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Home » Sides and salad recipes » How to make Spaetzle

How to make Spaetzle

Author: VJ Published : January 2020 Updated : August 2021 / 7 people have commented

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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.

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Table Of Contents
  1. Homemade Spaetzle
  2. Ingredients for homemade spaetzle
  3. How to make homemade spaetzle
  4. Cook the spaetzle
  5. Pin for later
  6. Recipe – Homemade spaetzle
  7. Homemade spaetzle

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

Spaetzle are surprisingly simple to make. Egg and flour is 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, then a colander or a flat cheese grater makes a good substitute. You just need something with holes large enough to press the batter through.

Of course, if you really wanted to you could just buy ready-made spaetlze 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 that causes the spaetzle to hold their shape.

Water – you will need approximately 3/4 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 3/4 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 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Add the eggs and 3/4 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. You should aim for a batter than 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 try serving alongside a pork schnitzel, and smother with mushroom sauce.

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Pin for later

Why not pin this recipe for spaetzle so you can make it yourself.

Recipe – Homemade spaetzle

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
Cook 20 minutes
Total Time 30 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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Filed Under: All Recipes, Sides and salad recipes

About VJ

In my previous life, 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, and you'll probably find a little South African influence creeping in due to the many years I spent there.

Previous Post: « Hungarian Beef Goulash with spaetzle
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. raju

    10 September 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

    10 August 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

      11 August 2021 at 6:59 am

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

      Reply
  3. Wayne Rauen

    24 February 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

      25 February 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

    13 February 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

      13 February 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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