Oktoberfest is right around the corner, which means it’s the perfect time to make a batch of Spaetzle! These little German egg noodles are one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made from scratch. No rolling, no specialist equipment, just a quick batter and boiling water. Even better, you only need three staple ingredients (plus butter and parsley for an easy butter sauce), so it’s super budget-friendly too. Making homemade spaetzle is easier than it looks, and honestly, kind of fun. Pressing the batter through a grater and watching the little noodles dance in the boiling water is such a delight!
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Easy Homemade Spaetzle Recipe
Spaetzle (or Spätzle), which is believed to come from a Swabian German word meaning “little sparrows,” are chewy egg noodles that cook up like a cross between pasta and dumplings. I first tasted them at Nashville’s Oktoberfest celebrations, and I was hooked!
My version of this traditional dish is made with flour, eggs, and milk, but instead of a special spaetzle maker, I use a large-holed grater to get the noodles into the pot. I like to toss them in a simple butter-parsley sauce, but they’re so versatile that they work anywhere you’d usually serve a starchy side like rice, potatoes, or pasta. Enjoy it plain, alongside sausages, schnitzel, or sauerbraten (a traditional German roast), or dress it up with cheese or gravy!
Spaetzle
Cost $1.64 recipe / $0.27 serving
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs ($0.68)
- ½ cup whole milk ($0.14*)
- ½ tsp salt (plus more to season water and to taste, $0.04)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour ($0.25)
- 3 Tbsp butter ($0.35)
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley (chopped, $0.18)
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and salt until smooth.
- Add flour and stir until you have a thick, sticky batter (thicker than pancake batter but not doughy). If too thick, add 1–2 tbsp more milk. Rest the dough for 10-15 minutes.**
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.***
- Working in batches, place a portion of the batter on the back of a large-holed grater or in a colander set over the pot. Use a spoon or spatula to press the batter through the holes so little “noodles” drop into the boiling water.****
- The noodles will rise to the top in about 2 minutes. Once they float, remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Continue until all the batter has been used.
- Once all of the spaetzle has been made, drain it thoroughly.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the spaetzle. Toss until lightly coated and warmed through. Season with salt and pepper (optional), sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.
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Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Large Pot
- Colander or Grater
- Medium Skillet
Notes
Nutrition
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Gather all of your ingredients.
Make the batter: Add 3 large eggs, ½ cup whole milk, and ½ tsp salt to a large bowl and mix until smooth.
Now, slowly add 2 cups of all-purpose flour until you have a thick, sticky batter. It should be thicker than pancake batter but not doughy (see my next photo for a visual reference!) If it’s too thick, add 1-2 Tbsp more milk to loosen it up.
Rest your dough for 10-15 minutes to relax the gluten in the dough, which will help create tender noodles. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (I usually season my water with 1 tsp salt).
Boil the batter: Working in batches, place a portion of the batter on the back of a large-holed grater or in a colander set over the pot. Use a spoon or spatula to press the batter through the holes so little “noodles” drop into the boiling water. You can also use a potato ricer or, of course, a spaetzle maker if you’ve got one!
The noodles will rise to the top in about 2 minutes. Once they float up, remove them from the pot of boiling water and place them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Repeat this process until you’ve used up all the batter.
Drain the water: Once you’ve cooked and cooled all the batter, drain it thoroughly.
Make a butter sauce: Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the noodles and toss until lightly coated and warmed through. Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with 1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley, and serve hot. Enjoy!
Recipe Success Tips
- The batter should be thick and sticky, but not so stiff that it’s hard to press through your grater or colander. If it feels too thick, add a little milk until it loosens up.
- Let the batter rest for 10–15 minutes before cooking. This gives the flour time to hydrate and helps your homemade spaetzle cook up tender.
- Work in batches when pressing the batter into the pot. This keeps the noodles from clumping together and helps them cook evenly. Remove them with a slotted spoon as soon as they float to the top. The process might be a little messy, but I promise it’s worth it!!
- Make it ahead. You can make the batter up to a day in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. Give it a quick stir before cooking as directed in the recipe above.
Serving Suggestions
These spaetzle noodles (or dumplings, however you think of them) can easily slot into your regular meal plan since they make a great alternative to rice, pasta, or even potatoes. Or, you can go all out and bring a bit of Oktoberfest to your own kitchen with some classic pairings! Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy this dish:
- Tossed with melted butter and fresh herbs (as I did in this recipe!) Add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if you’ve got it
- Mix with shredded cheese and bake until bubbly for a German-inspired baked mac and cheese
- Alongside roast chicken with gravy or chicken schnitzel
- Pan-fried in butter or oil until golden and crisp
- With Sauerbraten (a German roast) or a hearty Mississippi pot roast
- Paired with bratwurst and sauerkraut
- With rouladen (thin beef rolls with mustard, onions, bacon, and pickles simmered in gravy)
- As a side for pork or chicken schnitzel
- Tossed in beer cheese sauce (obatzda-style)
Storage & Reheating
Once your German spaetzle has cooled, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you’d like to freeze it for longer storage, spread the cooked noodles out on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer it to a freezer bag. It’ll keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to reheat, you can sauté the leftovers straight from frozen in a bit of butter or briefly drop it into boiling water for a minute or so until heated.
I made this and it was super yummy! I large hole cheese grater didn’t work well as I only have a box style one. They just dropped on the other side or to each other and stuck. Haahaa I ended up using my potato masher. It was very tedious (especially since I made a double batch), but I made it with the bratwurst recipe on here as well with the mustard sauce. It all went together very nicely. :) I will have to invest in a spätzle maker before I make again.
Hi Cat, I’m so glad you made them! It is a bit of a tedious recipe but so fun- and I totally get the box grater not working as well, but a spaetzle maker would work like a dream! Thank you for your feedback and so happy your family enjoyed it :)
This is pretty much the way my Oma taught me to make spaetzle, but she never put it in an ice water bath to cool, just in a colander to drain before sautéing it in butter. The colander is a nice trick to make the noodles. I am lucky enough to have a spaetzle maker – Oma visited her relatives ever few years and one year she brought back spaetzle makers for each of us girls. Now I make spaetzle for my kids, though not as often as I should. Growing up, every family gathering included spaetzle right along with all the best southern foods. She never put cheese on the spaetzle though, I think that may be a regional thing, but she did occasionally make liver spaetzle (liverwurst mixed in the batter) and it’s delicious. Thanks for making this dish an easy one to replace for the American masses!
German here: Looks decent! I personally wouldn’t use milk, I usually go with „1 egg per portion, then add flour until the consistency is good“, but eggs and milk is fine as well.
I‘d suggest using more salt for the water, at least twice as much.
For the shredded cheese option: There is a German variant „Käsespätzle“ which is very similar. Basically, do alternating layers cheese (preferably a mix between Emmental and Gruyère) and Spätzle and keep for a few minutes in the oven until the cheese is melted. Top with caramelized onions and black pepper
Hi Jennie,
I made your spaetzle last night, (it was easy) and served it with pork chops and green beans. It was delicious. I grew up in a German family here in the US, but weirdly never watched anyone make spaetzle. I used to love it. I can occasionally find it dried in the supermarket, it’s not nearly as good. Thank you for bringing back a childhood memory.
Hi Shelley, I’m so glad you made it and enjoyed it! It is a fun and easy recipe to make. Thanks so much!