Spätzle (German Egg Noodles) (2024)

HomemadeSpaetzle (German: Spätzle)is one of Germany's most popular and cherished side dishes.

It's an easy, hearty egg noodle dish that goes beautifully with classic German recipes such asRouladenandCucumber Salad.

What Is Spaetzle?

Spaetzle is a popular German egg noodle side dish.

You might associate Spaetzle with the Swabia region of southern Germany, but you will find fans of this fresh pasta dish all over Germany.

This recipe has been around for over 200 years!

And like many German recipes, there are regional variations.

Sometimes you'll findspaetzlerecipes that include milk instead of water. As always, I share the recipe that I grew up with and am most familiar with.

Spätzle, Spaetzle, Spatzle - What's The Difference?

Yes, first, let's chat about spelling and pronunciation. You might wonder what the difference is betweenSpaetzle, Spatzle,andSpätzle.

What's the story with the a and the two little dots? The answer is simple.
Spätzleis spelled the German way, andSpaetzle(or sometimes just Spatzle) is spelled the English way.

German 101

In German, certain vowels, a, o, and u, sometimes have two dots on top to make the reader pronounce the vowels softer.

These letters are called "Umlaut" and are part of the German alphabet.

The letter "ä" is pronounced like "ae" in English. Because we don't have these umlaut letters in English, we break them up into ae (or "oe" for "ö" and "ue" for "ü"). Pretty simple.

So if you see the words "spätzle maker" and "spaetzle maker," or even "spatzle maker," you know that all of these terms mean the same thing.

The only difference is that one is spelled the German way and the other the English way.

Pronunciation- How Do You Say 'Spätzle' in German?

You can listen to me pronounce the word in German to get an idea.

As a native German speaker, I'll be the first to admit this word is awkward to pronounce! The way I'd break it down is "sh-pets-luh."

Now that we've got our German lesson let's learn how to make these famous egg noodles.

And I promise making the recipe is more straightforward than learning German. 🙂

Why This German Spaetzle Recipe Works

CLASSIC GERMAN FOOD- If you're looking for a traditional, authentic German side dish, these easy German noodles are for you.

You can serve this delicious side dish with a ton of traditional German foods such asSchnitzel,Jägerschnitzel, orGoulash.

INGREDIENTS- I bet you have everything you need in your fridge and pantry. This easy German recipe requires flour, eggs, water, and a little butter. And that's it! If you have nutmeg and fresh parsley, great, but you can also make this recipe without these ingredients.

KID FRIENDLY- This German pasta dish is popular among grown-ups and kids. It's a homemade European version of buttered pasta.

ECONOMICS- With food prices through the roof, this recipe is inexpensive. Best of all, you can easily double or triple-batch this recipe.

RELATED RECIPE- Our German Potato Soup recipe is another easy, inexpensive German recipe.

This easy German recipe boils it down to flour, eggs, and water.

FLOUR- Bread flour works well, but I typically use and recommend all-purpose plain flour.

EGGS- You'll need 4 large eggs.

NUTMEG- One little-known fact is that Germans love nutmeg. It's something I wasn't even conscious of all kinds of dishes. But if you don't have any on hand, no problem.

OPTIONAL(but recommended) - You can use regularground nutmeg. But I have started to buywhole nutmegand use a zester. Grinding it fresh takes seconds and is well worth the boost in flavor.

BUTTER- Be sure to use unsalted butter. You need the butter to fry the Spaetzle.

WATER- I typically don't elaborate on the water as an ingredient. But I will this time. In the recipe card, you will see that I recommend using ⅓cup of water. You may have to adjust this depending on the brand or type of flour you use.

Therefore I recommend adding the water slowly to the batter. You don't want a batter that's too sticky or too runny. Watch the video to get a visual idea of the consistency you're looking for.

You might need a little less or a little more. It typically works out to be a ⅓cup of water.

PARSLEY- Technically, it's optional and mostly used for garnish. But parsley also adds a bit of sweetness if you make this recipe from scratch. I'd recommend adding it. I prefer curly parsley.

How To Make Spaetzle

1. Step - Making Batter

1. BATTER- Beat flour, eggs, nutmeg, and water in a large bowl with a hand mixer (a whisk or wooden spoon) and beat until you have a thick batter.
2. REST- Cover the bowland chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

2. Step - Cooking The Egg Noodles

1. BOIL WATER- Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil and add salt.
2. SPAETZLE MAKER-Push the batter through the spaetzle maker into the simmering water.
3. COOK- Cook until the noodles float to the top. About 2-3 minutes.
4. SLOTTED SPOON- Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the floating Spaetzle. Transfer into a bowl. Repeat until you've used up the batter.

3. Step - Pan-Frying The Cooked Spaetzle

1. BUTTER- Melt a pat of butter in a large skillet and the cooked Spaetzle.
2. FRY- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and fry for 1-2 minutes over medium heat.

More Side Dishes

Green Beans with Bacon

Candied Carrots

Red Cabbage

Equipment - Do You Need A Spaetzle Maker?

Do you need special equipment to make a Spaetzle? No.

But a designated spaetzle maker (or a potato ricer) makes the job A LOT easier.

You can use a regular large-holed colander if you don't want to buy new equipment.

And if you want to go old-school, all you need is a small cutting board and a flat butter knife.

Spaetzle Makers

If you invest in a Spaetzle Maker (about $10-$15), you can choose the kind that gets placed on top of a large pot (no more than 12 inches wide).

Spaetzle Maker Lid with Scraper

This comes with a plastic scrape that helps you to push the batter through the holes. It's easy to use and the one I use.

Stainless Steel Potato Ricer

Alternatively, you can use a potato ricer. You can use this multi-tool powerhouse not just as a potato ricer but as a potato masher, sweet potato masher, and even a spaetzle maker.
I have never used this to make Spaetzle, but others have and like it.

Recipe Tips And Tricks

This is truly an easy recipe. But, like with every recipe, sometimes you can run into a bit of trouble the first time. Here are the two most common issues.

PROBLEM- Help! My batter is too runny!
SOLUTION- Mix in a small amount of flour. Go in small increments, adding a tablespoon of flour and increasing if necessary.

PROBLEM- Help! My batter is too sticky!
SOLUTION- This is another easy fix. Slowly pour a small amount of water into the batter. Again start small.

Leftovers

STORE- Transfer any leftovers into an airtight container. You can store leftover Spaetzle in the fridge for up to

FREEZE- You can freeze cooked Spaetzle for up to 6 months. First, place the Spaetzle onto a baking sheet and pre-freeze for an hour. This will ensure that your Spaetzle won't clump. Once frozen, transfer the frozen Spaetzle into a freezer-friendly container or plastic bag and store them in the freezer.

REHEAT- When you want to reheat leftover Spaetzle, place them in a skillet. You might want to add a little extra butter. Don't be tempted to reheat them in the cooking water. This won't work, and you'll end up with inedible, hard pasta.

More Easy German Recipes

APPLE PANCAKES- Start your breakfast with these yummy pancakes.

GERMAN LENTIL SOUP - made with bacon and sausage.

COLD POTATO SALAD- An iconic German side dish with 5 simple ingredients.

GERMAN CHEESECAKE- A classic German cheesecake recipe reworked to make with ingredients you can easily find in US grocery stores.

FLAMMKUCHEN- Germany's version of flatbread pizza.

CHERRY COFFEE CAKE- Delicious sheet cake with cherries and thick crumb topping.

Please take a moment torate the German Spaetzle recipebelow!