saucepan. You spread the small amount of batter over it and with a scraper, scrape the spaetzle dough into the pot. This method is the best way of making short Spaetzle, like Knöpfle. The sieve is also relatively easy to clean in the dishwasher. Another advantage is that by having the scraper you have more control over the form of the spaetzle. 

    Method 4: Spaetzlebrett ( Spaetzlemaker made from a wooden board and a scraper). 

    Image of Spätzlebrett

    Spätzlebrett

    Buy Now →

    (affiliate link)

    This is the most traditional method and needs the most practice. You spread the dough over a small cutting board. With a scraper or knife, you scrape long thin spaetzle into the water. This is a great method if you are looking for thin long Spaetzle. Here is a youtube video on how spaetzle are made this way.

    Making Spaetzle with a Spaetzleboard
    This is my friend Steffi from Ginger & Bread making Spaetzle with a Spaetzleboard. She is Swabian and an expert.

    Method 5: How to make Spaetzle without a Spaetzlemaker?

    If you don’t have a Spaetzle maker at home or want to try whether you like Saeätzle before investing in one then this should not stop you. Use any device with holes in it. You can use a large slotted spoon, a cheese grater, a large-holed colander or sieve with larger holes, or a potato ricer. Not every potato ricer works. If the holes are too small and close together the spaetzle won't have space to form. To be honest, this method might end up frustrating you.

    making spaetzle without a spaetzlemaker
    Making spaetzle without a spaetzle maker using a colander or a slotted spoon.

    Cooking German Spaetzle- Frequently Asked Questions

    How do you know when Spaetzle is done? 

    Once the Spaetzle are in the water, they will take only a couple of minutes to cook. You know when they are ready when they start swimming on (or to) the surface. Then you can remove them with a slotted spoon. 

    It is important to remember that a short Spaetzle that is made with a spaetzlehobel (affiliate link) or spaetzlesieb (affiliate link) (methods 1 and 3), will have a shorter cooking time than the long-thin spaetzle that are made with a spaetzle press (affiliate link) (method 2).

    Finished cooked spätzle

    After cooking, you can either put them straight onto a plate to serve straight away. The method used in German restaurants is to blanche them straight away in cooled water. This will stop the cooking process. Once they need to be served they are reheated in a pan with some butter.

    Which flour to use for spaetzle? 

    In short, you can use almost any flour for spaetzle. Traditionally it was made with buckwheat flour (Buchweizenmehl in German). However, today the most common flour in Germany is type 405. The closest equivalent in the UK is plain flour, and in the US pastry flour but all-purpose flour works. Other flour types that are used for spaetzle are spelt and wholewheat flour.

    What consistency should spaetzle dough be?

    The consistency of spaetzle dough depends on which kind of spaetzle you want to achieve. For longer and thinner spaetzle it is advantageous to have a more liquid dough. If you want to make short and thicker spaetzle, similar to Knöpfle for example, it is better to have a thicker dough.

    How to cook dried Spaetzle? 

    Thanks to the expansion of Aldi and Lidl, pre-made spaetzle are easily available. Actually, in Germany, they are very popular, as making homemade Spaetzle can be a messy and time-consuming task. These Spaetzle are not as soft as homemade spaetzle but are a welcome substitute when time is precious. 

    You can cook premade spaetzle similar to pasta. Add to boiled, salted water and leave to cook for 10-12 minutes. After, strain the cooked spaetzle in a colander. If you want you can add a little butter to them before serving. 

    Are Spätzle Pasta or Noodles?

    It has always been controversial whether spätzle can be classified as “Pasta” or "Noodles". The difference between pasta, noodles, and Spätzle is that Spaetzle is made from a runny dough that is added to water whereas pasta is made from harder dough that can be cut and formed. Spaetzle are cut fresh and are cooked straight away in simmering water, whereas pasta dough needs to rest. Only once it is added to boiling water it becomes soft.

    So although pasta and spaetzle may have the same ingredients, it is the difference in their quantities that distinguishes them.

    Spaetzle and Knöpfle? What is the difference?

    Knöpfle is a specialty from the Allgau region and is closely related to Spaetzle. They are made from the same dough (although the dough for Knöpfle is sometimes more liquid). Knöpfle tends to be shorter than the longer Spätzle. The name „Knöpfle“ is derived from the German word „Knoten“ (Knot). “Knöpfle" means little knot.

    Can I prepare for Spaetzle in advance? How to store it?

    Yes, you can prepare Spaetzle in big batches in advance. If you don’t plan to serve them immediately, I would suggest you shock them with some cold water and then add some butter to them so they don’t stick. 

    Spaetzle stays good in the fridge in an airtight container up to three days after cooking.

    When warming them up again, you can add a little butter. Always warm up with a lid on otherwise the Spaetzle could dry out.  

    They also freeze very well and will stay good in the freezer for up to three months. 

    spätzle
    Spätzle made with a Spätzlehobel

    Troubleshooting your Spaetzle dough

     Sometimes you can follow a recipe to a tee, but some things are still not right. Don’t worry spaetzle dough is easily rectified.

    1. My spaetzle dough is too hard. – this means you might have used too much flour. Don’t worry you can just add more liquid to your dough. 
    2. My spaetzle dough is too liquid – This can easily be rectified by adding more flour to your dough until the desired consistency is achieved. 
    3. My Spaetzle dough is too sticky - This can happen if you use too much egg. A little more flour will help. 
    4. My Spaetzle are mushy and soggy - There might be too much liquid in your dough. Try adding more flour. Another method you could use is to have a bowl of cold water next to your pan. Once you have cooked your Spaetzle you can shock them in the cold water.
    Spätzle wit Turkey Schnitzel
    Spaetzle with Turkey Schnitzel

    What do you serve with Spaetzle?

    Spaetzle in Germany are often served as a side dish. However, they can also be the main star in a dish for example when having kaesespaetzle or a jager sauce (a mushroom sauce) - which makes it Jägerspätzle

    • German cheese spaetzle with caramelised onions
      Easy Käsespätzle - Cheese spaetzle with caramelized onions
    • Hunter Sauce - Jager Sauce
      Homemade Jager Sauce – German Hunter Sauce (Jägersoße)

    I suggest pairing them with the following dishes:

    • A Goldenbrown Vienna Schnitzel on a plate with parsley potatoes. At the top you can see a bowl of cucumber salad. The plate is white and on the right you can see a fork.
      Best Wiener Schnitzel Recipe (Austrian Veal Schnitzel)
    • Frikadellen
      Traditional Frikadellen Recipe - German Meat Patties
    • a pot of German red cabbage
      Traditional German Red Cabbage and Apple (Apfelrotkohl)
    • German Goulash in a Saucepan
      Old Fashioned German Goulash (Rindergulasch)
    • German Pork and Beef Beer Goulash
    • Turkey Schnitzel (Putenschnitzel Wiener Art)
    • Rinderrouladen
      Traditional German Beef Rouladen (Rinderrouladen)
    • Sauerbraten Recipe
      Authentic German Rheinischer Sauerbraten Recipe

    This post was first published in May 2015 and upated in March 2021, October 2023.

    Recipe

    German Spätzle

    Homemade Spaetzle (German Egg Dumplings Recipe)

    Marita
    With this quick and easy recipe you can easily make scratch. The spätzle batter is ready in no time.
    5 from 8 votes
    I look forward to your feedback. Just click the stars above.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine German
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 410 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Spätzlehober or planer OR
    • 1 Spaetzlepress OR
    • 1 Spaetzle Sieve OR
    • 1 sieve or grater with large holes

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 6 medium eggs at room temperature
    • 200 ml milk 7 fl oz or ¾ cup and 2 tablespoons
    • 20 g unsalted butter melted, 07 oz or 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 500 g flour 17 oz, UK Plain flour, Germany type 405, USA all purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon butter optional (to reheat the spaetzle)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Place eggs, salt and milk, melted butter in a mixing bowl. Sift flour over the top and immediately beat into a loose dough using a wooden spoon or a hand or stand mixer until it bubbles.
      6 medium eggs, 200 ml milk, 1 teaspoon salt, 20 g unsalted butter
    • Leave the dough to rest for about 10 minutes, this will allow the gluten to develop.
    • In a large saucepan bring water to boil. Add a little salt to it.
    • With your Spätzlemaker of choice, slowly pour in the dough and press the strands into the boiling water.
    • The Spätzle will rise to the top once they are cooked. Try to fish them out with slotted spoon. Do not try to make too many Spätzle at once, otherwise the dough might end up sticking to your saucepan.
    • The ready spätzle can be served straight onto the plate if you are planning to eat them straight away. If you want to make them ahead, you can blanche and shock the spaetzle in ice or cold water. This will stop them from cooking. Then when you are ready to serve them you can brown some butter in a frying pan and reheat the spätzle in them. (this is how chef's in German restaurants do it.)
      1 tablespoon butter

    Notes

    Storage 

    You can store the ready-made spätzle in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat with browned butter in the pan, as outlined in the recipe. 
    The spaetzle are also suitable for freezing. They will last in the freezer up to 3 months. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 410kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 15gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 174mgSodium: 102mgPotassium: 195mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 375IUCalcium: 76mgIron: 5mg
    Keyword German egg dumplings, German spaetzle
    Did you make this recipe? I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Please leave a quick Comment and star rating. I appreciate your feedback.

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    Comments

      5 from 8 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Heide says

      January 24, 2024 at 2:15 am

      My Oma and my mother both taught me how to make it ,, flour, eggs, salt and water,, that is all,,,

      Reply
      • Marita Sinden says

        February 05, 2024 at 10:44 am

        Thanks Heide, there are all different versions of spaetzle dough but they all are very similar. I use milk in the spaetzle but it works with water too.

        Reply
    2. Charlene Holt says

      April 18, 2023 at 9:31 pm

      I remember my grandmother teaching me to make Spatzen. She was 82 years old and I was 16. She gave me a recipe using 1 egg but I always doubled it for my family. In college I made spaghetti sauce and put it over Spatzen and it was delicious. I also learned to cut the dough into boiling water using a sharp kitchen knife. No fancy grater! If you cut small pieces, you get a little dumpling, a large piece more like dumpling size. Here is the recipe: (Double the recipe for 2 or more people)
      1 egg
      1 tsp salt
      1/2 cup water or milk
      1 1/2 cups flour
      1/2 tsp baking powder

      Beat the egg well. Add salt and water and stir into the flour and baking powder. Cut the dough (using a kitchen knife) from the bowl into large pot of boiling, salted water. cover closely, cook 10 minutes without lifting the cover. Test for doneness. (Cut open a "dumpling" and it should look spongy inside...truly looks like a sparrow with head and tail). Drain in colander. Serve with melted butter or meat gravy.

      Reply
      • Marita says

        April 20, 2023 at 1:25 pm

        Hi Charlene,
        that is so interesting. Thanks so much for sharing your grandmother's recipe. Marita

        Reply
    3. Karl says

      September 01, 2021 at 6:02 pm

      5 stars
      I have been looking for a good receipt that will proportion down for 1 person, as I live alone. So I tried a 1 egg version of your reciept and the results were excellent. Now I have a large one when my family comes over and one I have have on my own. Spatzle is very versatile and love the texture.
      I have the Goldspatz Spatzlehobel version. I bit pricey but has lasted years of hard use, and stands up to the dishwasher.
      https://www.loewen-versand.de/epages/63399221.sf/en_CA/?ObjectPath=/Shops/63399221/Products/GS-2201-HOBEL-LANG

      I added the 1 serving version in case others need the small portion

      83g flour
      1 egg
      33g milk
      3-4g of butter (I like the richness of 4g of butter)
      dash of salt.

      Reply
      • Marita says

        September 02, 2021 at 7:21 pm

        Hi Karl, thanks for your comment. What a good idea of scaling down the recipe! Thanks also for the tip with the Goldspatz Hobel - it is always good have a recommendation before purchasing.

        Reply
      • Jacky Henderson says

        November 06, 2023 at 11:40 am

        5 stars
        Fantastic

        Reply
        • Marita says

          November 10, 2023 at 6:12 am

          Thank you very much Jacky!

          Reply
    4. CookAndLearnGerman says

      March 16, 2021 at 6:31 pm

      5 stars
      I love Spätzle and I like your description of all the different ways of making them. My ultimate goal is still to be able to make them like this grandma https://youtu.be/-Y6Ga9hMm4Y 🙂

      Reply
      • Marita says

        March 17, 2021 at 7:33 pm

        Thank you. I love the video. I will add it to the post for everyone to see. Thanks for recommending it. x

        Reply
    5. Christie (A Sausage Has Two) says

      May 30, 2015 at 2:35 pm

      Oh I was going to ask exactly that, if the GEFU one is any good, so I'm very pleased to have two of my favourite German food bloggers giving it the seal of approval! I've tried unsuccessfully with one of the squeeze Spaetzle makers, with a potato ricer and with something else, though I can't remember what... sounds like I'm just like you, though, I get it EVERYWHERE!!

      Reply
      • Marita says

        May 31, 2015 at 8:12 pm

        That is why I make it in bulk! I spend longer cleaning the kitchen afterwards than cooking it 🙂

        Reply
    6. Ginger says

      May 28, 2015 at 2:42 pm

      I have the same Spätzle maker! It is incredibly easy to use - even my new best friend Nigel coped brilliantly 😉

      Reply
      • Marita says

        May 28, 2015 at 2:48 pm

        It is great isn't it. Yes its really practical. I love spätzle. They taste so much better homemade!

        Reply

    Hi, I'm Marita

    Food enthusiast & home cook. I returned to Germany after living in the UK for 20 years. Here at My Dinner, you will find traditional and authentic German recipes with cultural backgrounds.

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