German Potato Dumplings Recipe (+VIDEO) | MasalaHerb.com (2024)

German Potato Dumplings are a wonderful side dish idea. It's mostly served with delicious meals such as Sauerkraut and Sausage, Sauerbraten with Red Cabbage.

Potato Dumplings, aka Kartoffelknödel in German, are easy to prepare.

📕 What are German PotatoDumplings?

The German Potato Dumplings are common round dumplings prepared with potato dough.

The dumplings are served as a savory side dish in all the German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Neighboring countries and former countries from the empire, such as the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (North Italy) and Slovenia, count these potato dumplings as their traditional food.

Potato Gnocchi from Italy resembles the German Potato Dumplings.

In fact, potato dough is quite a popular dough variety in Central Europe and other dumplings and noodles are prepared with this dough as well.

👄 German Names

Potato Dumplings are known as Kartoffelknödel or Kartoffelkloß in most parts of Germany.

InAustrian, we call the Erdäpfelknödel, in Bavaria the potato dumplings are known as Reibeknödel.

The word for dumpling in German is "Knödel/Knoedel or Kloß/Kloss".

In North Germany, they will say Kloß and in the southern regions Knödel.

The Potato is known as Kartoffel in German.

In Austria and Bavaria, potatoes are called Erdäpfel (literal translation, Earth apple).

🥔 Ingredients

Here is an overview of what you will need to make these from scratch at home. The detailed US and metric measurements are located in the printable recipe card further below.

• Potatoes - A mealy, easy to boil, variety. They shouldn't be too hard. Russet potatoes are a great choice!
• All-purpose Flour
• Corn Starch - If you don't have corn starch, use just all-purpose flour. Corn starch helps to bind and makes them a bit softer.
• Salt
• Nutmeg - Important flavor giver, don't skip adding a pinch!
• Egg - Also helps to keep your dumplings together when boiling them and adds flavor.
• Butter (optional) - Adds flavorful but not a must.

🔪 How to make them?

To prepare the potato dumplings, you will need to follow simple steps.

Step 1

Mash boiled potatoes.

Place mashed potatoes with flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and egg into a bowl.

Step 2

Combine to a smooth dough.

Shape into balls.

Step 3

Keep a pot with salt water to boil.

Drop dumpling balls into the boiling water.

Boil until they swim on top. Strain and serve up.

💡 Tips

We learned to make these dumplings in school (I went to school in Austria) and the teacher shared some tips with us.

• Prepare the dough with hot potatoes, it will blender better.
• Don't over mix your potato dough or else your dumplings will turn out stone hard.
• Always use salt water to boil. They just turn out better.
• Shape them while the water is boiling, and drop them into the water. Don't leave them to sit for all too long on your kitchen counter.
• You want your water to boil lightly, not too much. Too much movement can damage your dumplings.
• After dropping the dumplings into the water, check if they are not sticking to the bottom of your pot. Loosen them up with a cooking spoon.
• When you see them floating to the surface, leave them there for another minute or so before you take them out. That's to make sure they are properly cooked through.
• Don't overcrowd your pan.

🍱 Storing

If you plan on eating the potato dumplings within 48 hours, prepare the dough and store it in the fridge until you get time to boil and eat them.

I think the dumplings taste better when freshly boiled.

You can boil the potato dumplings and keep them in the fridge, but then they tend to get chewy and hard.

To reheat, place them into the oven and gradually heat up for a few minutes.

To store the German potato dumplings over a longer period of time, freeze them.

Prepare the dough, form the dumplings, cook them and then wrap them in a clean wrap.

Freeze the potato dumplings.

To take the frozen dumplings out, defrost them in room temperaturewater and cook them again so that they get hot.

🍴 Serving

The savory potato dumplings are usually served with saucy/gravy-rich meat meals, such as Beef Goulash.

Also, fall-themed meals such as a venison dish as served with these potato dumplings. Here are some more ideas.

• Jägerschnitzel with Chanterelle Mushrooms
• Sauerkraut and Sausage
• German cabbage slaw

💭 FAQs

Dear Reader, how and with what are you planning to serve the potato dumplings?

📖 Recipe