Homemade German Spaetzle Dumplings {+ Quick How-To Video}
Spaetzle is a delicious, tender dumpling. Perfect with stroganoff or with butter + cheese, this homemade German spaetzle recipe is foolproof!
Last week I did a little Instagram story while I was making homemade spaetzle for dinner, and whoa, I was totally surprised at how many people responded in crazed excitement asking for a recipe ASAP!
I had no idea so many of you were in love with spaetzle. And the rest of you want to be in love with it, I can feel it. What is spaetzle? It’s a tasty, tiny German noodle or dumpling, and it is so, so easy to make at home.
And since I’m stuck at home (and I figure you might be stuck at home right now, too) there’s really no better time to learn how to make spaetzle.
It’s so fast to make, we eat it all the time. My kids go absolutely crazy for it! Today, I’m going to show you how to make homemade German spaetzle, how to cook it (even if you don’t have a spaetzle maker!), and how to eat it (or rather, what to eat it with).
How to pronounce spaetzle
I think there are a million pronunciations and alternate names for spaetzle, but just so you know – and even if you don’t care – I pronounce it spetz-ul.
How to make homemade spaetzle
The beauty of homemade spaetzle is that it is so easy.
I use a food processor to mix the quick batter together. But you can mix it in a bowl with a whisk, an electric hand mixer, or I bet a blender would work, too.
The spaetzle dough is four simple ingredients:
- milk
- eggs
- flour
- salt
You can add a pinch of ground nutmeg for a very authentic vibe. We aren’t super authentic, apparently, because my kids and husband prefer it without the nutmeg.
Once mixed, the batter should be very smooth and lump-free, and it should run off the spatula or spoon in thick ribbons.
Pourable but not too runny.
The reason you want to make sure the consistency is just right is because the spaetzle dumplings are made by pressing the batter through the holes of a spaetzle maker or other contraption (see below!). If it’s too thick or too runny, it won’t cooperate quite as well.
My spaetzle maker
I learned to make spaetzle years ago when I lived in Wisconsin. Our friends, Angela and Clint (and their boys), had our family over for dinner one night.
Angela served us homemade spaetzle and stroganoff. It was amazing, and my entire family was instantly won over by the amazing little German dumplings.
Not only did Angela teach me to how make it, she shared her recipe with me, and when we moved, she gifted me with a spaetzle maker from Germany (where they had lived for several years prior to Wisconsin).
It has become a very treasured part of my kitchen, and my kids have already had lengthy discussions about who gets this handy little thing when I die.
It’s hard to find this particular spaetzle maker in the US, but here is one that is similar {aff. link}. This is also another similar option {aff. link} with good reviews. (Scroll down for how to make spaetzle without a spaetzle maker.)
How to make homemade spaetzle
Here’s a quick 1-minute video showing you how to make homemade spaetzle.
Angela taught me to make homemade spaetzle in boiling broth. It adds a lot of flavor! Usually I use about half chicken broth and half water.
If you are using water, lightly salt it before cooking the spaetzle.
I place my spaetzle maker directly on the edge of the pot and pour in a healthy little scoop of batter.
Taking the scraper, I press and scrape back and forth so the batter drops into the boiling water below.
If the consistency of the batter is just right, there isn’t any need to scrape the bottom of the spaetzle maker – the batter breaks off and drops right into the water or broth.
I lightly tap the spaetzle maker on the pot to release any bits of dough hanging on, and then I take the spaetzle maker off completely while the noodles cook.
Once the spaetzle boils for a few minutes, the noodles will puff up a bit and rise to the surface of the pot.
They cook quickly! Anywhere from 3-5 minutes, and they’re good to go.
I use a fine mesh strainer to scoop them out of the pot (that way the water or broth can be used for subsequent batches).
You can see how cute and irregular they look. That’s the beauty of spaetzle! They are wondrously imperfect.
How to make spaetzle without a spaetzle maker
What if you don’t have a spaetzle maker? Well, you can still make homemade spaetzle! Hallelujah.
There are several different ways you can do this.
The easiest way is to use a colander with holes (or in this case little strips). Hold it above the pot. Don’t set it on the edges of the pot like a flat spaetzle maker – the bottom of the colander will reach down further in the pot and clog up with cooked dough.
Use a spatula to press the spaetzle batter through the colander and into the boiling water.
I’ve also heard a potato ricer works amazingly well. And if you’re brave you should try this cutting board technique. Holy wow.
How to serve spaetzle
There are a lot of strong opinions circling the globe about how to serve spaetzle or what it should be served with.
In my world? There are no wrong answers.
- toss the cooked spaetzle with browned butter
- saute the cooked spaetzle in a skillet with butter (and then add cheese!)
- layer the hot, cooked spaetzle with cheese (Gouda is a favorite) – eat plain or with your favorite stroganoff
- serve the spaetzle with Swedish meatballs or beef stroganoff or whatever your heart desires!
I know homemade German spaetzle may not be an every day type of thing, but I have a feeling once you try it, it will become a beloved favorite for you, too.
And do I even have to say it? Yes, yes I do. Major rock star points for making homemade spaetzle at least once in your life.
If you are already a spaetzle maker and lover, tell me how you make it and how you serve it! I’m just going to sit back and wait for the spaetzle reports to come in. Don’t let me down. You can do this!
And I think you will be surprised at how easy it is to make…and how crazy delicious those little chubby dumplings are in real life.
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Homemade German Spaetzle Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk, I use 2%
- 6 large eggs
- 3 ½ cups (497 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together until very smooth. I use a food processor but a whisk, blender, or hand mixer will work well, too. The consistency of the batter should be pourable but not super runny (it should drop off a spatula or spoon in thick ribbons).
- Bring a pot of lightly salted water or broth (about 2 to 3 quarts total) to a boil. Press the batter through a spaetzle maker in batches (see notes for alternate methods). Cook each batch of spaetzle for 4-6 minutes until it is puffy and rises to the top of the water/broth.
- Lift the spaetzle out with a fine mesh strainer or slotted spoon (so the water/broth can be used for subsequent batches).
- Saute cooked spaetzle in butter (or browned butter!) or serve plain spaetzle with stroganoff or other favorite gravy/sauce. It’s also delicious tossed with butter and cheese.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: slightly adapted from a recipe my friend, Angela R., gave me when she taught me to make spaetzle (I’ve adapted it a little over the years to use milk, one more egg, and a bit more salt)
I used a cooling rack over my pot of boiling water that had about 1/4” squares. The spaetzle came out perfect size and shape. It was super easy. This recipe was perfect.
Brilliant idea!
I HAVE MADE SPAETZLE my whole life and my mother
Made it in all of our soups it is a weekly thing I make all home made soup but I don’t use anything other then a bowl and a spoon I use no measurements I simply do three eggs milk flour salt water for consistency hand mix when my batter is mixed to my liking I use a spoon and drop it in my soup when done dropping I shut the burner off and lid it and self rise we like larger spaetzle so it comes out in all sizes everyone loves it everyone asks me to make soup thanks
My mother’s Aunt, from Germany, just cut the dough off of a cutting board. That is how my mother did and I loved it. I’ve made but have always wanted to. Now I will!! Thank you.
Mel, my Polish grandmother taught me how to make this. It she would pour some of the batter on a small plate and then use the edge of a spoon to “chip” the batter into salted boiling water. When the noodles were done she scooped them out with a slotted spoon and let them drain in a colander over a bowl. So good!
Just made this in place of dumplings and it was DELISH! My husband is of German heritage and he said it was as good as his moms – SCORE!!
My Oma made Spaetzle with a wooden board and they were so good and the leftovers the next day fried up were great.
My mouth is watering a fter reading all of these comments!!
My favorite way to eat it is with sauted/fried sauerkraut (using bacon grease) and bratwurst. I drain & save the “juice” from the sauerkraut to be added to the spaetzle’s cooking water for a subtle tangy zing.
Once the sauerkraut is fried up and the spaetzle is cooked, I add the spaetzle to the pan of sauerkraut and saute for just long enough to heat everything up.
Out of 160 comments, no one mentioned sauerkraut. I hope I’m not break any spaetzle cooking rules! Although she died when I was very young, my nana was Austro-hungarian and, per my father, fried up sauerkraut with onion (using butter or bacon grease) could be served with any dish!
My absolute favorite was his fried sauerkraut and dumplings (the fluffy cloud kind) served with thick breaded pork chops. Unfortunately, I never got the fluffy dumpling recipe before he died and I haven’t found a replacement.
Regardless, whatever name you call them, these little noodle dumplings of love are delicious!!
This sounds amazing, I am going to try it! Thanks for sharing.
#1. In the original recipe for Spätzle you never use milk or baking poder
You use soda water to make them fluffier. #2 you normally use a wooden spoon (with a hole in the middle ) to beat the dough in till it has some big bubbles on it ( you can use a stand mixer with dough hook attachment or hand mixer with dough hook beaters). Trust me was born and raise where ythey originate from. Swabia/ Germany
I make spetzle with a bit of garlic and cayenne pepper. (My German sister-in-law says my spetzle who make a Swabian housewife proud) Scoop it out of the water with a spider, and put it in a warmed dish with butter. Mostly, I serve it with schnitzel., but I have also throw in some cheese and run the dish under the broiler.
Made this a few times now & it is a hit! Let me share how I use it.
I make a chicken spaetzel soup with it instead of noodles. It’s like homemade pasta & makes it oh so delicious! carrots celery, onions in butter. Add the broth ( I liked to use some homemade, tastes so much better. Then add the chicken til cooked. When ready to eat, pour the batter directly into the simmering soup & it’s done in a few mins.
I even bought a spaetzel maker from Amazon to make this, it was worth it!
I love these German noodles. I don’t have a Spaetzle maker but I have found that using a plastic bag, like a pastry bag, works great. Less mess, just toss the bag when you are finished. My noodles have turned out great!
Love making spaetzle! I first learned using the cutting board method while traveling with a German friend in the UK and staying in hostels 🙂 One of the ways I like to eat it now is as a casserole. I saute peppers, onions, and garlic and then layer the spaetzle with some of that, some cheese (whatever you’re feeling) and then after 2-3 layers put it in the oven and bake it for another 30 minutes or so at 350-400. Yum! 🙂
I grew up eating spatzel and chicken or turkey soup through the winter. Only my grandma and mom rolled them out and make them into little square dumplings. Sometimes I will just put small spoonfuls into the boiling liquid. Either way, I liked better that way, than riced.
I agree, no nutmeg. I was taught by German grandparents to make spaetzle.
1 heafty cup flour
1 large egg
Enough water to make VERY THICK batter
Put on plate and tilt over large pot of boiling water. With knife, trim ribbons as they roll over edge of plate, dropping into water. Let them “foam” up and beat down. On third time foaming up, drain and serve. The sound of the knife cutting the dough is a happy memory, Finished spaetzle are equal to about 4 of the skinny strings every receipt shows…stick to gravy, stick to ribs!
This is how I make the batter. But I was always taught that they were done as soon as they float. Guess every family made them a bit differently,.
I made your ultimate beef stroganoff tonight, yum! I’ve made your poor mans stroganoff before because we always have a surplus of ground elk and lack of stew meat. The ultimate stroganoff is SO good!! And I decided I’d go all out and make the spaetzle to go with. I’m glad I did! I’ve never had spaetzle before but I’m definitely a fan! Can’t wait to try the cheesy way you said you serve it sometimes! I actually have a random cheese grater that is shaped very similar to your spaetzle maker, I flipped it onto its backside and I used it with a rubber spatula to scrape and it worked perfect! Thanks for all your yummy recipes that always save us when we are needing a change to our regular recipes!
My husband is German so I decided to learn how to make them several years ago. One year for the international festival at my kids’ school I made enough for around 400 people to have a small cup of them. It took me about six hours the day before to make them all. We refrigerated them and used an electric skillet and heated them through in butter in batches before serving them. . We also put out some shakers of Penzey’s Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle for anyone that wanted some cheesiness. It was far simpler than trying to figure out how to make a cheese sauce for that many people. My German husband loves them with the cheese sprinkle. So simple. We had one of the most popular tables with people coming back for seconds and thirds. Not as many people attended as we thought so we had some left over that we ended up giving to a neighbor because he and his kids liked them so much. Of course, he got the recipe too.
Hello Mel,
as a native German from the Spätzle-Region (Swabia) I can tell you that you really only need three ingredients to make the original Spätzle-dough. And that is eggs, flour (back in the day and my preferred is spelt flour [gives them a nice nutty flavour] – nowadays it’s mostly just regular wheat flour) and salt. (We cringe if someone wants to add milk to the recipe – even water is somewhat frowned upon. But allowed if one needs to stretch the dough a little, when there are not enough eggs.)
There are no real measurements as flour, eggs and salt to taste need to be combined to a dough that should be like the consistency of well chewed gum creating big bubbles while beaten with a wooden spoon (making Spätzle-dough is hard work – and many housewifes asked their husbands for help beating the dough).
The Spätzle-dough is then pressed through a Spätzle-Press, which will create the “noodles” we call Spätzle (short Spätzle like the ones you made are called Knöpfle). They are being cooked in rapidly boiling salt water (just like pasta) until they float to the top and the water comes back to a rolling point. Take a slotted spoon and put them in a bowl on the side. Give them the taste test to see if additional salt needs to be added to the raw dough. Carry on cooking portions until the whole dough has been used up. Put all the already cooked Spätzle back into the pot with the boiling water and heat them all to the same temperature. Then drain, rinse swiftly with cold water and serve!
well said, Nina! That’s exactly how my mother would make spatzle… and how I make it today. My mother was from Aalen. EE schwet schwabisch… und du? 😉
My husband is Swiss and his mum makes us this dish when we come home to visit. I’m sure I’ll never make it as good as her, but I just had to give it a go when I saw your version! I warned the hubby that it would be different (simply because I’m making it haha) and he loved it! I tossed in a pan with some butter, spinach and diced tomatoes and omg it was heavenly. Definitely different from his mums, but who cares when it’s a knockout of a dish?! Thanks for bringing some yummm into our home! Xoxo
Thanks for sharing this Mel, I’m so glad I have you to depend on for reliable recipes.
FYI, I got a Tupperware spaetzle maker on ebay, apparently they’re available in Europe. Seemed cheaper than a lot of the other spaetzle maker doodads I looked at of various styles, and I’ve already tried and disliked the metal ones. The order from Europe was slower than usual due to the pandemic slowdowns, but it did arrive safely. (Took almost two months from the time I ordered.)
Thank you, Anna! So excited about your spaetzle maker – totally worth ordering from Europe to get one like that (I have loved mine).
I’ve been eating this since I was a kid! Love love love!!
Our favorite way to eat it is in chicken soup.
Love your recipes!!!! As a german living in Switzerland (Both countries famous for Spätzle) i want to tell you: we put no milk in our spätzle dough. Flour, eggs water and salt that‘s it. Delicious
Thanks for the input, Sandra!
Bought my spaetzle maker immediately after reading the post and it arrived last week. I finally had the opportunity (motivation) to use it last night and it was awesome! The batter was perfect and the spaetzle was so delicious with your instant pot beef stroganoff recipe. It was a huge success and will definitely be happening again. Thanks for another Fabulous recipe!
I’m so happy to read an update – thanks for letting me know, Debbie!
We just made these today for the first time. I grew up eating spaeztle but this was my first time making it myself. My kids and I all agreed that they were delicious and tasted just like my parents noodles that we all love. We made this with your beef stroganoff tonight. It was a slam dunk. Thanks for helping to get us through this quarantine with some great recipes!
I love that this was a hit with the whole family. Thanks, Kim!
Made this tonight and everyone loved them so much!!! But the whole process of making them was a bit traumatic. . . Holding the colander up for such a long time over a hot steaming pan and having to really scrape the dough through holes was such a serious arm workout/sweat fest and I wasn’t sure I’d ever finish The finished product was so delicious, but next time I think I’ll for sure get a spaetzle maker. Thanks for another fun recipe though!!
Oh yikes, sorry the process was kind of awful! I’m proud of you for persevering!
Huge fan of the site. Made the oatmeal cookies today. Read about the spaetzle whenever you raved about it last and my Tupperware spaetzle maker you recommended today arrived from Slovenia today. I grew up in Germany so I’m pumped.
You may already know or just in case you are interested it’s spätzle pronounced Shpe (like you are going to say special with an sh (like from shoe) but cut off right before the p) ts (like from tzatziki) and ends in lay (as in I’m gonna go lay down over there) shpe-ts-lay
Happy Cooking!
Thanks, Rachel!!
As a a German speaker, it’s pronounced “schpetz-la” . There is nothing better than Spätzle!!
Yummy! My spaetzle maker came today and I made it! So glad I cut your recipe in half since my family thinks I’m crazy but it worked just like you said and it was so easy!!
I’m so happy you made it, Susan!! Way to go!
Holy Hannah. I was sold at the phrasing “chubby dumpling”. Definitely what a cold, snowy March night needed. The batter was a bit much for my little Cuisinart food processor. I think I will try it in my blender next time. I don’t know why, but my batter was pretty thick. I definitely needed to thin it down to get it to go through the colander I used. Next on the list, buy a Spaetzle Maker because I am in love with these imperfect, carb-o-licious chubby dumplings! Thanks Mel!
I’m proud of you for persevering, Nat!
I ordered a Spaetzle maker and cant wait to try it. It won’t be delivered until 4/19. My mother made dumplings and my mother-in-law made homemade noodles rolling them out and cutting with a knife. I made these too, but now I have a pasta machine and attachments for my Kitchenaid. So, of course, I have to try your Spaetzle. The dough is like a runny dumpling, which I made the first time I tried them. I’ve tried many of your recipes and loved them all. I read comments, and someone commented about something you made. Sorry, I don’t remember what it was. But a girl asked her Mom if this was Mel’s recipe. (Knowing she would probably like it.). I’ve been following you ever since, and I even have a Pinterest Board named Mel’s Recipes. Thank you for all of them.
Thank you so much, Barb! Can’t wait to hear about your experience making spaetzle once your spaetzle maker is delivered!
I made these last night and my kids called them mac and cheese and inhaled them. I kept them plain and we ate venison stroganoff over them, well the adults did, the littles ate everything separate. I’m not sure how often I will make them as it was a bit time consuming with the whole colander thing and all, but it was fun.
Thanks for letting me know you tried them, Aurelia!
I have been looking forward to this recipe with swedish meatballs. It was delicious and everyone loved them. I had a heck of a time getting the batter through my colander, so after three very small spoonfuls I abandoned that ship and used the back of my flat cheese grater instead. Soooo much easier! Just had to be careful to not let it fall off the sides. Thanks for a fun noodle alternative, Mel!
Thanks for the feedback, Angela – and the alternative to using a colander!
I have a spaetzle (Hungarian: nokedli) maker and LOVE it. It is so fast and easy. I’ve never tried the colander technique, though, so hard to compare. We spray it with a little oil to keep the batter from sticking as badly. Also, make sure to rinse it off right after because dried batter is pain to clean off.
My recipe doesn’t use milk. It is:
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup water
3 1/2 cup flour
Directions:
•Beat eggs with salt and then add 3/4 cup water.
•Add flour to make smooth soft dough (we often add extra flour to get it to the consistency we want). Beat well.
•Push dough through Nokedli (Spaetzle) maker or use 1/2 teaspoon to break off pieces in salted boiling water.
•When they rise to the surface, they are done. Remove and serve.
We eat it under Hungarian gravies like Chicken Paprikás and pörkölt or stroganoff. (For Halloween, I dye my nokedli black and serve it with Chicken Paprikás for a fun orange/black meal.) I also love throwing it into homemade chicken noodle soup (I just make it straight into the soup)!
Thanks, McKenna! Love hearing how other people “spaetzle” – so fun! Your Halloween meal sounds epic. 🙂
Yummy dinner made with chicken schnitzel , remembering our time in Germany!
Thanks, Sherry!
I love spaetzel! My mom would make it every time we had lentil soup as a kid. Now I do the same. Can’t wait to order a spaetzel maker!! Right now I mix it up in a bowl, slowly pour it into the boiling water and break it into small piece with a spoon as I pour. My arm gets tired holding up the bowl! Having lentil soup over spaetzel tonight!
Sounds like you are already a spaetzle master, Amy!
This is how I grew up making them! It took forever!!
I am intrigued enough to try this as my husband is 1/2 German and I have German “blood” as well. (Not that it really matters, lol.) I am wondering about long-term storage: can they be dried or frozen for future use?
I haven’t tried either, but I think freezing the cooked noodles would work!
Interesting idea… I’ve never thought of doing either. But then again, we NEVER have leftovers that won’t be eaten within 24hrs. Not matter how much we make! They are that DELICIOUS!!
Made these tonight and served with Mel’s Ultimate Beef Stroganoff. I used my hand mixer and that worked okay. The dough climbed up the whisks and made it a bit difficult, but I got the job done. I used a spaetzle maker I bought from Walmart online last year. My family really liked these fun, odd noodles. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thanks so much for letting me know that, Angela!