Home » Cuisine » European » Easy Homemade German Egg Noodles

Easy Homemade German Egg Noodles

Save and share!

Homemade Spätzle is a delicious and fun rustic egg noodle from Germany. This easy to make side dish recipe is kid-friendly and so delicious!

These easy homemade Spaetzle noodles are a great side dish!
German spätzle noodles with butter and parsley sprinkled on top in white serving dish with spoon
German spätzle noodles with butter and parsley sprinkled on top in white serving dish with spoon

Spaetzle are a homemade, rustic egg noodle from Germany. They are chewy, flavorful, and pure comfort food.

If your family is feeling rather bored by rice and potatoes as a “starchy” side dish at dinner, I highly recommend trying these noodles!

These noodles can be served plain by themselves, they can be smothered with a sauce or gravy, used inside of other dish (try these cheesy spätzle with crispy onions – YUM!)

overhead view of spätzle on a white plate with a fork beside a platter with more noodles

Thank you to AE Dairy for sponsoring this post. And thank you, dear reader, for supporting the brands that support me and allow me to continue to grow this site. All opinions, recipe and photographs are my own.

I love using AE Dairy milk in these noodles because I know that the milk is always so fresh, and you can really taste the difference. They have super high standards for quality, which makes me feel good about what I’m using in my recipes and giving my family. Plus, the creaminess of their milk gives the noodles this perfect texture and rich taste that makes these homemade noodles so irresistible. It’s just one of those little things that makes a big difference!

plate with egg noodles and pat of butter in front of bottle of milk and platter of spätzle in background

Ingredients you need:

You only need a few ingredients on hand to make this recipe. For the full set of directions, please make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below.

  • Flour – For this recipe you can use all purpose flour. I would not substitute for whole wheat for this recipe because it will change the hydration level of the dough and you will need more milk and to adjust the cooking time. Also do not use self-rising flour because that will change the way the recipe works.
  • Salt – Salt adds a bit of flavor here. Do not leave it out or your noodles will end up tasting very bland.
  • Eggs – These add richness and texture to the recipe.
  • Milk – For this recipe I recommend using AE Dairy Whole Milk. Whole milk is going to give you the best, richest flavor for your noodles. You want to make sure you use milk that is rich, creamy, and fresh.
  • Butter for serving.
ingredients for spätzle on marble counter with text overlay

A note on equipment:

Traditionally, spätzle is made with a special tool to help create the noodle shape easily and quickly. If you are going to be making this recipe a lot, they are worth investing in! But you do not need to purchase anything specific – there are several ways you can make this recipe with what you already have on hand at home.

Here are some options:

  • A large colander. However, you want to make sure that your colander fits over the top of your pot of boiling water so you do not have to hold it in place. The colander needs to be high enough over the water so that the batter can drop down into the water, but the water doesn’t touch the colander.
  • A cheese grater. You want to use one with large holes in it. A box grater will not work here because it won’t allow you to easily add batter and push it through the holes.
  • A potato ricer. A lot of ricers come with interchangeable plates – if you have one that has a plate with large holes in it, that will work. Do not use one with tiny holes, that won’t create the right size noodle, you will end up with something more like couscous than a homemade egg noodle.

Basically, you need something with large holes that you can push the batter through into the water!

You also want to make sure you have a skimmer spoon, or a long handled slotted spoon to easily remove the cooked noodles from the water.

A brief overview of the recipe:

Here is a quick rundown of how to make this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and directions, please scroll down to the recipe card below.

  1. Whisk the ingredient together to create a loose dough that more resembles a thick pancake batter. It shouldn’t be super runny. The thinner the batter is, the smaller your noodle pieces will be. The thicker the batter is, the bigger the pieces will be.
  2. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes while you get the water boiling. Make sure you use a tall pot to give the noodles room to cook properly.
  3. Using the tools we outlined above, drop about 1 cup worth of the batter through the holes in your tool (I used a cheese grater), using the measuring cup to kind of “push” the batter through the holes.
  4. Let the noodles cook for 3 minutes.
  5. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked noodles from the water and place them in a large bowl while you repeat with the remaining batter.
pan frying homemade spätzle noodles in butter in large cast iron skillet

How to serve Spaetzle:

There are many ways to enjoy this German egg noodle. Our favorites are:

  • Toss the cooked noodles in some melted butter.
  • Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and sauté the noodles in some butter until slightly golden and crispy. This is our favorite way to prepare them, and what you see in the photos!
  • You can also use the spätzle as ingredients in other dishes, too!

We like serving our spaetzle as a simple but delicious side dish beside pork schitzel and German cucumber salad for a complete meal that my kids adore!

plate with spätzle, schnitzel and cucumber salad with platters in background

Storage information:

This recipe makes quite a bit of spätzle! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, you can reheat in the microwave, but you can also pan fry them again to reheat them. I find using an air fryer for a few minutes is the best and quickest method!

Kids in the kitchen: How your kids can help

One of the best ways to get kids interested in eating new foods is to get them involved! Here are some easy ways your kids can help you make this recipe.

  • Kids aged 1-3 can help you measure ingredients and whisk together the batter.
  • Kids aged 4-6 can help you do everything above plus help you crack the eggs.
  • Kids aged 7-10+ can help you do everything above, plus help cook the noodles with supervision.

*Please note that these recommendations are generalized, and to please use your personal discretion with your child’s skill level. And always, always supervise! Read more about how to have your children help you in the kitchen.

spätzle noodles piled on white platter

Food tastes better when its shared! If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and rate below!

Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this post, please link to this post directly for the recipe, please do not copy and paste or screenshot. Thanks so much for supporting me! xoxo

German spätzle noodles with butter and parsley sprinkled on top in white serving dish with spoon

Easy Homemade German Egg Noodle Recipe

These easy homemade Spaetzle noodles are a great side dish!
No ratings yet, be the first!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Kid Friendly Side Dishes
Cuisine: German
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 359kcal
Author: Jenni

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt divided
  • 6 eggs
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 3 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions

  • In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  • Ina large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.
  • Whisk the flour mixture into the milk mixture to create a loose dough that more resembles a thick pancake batter. It shouldn’t be super runny. The thinner the batter is, the smaller your noodle pieces will be. The thicker the batter is, the bigger the pieces will be.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough sit for 10 minutes
  • Put a large pot of water onto the stove over high heat to boil. Make sure you use a tall pot to give the noodles room to cook properly.
  • Once the water is boiling, salt the water with 1 teaspoon of salt.
  • Push the batter through large holes in a cheese grater or colander, about 1 cup at a time.
  • Let the noodles cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked noodles from the water and place them in a large bowl while you repeat with the remaining batter.
  • To serve, either toss the cooked noodles in the melted butter, or pan fry the noodles in the butter until slightly golden and crispy, 3 minutes per side.

Notes

Store leftover noodles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave, pan fry with some butter, or reheat in the air fryer until hot.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 182mg | Sodium: 657mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 463IU | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 4mg

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.