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    Home » Recipes » German-inspired recipes

    How to make spaetzle

    Published: Jan 24, 2020 · Modified: May 30, 2024 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · 7 Comments

    Jump to recipe

    Spaetzle is a delicious egg noodle/mini dumpling, made from a mixture of eggs and flour, originating in Germany and Hungary. Follow my easy step-by-step instructions on how to make spaetzle and you can be eating your own homemade spaetzle tonight!

    Close up of homemade spaetlze in a white dish.
    Jump to:
    • Homemade Spaetzle
    • Ingredients for homemade spaetzle
    • How to make homemade spaetzle
    • Cook the spaetzle
    • Save for later
    • Related recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    Homemade Spaetzle

    Italians have their pasta, and Germans and Hungarians (and a few other European countries like Austria and Switzerland) have their egg noodles or spaetzle. These delicious little nuggets are made with an egg/flour mixture, which is dropped into boiling water and allowed to cook until they rise to the top.

    They do look a lot like pasta, but the texture is firmer and more chewy. They make the perfect accompaniment to stews and goulash.

    In Germany, they are called Spaetzle (little sparrows) or Knoepfle (buttons) depending on the region, and in Hungary, they are known as Nokedli.

    Spaetzle is surprisingly simple to make. Egg and flour are mixed with water to form a batter, and then the batter is pressed through a spaetzle maker (or colander) into boiling water. As the lumps of batter hit the boiling water, they sink to the bottom. Once cooked (it only takes a minute or two) the noodles rise to the surface and you can remove them with a slotted spoon.

    If you don't have a spaetzle maker, a colander or a flat cheese grater makes a good substitute. You will need something with holes large enough to press the batter through.

    Of course, if you really wanted to you could buy ready-made spaetzle from the shop. Most supermarkets (in the UK at least, I can't speak for the rest of the world) sell dried spaetzle. But once you have tasted homemade spaetzle, I'm sure you'll agree with me, they are far superior to shop-bought.

    Follow along with my step-by-step instructions to see just how easy it is to make spaetzle.

    Overhead shot of a dish of homemade spaetzle.

    Ingredients for homemade spaetzle

    You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions on how to make spaetzle yourself at home on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

    To make spaetzle yourself you will need the following ingredients.

    Flour - normal white plain flour is all you need. Don't use self-raising flour, and don't add any baking powder.

    Eggs - it is the albumen in the eggs that firms up in the boiling water which causes the spaetzle to hold their shape.

    Water - you will need approximately ¾ cup of water. The actual amount will depend on the flour - some brands absorb more water than others. For this reason, you should not add all the water at once. Add about ¾ of the water and add more if necessary. You can also use a 50/50 mixture of milk and water which will give a slightly richer spaetzle.

    Salt - a small amount of salt does add a lot of flavour to the spaetzle.

    How to make homemade spaetzle

    You will be surprised at how easy this is to make. The quantities in this recipe are sufficient for about 4 people.

    Mix the batter

    Collage of 4 images showing how to mix homemade spaetzle.

    Start by weighing out your flour. You will need 300g, which is approximately 2 cups. Place this in a mixing bowl and add ½ teaspoon salt.

    Add the eggs and ¾ of the water and whisk to remove any lumps. I like to use a hand mixer for this step, but you can use a wooden spoon or even a wire whisk.

    The consistency of the batter should be such that the batter drops slowly from the spoon as you lift it out of the batter. If the batter is too thick add the rest of the water gradually, until the desired consistency is reached. Aim for a batter that is thinner than a cake batter, but not so thin as a crepe or pancake batter.

    Let the mixture stand for 30 minutes before cooking to allow the gluten to develop in the flour. This will give the characteristic 'chewy' consistency to the cooked spaetzle.

    Cook the spaetzle

    Two images showing how to press the spaetzle through a colander into boiling water.

    While the batter is resting, put a large saucepan of water on to boil. Season with 1 teaspoon salt.

    Once the water is boiling, take a large spoon and ladle about a cup of batter into a colander held over the pan of water.

    Use the back of a large spoon to press the batter through the holes in the colander and allow it to drop into the boiling water.

    The spaetzle will swell up in the water, and rise to the surface when they are cooked.

    Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a dish.

    Repeat until all the batter has been used.

    To serve

    You can serve these plain with Hungarian Goulash. I think the gravy from the goulash adds enough flavour to the spaetzle. Spaetzle would also go really well with creamy paprika pork.

    Alternatively, you can melt about 2 tablespoons butter in a frying pan and stir in the spaetzle until they are well coated, and serve with goulash, or with a stew.

    Here are some more ideas.

    • Add chicken and broccoli, mix in a cheese sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese and pop in a hot oven until the cheese has melted.
    • Mix with bacon, tomato and cheese sauce for easy macaroni and cheese.
    • Why not serve spaetzle alongside a pork schnitzel, and smother it with mushroom sauce?

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    Save for later

    Why not pin this recipe for spaetzle to one of your Pinterest boards so you can make it yourself? Just click on the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

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    Visit my German-inspired recipes page for more delicious ideas. Here are a few you might enjoy:

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    📋The recipe

    Close up of homemade spaetlze in a white dish.

    Homemade spaetzle

    Spaetzle is a delicious egg noodle/mini dumpling, made from a mixture of eggs and flour, originating in Germany and Hungary. Follow my easy step-by-step instructions on how to make spaetzle and you can be eating your own homemade spaetzle tonight!
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Main Course, Side Dish
    German, Hungarian
    Calories 336
    Prep 10 minutes minutes
    Cook 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
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    5 from 4 votes

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Colander or spaetzle maker
    • Mixing bowl
    • Hand mixer or whisk
    • Large saucepan

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups (300g) plain flour
    • 4 medium eggs
    • ¾ cup water (or a mixture of milk and water)
    • ½ teaspoon salt (plus extra salt for the cooking water)

    Instructions

    • Place the flour into a mixing bowl and add ½ teaspoon salt.
    • Add the eggs and most of the water.
    • Beat well to remove all the lumps. Add more water if necessary to get the desired consistency.
    • Allow to stand for 30 minutes
    • Bring a saucepan of water to the boil.
    • Press spoonfuls of the batter through the holes of a colander held over the pan of water and allow to fall into the water.
    • When the spaetzle rise to the top of the pan they are cooked and can be removed with a slotted spoon.
    • Leave plain, or toss in butter in a frying pan and serve with hungarian goulash.

    Notes

    The texture of the spaetzle should be thinner than a cake batter, but thicker than a pancake batter.
    For a slightly richer spaetzle use a mixture of half milk and half water, instead of plain water.
    Allow the spaetzle to stand for 30 minutes after mixing to allow the gluten to develop.  This will give the characteristic chewy texture.
    If you don't have a spaetzle maker, you can use a colander or a flat cheese grater.

    Nutrition

    Calories - 336kcal | Carbohydrates - 57.6g | Protein - 13.3g | Fat - 5.1g | Saturated Fat - 1.5g | Cholesterol - 164mg | Sodium - 354mg | Potassium - 139mg | Fiber - 2g | Sugar - 0.5g | Calcium - 35mg | Iron - 4mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
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    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 4 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. raju

      September 10, 2021 at 6:32 am

      5 stars
      Thanks For Sharing this recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope they will like it.

      Reply
    2. Frank Nilson

      August 10, 2021 at 4:02 pm

      5 stars
      Hi VJ
      I noticed a slight error in your Notes on the thickness of the batter. You quote thicker than cake batter and thinner than pancake batter. That is the opposite to what is mentioned in the Mix the Batter section, which is the correct method to be used.

      Reply
      • VJ

        August 11, 2021 at 6:59 am

        Oops! I've corrected the notes. Thanks for pointing it out.

        Reply
    3. Wayne Rauen

      February 24, 2020 at 11:37 pm

      It looks and sounds wonderful. I can't wait to try it
      Any other recipes you care to share? At 71 I'm always looking for something new.

      Reply
      • VJ

        February 25, 2020 at 3:07 am

        Hi Wayne, I hope you enjoy it. I have loads of recipes on my website you may enjoy. Keep checking back,I'm always posting something new.

        Reply
    4. Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder

      February 13, 2020 at 1:35 pm

      5 stars
      I grew up eating spaetzle lovingly prepared by my Polish grandma and served with crisped up bacon lardons and crumbled curd cheese, super simple but so delicious. Your spaetzle look exactly as I remember them, thank you for bringing back lots of lovely memories with your recipe. 🙂 #cookblogshare

      Reply
      • VJ

        February 13, 2020 at 6:21 pm

        It's so nice when a recipe brings back childhood memories. My Dad was German and I always think of him when I make spaetzle.

        Reply

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