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Kartoffelklöße in a white bowl with blue rim. Sitting on a blue white tea towel
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4.82 from 11 votes

German Potato Dumplings (Kartoffelklöße / Kartoffelknödel)

Delicious fluffy potato balls made from mashed potatoes. This authentic German dumpling recipe is a great side dish that is great to soak up sauces.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine German
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 419kcal
Author Marita

Equipment

  • Slotted Spoon
  • Large Cooking Pot

Ingredients

  • 1 kg potatoes 35 oz (floury potatoes, such as maris piper or yukon gold)
  • 200 g potato or corn starch 7 oz
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 table spoons butter
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3 teaspoon salt or more to taste

For the parsley butter

  • 100 g butter 3.5 oz
  • 30 g parsley 1 oz (finely chopped)

Instructions

  • Peel the potatoes and place in a large pot with and add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to boil.
  • Boil them for approximately 20 minutes until soft (exact cooking times will depend on the size of your potatoes). Then drain off the water, and put the pot back onto the stove until all moisture has evaporated.
  • Mash them with a potato ricer, or potato masher.
  • Place into a large bowl and mix in the butter. Pour in the potato/corn starch, egg yolks. Lastly, season with a teaspoon of salt and some grated nutmeg (about ¼ teaspoon).
  • Mix the potato dumpling dough until all the ingredients are combined. (You do not want to mix it too long, as otherwise, the dough becomes too hard and tough.
  • With your hands, roll the dumplings in about 8 balls. The size is up to you. You can also make smaller ones. (If the dough sticks to your hands, wet your hands with a little water).
  • In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a teaspoon of salt. Once boiling, reduce the heat. The water should only simmer. Not wildly boil, as otherwise the dumplings might fall apart.
  • Place the dumplings in the water and leave to sit in the simmering water for about 15-20 minutes. Once the Kartoffelkloss floats to the top it is done.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon.

To make the parsley butter

  • Melt the butter in a pan and add chopped parsley.
  • Spoon over the dumplings before serving.

Notes

I would advise checking the step by step photos in the post. 
 

Frequently asked questions:

Why are my potato dumplings falling apart?
There are two common reasons, why Knödel fall apart when placed in the water.
1. Your dumpling mix does not contain enough starch. - Add more corn or potato flour to your dough.
2. The cooking water is too hot- the water should only simmer. If you add too much heat then the surface of the dumplings will crack and it may start to fall apart.
Tip: Also make a test dumpling before cooking the rest. Should the test dumpling fall apart you can always still although your mix.

Storage Instructions

Your Klöße or Knödel (whatever you decide to call them) will stay good in the fridge up to 2-3 days. A good way to use them up is the fry them in a pan with a little butter, bacon, mushrooms and onions.
You can also freeze the dumplings in portions and keep them in the freezer for up to three months.
Can I make the German potato dumplings ahead of time?
Yes, you could make the dumplings a day ahead and then reheat them the next day.
However, if you have guests and prefer to serve them fresh dumplings, then to cut down on preparation, you can boil the potatoes the day before and then make the mix and cook them on the day.
How to reheat the Knödel?
To reheat the Knödel, place them in simmering water for 5-8 minutes. (Ensure the water is not boiling.
If you are using frozen Knödel, you can let them defrost ist simmering water between 10-20 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 1822mg | Potassium: 1640mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 809IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 3mg