Authentic German Spätzle Recipe (Homemade from Scratch)

What Is Spätzle?

Spätzle are soft German egg noodles from the south-west of the country, made from a simple batter of flour, eggs, salt and water. The name means ‘little sparrows’ in the Swabian dialect. Unlike dried Italian pasta, Spätzle are made fresh and cooked straight away — the irregular, dumpling-like shapes give them their tender, slightly chewy bite. They are a staple of Swabian and Bavarian home cooking, served as a side with anything saucy or turned into a meal of their own.

Swabian vs Bavarian Spätzle

There is no single ‘correct’ Spätzle — the difference is how the batter reaches the water. The traditional Swabian method is geschabte Spätzle: the batter is spread on a wet wooden board and thin strips are scraped off the edge by hand, straight into boiling water. It takes practice but gives the authentic long, uneven strands. The quicker everyday method, common across Bavaria and most German kitchens, presses the batter through a Spätzle press for short, uniform noodles. Both use the same batter — pick whichever suits your patience and kit.

What Flour to Use

Spätzle need a flour with enough protein to build a stretchy, elastic batter. In Germany that is usually Type 405 or a dedicated Spätzle flour; a good all-purpose flour works too. Avoid low-protein cake flour, which makes the batter slack. Shop our German flour for the authentic types used in this recipe.

How to Serve Spätzle

Plain buttered Spätzle are the classic side for Rouladen, Sauerbraten, goulash or anything with plenty of gravy. To turn them into a meal, make Käsespätzle — layered with grated cheese and topped with crisp fried onions, Germany’s answer to mac and cheese. They also fry beautifully the next day in a little butter until golden at the edges.

Making Spätzle Without a Press

No Spätzle press? You do not need one. The Swabian board-and-scraper method needs nothing but a chopping board and a knife. A colander or potato ricer with wide holes also works — push the batter through with a spatula over the boiling water. The shapes come out a little different each way, and that is exactly how it should be.

Prefer to Skip the Batter?

If you would rather keep ready-made Spätzle in the pantry, browse our full range of Spätzle and German egg noodles.