Authentic German Potato Dumplings Recipe: Oma's Kartoffelknödel

by: Gerhild Fulson  /  Cookbook Author, Blogger, German Oma!

There really is NOTHING that compares to having potato dumplings as the side dish to a meal that has gravy. It's the PERFECT pairing! Mutti really did know best!

German potato dumplings, aka kartoffelklöße and kartoffelknödel, bring back wonderful memories of my Mutti’s Sunday dinners. This traditional recipe, passed down through her generations, creates a classic dumpling that pairs beautifully with almost any meat dish and, of course, gravy.

I found this treasured recipe in my Mutti's handwritten cookbook filled with her German recipes, and I have prepared it countless times over the years. This page in her book with this recipe is so well-worn, showing just how much Mutti loved making these.

Why You'll love This Recipe

• Traditional & Authentic: This recipe brings the classic flavors of German cuisine right to your kitchen, just like Oma used to make.
• Versatile: Serve them with rich gravies, alongside sauerbraten, or even enjoy them with a buttery breadcrumb topping.
• Great for Special Occasions: Whether it’s a Sunday family dinner or a festive holiday meal, these dumplings make any meal feel extra special.
• Make-Ahead Friendly: Prepare them in advance and freeze for an easy side dish whenever you need it.

Top Tips For The best Results

1. Use high-starch potatoes, such as Russets. Yukon Gold potatoes will give dense dumplings.
2. Use a potato ricer. Mashing potatoes will give dense dumplings.
3. Chill the cooked and riced potatoes overnight for easier handling.
4. Add a pinch of nutmeg for a subtle flavor boost.

Here's How To Make Oma's Recipe

Cooking the potatoes in advance, either the day before or earlier on the day you plan to serve the dumplings, is essential. 

Cook the potatoes in their skins. Boil them until tender, and don’t peel them beforehand. A knife should slide easily to the center when they’re done.

Ideally, you'll want to have similarly sized potatoes so that they will cook evenly.

Once cooked, let them cool slightly before peeling.

Rice the still warm potatoes, and then for best results, place them in the refrigerator until cold or overnight.

The best way to Rice Potatoes

For the smoothest texture, use one of these tools:

• a food mill
• a potato ricer or press (my favorite)

Note: Do not use a mixer. It makes the potatoes gummy, resulting in sticky, gluey dumplings—not the texture we’re after! If all you have is an old-fashioned potato masher, it will work, but it will also give a denser dumpling.

Personally, I prefer to use the ricer. Note that if the potatoes cool down, they can be tougher to press through a ricer, so it’s best to do this while they are still warm.

For the BEST German dumplings, use a potato ricer—never just mash them!

Now, then, it's on to make the dumplings! 

But first you'll want to make the bread croutons.

How to Make croutons

The croutons add an extra layer of flavor and ensure a well-cooked dumpling. Here’s how to prepare them:

1. About 4 slices of day-old bread will do. Cut the bread into small cubes. 
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat until the butter melts.
3. Stir the cubes frequently so they brown evenly to a golden color. Let them cool before adding to the dumplings.

Once the croutons are ready, it's time to make the dumplings. Add the ingredients to the cold riced potatoes, either on the counter or in a large bowl.

You can use either potato starch, potato flour, or cornstarch. The potato starch is more traditional, but since it wasn't available for my Mutti, she subbed in the cornstarch, and it worked just fine. 

I can almost see a happy face here :)

Mix together with your hands until the dough holds together. Then divide the dough into portions and form the dumplings.

I like to use an ice cream scoop to measure out the dough. That way, the dumplings are similar sizes.

Using an ice cream scoop assures that all the dumplings will be a similar size, ensuring even cooking.

To keep the dumplings from sticking to your hands when you are forming them, you can either wet your hands with water, or dust your hands with flour. Either way works.

I prefer to wet my hands to keep the dumpling mixture from sticking and making it easier to form these dumplings.

Make sure you hide a couple of croutons in the middle. Push the croutons into the middle and then re-roll the dumpling to make sure the opening is totally closed.

Gently drop them into lightly salted, simmering water. They will sink to the bottom. As the water comes back to simmering, gently stir them so that they don't stick to the bottom.

Don't let the water boil. A very, very gentle simmer is all you want.

Very gently simmer the dumplings. It's said that they are ready once they rise to the surface of the water.

For me, they often rise to the top shortly after they start to simmer. I let them continue to simmer for about twenty minutes, to assure that they are cooked through.

Floating to the top normally means they are done. However, wait out the cooking time so that they are cooked through properly.

When they are finished, remove them from the pot and serve immediately.

Serving Suggestions For kartoffelknödel

Even though it is traditional to serve knödel with rouladen, they are just as delicious with sauerbraten or a tender roast pork.

Vegetable side dishes that go with these are rotkohl cabbage and sauerkraut. 

If there are any leftover dumplings, they can be sliced and fried in butter for a delicious next-day treat. Served plain or with leftover gravy, they are simply irresistible.

In the photo below, I’ve served the dumplings with some leftover Dicke Bohnen und Speck — a hearty dish of broad beans and bacon. (You can find this recipe in my book, German Meals at Oma's.)

I always make more dumplings than needed, just to have leftovers to fry the next day, here served with "Dicke Bohnen und Speck" — a hearty dish of broad beans and bacon. Mega lecker!

Why Add Croutons?

When you look at the photo above, you'll see that dark section in the middle of one of the slices. Those are croutons. These dumplings taste best with butter-fried bread croutons nestled in the middle, so don’t skip that step, even if you’re in a hurry.

There’s also a practical reason for including the croutons: they help ensure the center of the dumpling is fully cooked! Because there’s no raw dough in the center, the dumplings cook faster and more evenly. Once you make them, you’ll understand exactly what I mean.

A special memory: Halbseidene Klösse

Mutti had another recipe for kartoffelklöße called halbseidene klösse (half-silk dumplings) also called halb und halb (half and half), which combined boiled and raw potatoes.

It was her way of mimicking the more labor-intensive Thüringer klösse made from a raw grated potato dough, while making things a bit easier.

However, these "potato balls" (I find that a strange name that some people call these) recipe, that I've posted below, was her go-to recipe, especially as she got older and really appreciated being able to prepare parts of the recipe in advance.

That meant she’d cook the potatoes and rice them the day before, so she could quickly mix up the dumplings just before we came to visit. And, she’d always insist we come for dinner (how could we refuse?) since she enjoyed seeing us enjoy her food.

Kartoffelklöße and gravy. The perfect pairing. Add some meat and veggies. A dinner fit for royalty.

For me, it's most important that there is always LOTS OF GRAVY when serving kartoffelklöße. Rouladen gravy or flatladen gravy is best!

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Authentic German Potato Dumplings Recipe: Oma's Kartoffelknödel

These delicious German dumplings that use cooked potatoes are more than just a side dish. They are a piece of tradition, a comforting bite that brings back memories of siting around our family table. Give them a try, and you’ll understand why they are such a beloved part of my German cooking.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 3+ hours cook/cool potatoes + 55 minutes

Servings:

This will make 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• about 2¼ pounds (1.14 kilograms) starchy potatoes, cooked in their skins
• 4 slices day-old bread (see below)
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter
• about 1⅓ cups (203 grams) potato starch or cornstarch (see below)
• 2 large eggs
• 3 teaspoons (18 grams) salt, divided

Instructions:

1. The day before or several hours before making the dumplings, cook the potatoes (in their skins) in a large pot of water until fork-tender. Cool slightly and peel. Rice the potatoes. Let them become totally cold, cover, and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
2. Make croutons by cutting bread into small cubes.
3. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the cubes and fry, stirring frequently, until golden brown on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. To make the dumpling dough, in a large bowl, mix the potatoes that have been riced, 1 cup of starch, eggs, and 1 teaspoon salt into a smooth dough that holds together when formed into dumplings. If the mixture is too moist, add a bit more starch as needed.
5. Divide into 12 to 14 dumplings, about the size of a tennis ball. Taking one ball, press a few croutons into the middle of the dumpling, then roll until smooth. Use floured or wet hands if necessary. Repeat with all the dumplings.
6. Bring a wide pot of water to which you've added 2 teaspoons salt to a gentle simmer, then carefully drop in the potato balls and let them cook on a low simmer. They will sink at first, then rise as they cook. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and serve immediately.

Notes/Hints:

• The first time you make this dumpling recipe, it's wise to make a test dumpling.  That way you'll be sure it holds together before cooking the rest. Adjust with more starch or liquid if needed.
• If you're making this gluten-free, use GF bread for the croutons. Check that the cornstarch is GF if you're using it.
• This popular side dish is amazing with mushroom gravy, or onion gravy.
• There are different German potato dumpling recipes. Try Mutti's thüringer klösse ... these delicious dumplings are made with raw potatoes and SO good!
• Another quite different dumpling recipe to make are dumplings made with bread.

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | justlikeoma.com 

01.17.2025 revision update

German Potato Dumplings FAQ

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.