German Potato Dumplings Recipe: Oma's Kartoffelklöße (Kartoffelknödel)

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

German potato dumplings, or kartoffelklöße (also known as 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 German cookbook filled with her German recipes, and I have prepared it countless times over the years. Each time, it always brings me back to sitting at a wonderfully laden table with favorites like rouladen and rotkohl (red cabbage). The page in her book with this recipe is so well-worn, showing just how much Mutti loved making these.

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!

Even though it is traditional to serve these with rouladen, they are just as delicious with sauerbraten or a tender pork roast. If there are any leftover dumplings, they can be sliced and fried in melted 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.)

If you love leftovers as much as I do, consider making a double batch of kartoffelklöße so you can enjoy them fried the next day.

OH, MY! Doesn't this look delish? I always set out to make more potato dumplings than needed, just to have leftovers in order to fry them up the next day.

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.

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What are the best potatoes to use for dumplings?

The best potatoes for making kartoffelklöße are:

• Russet potatoes: These starchy baking potatoes are a solid choice.
• Yukon Gold potatoes (my favorite): An all-purpose potato that gives the dumplings a perfect balance of texture.

How to make classic German potato dumplings from scratch

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.

Once cooked, let them cool slightly before peeling.

Rice or mash the still warm potatoes. For best results, place the riced or mashed potatoes in the refrigerator until cold or overnight.

The best way to make riced or mashed potatoes

For the smoothest texture, use one of these tools:

• A food mill
• An old-fashioned potato masher
• A potato ricer or press (my favorite)

Note: Do not use a mixer. It tends to make the potatoes gummy, resulting in sticky, gluey dumplings—not the texture we’re after!

Personally, I prefer to use a potato 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.

Now, then, it's on to make the potato 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 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. 

Potato starch vs potato flour

Both of these can be used in making potato dumplings. Each has their proponents and with reasons why they use it. Since I grew up with Mutti using cornstarch, that's what I usually use as well. Since its properties are similar to potato starch, that's what I'd substitute it with.

Here's a table of the differences to help you decide which to use. 

Potato Starch

• Extracted only from the starch of potatoes, so it’s pure starch.
• Fine, white, and powdery with a silky texture.
• Has a neutral flavor with no potato taste.
• Used as a thickener in soups, sauces, and stews; adds crispiness in frying.
• Low water absorption, so it doesn’t add moisture.

Potato Flour

• Made from whole, dried potatoes; includes fiber, protein, and flavor.
• Off-white, heavier, and more grainy.
• Distinct potato flavor.
• Ideal for gluten-free baking, providing structure and flavor; binds moisture well.
• High water absorption, making baked goods denser and moister.

Continuing with the recipe, add to the riced potatoes, the starch, eggs, and salt. You can just do this on the counter, as I did, or in a big bowl. 

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.

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

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.

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 the 15 to 20 minutes, in order to assure that they are cooked through.

When they are finished, remove them with a slotted spoon and serve immediately.

How to keep your potato dumplings from falling apart:

Test cook one dumpling to make sure it stays together, before you cook the rest. If it doesn't, you'll need to add a bit extra starch or liquid, depending on how sticky or dry your potato dough is.

By the way, that 'test' dumpling is a great treat to nibble on while you cook the rest of the dumplings. One of the advantages of being the cook!

Potato Dumplings and gravy. The perfect pairing. Add some meat and veggies. A dinner fit for royaly.

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

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 mixture, 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.

Ready to make this German potato dumpling recipe?

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German Potato Dumplings Recipe: Oma's Kartoffelklöße (Kartoffelknödel)

These delicious potato 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 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
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter
• about 1⅓ cups (203 grams) potato starch or cornstarch
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt

Instructions:

1. The day before or several hours before making the dumplings, in a large pot of boiling water, cook the potatoes (in their skins) until fork-tender. Cool slightly and peel. Rice the potatoes (or mash if you don't have a ricer). 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 bread 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 riced potatoes, 1 cup of potato starch, eggs, and 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. Gently drop the potato balls into a wide pot of salted water, simmering gently. 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 German potato dumplings 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.
• This popular side dish is amazing with creamy mushroom sauce, 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 dumplings recipe to make are German bread dumplings.

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10.28.2024 revision update

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German Potato Dumplings Recipe: Oma's Kartoffelklöße (Kartoffelknödel)



By Oma Gerhild Fulson





German potato dumplings, or Kartoffelklöße, are a classic side dish. Learn how to make my Mutti’s authentic, traditional, and delicious, yet easy recipe!


Ingredients: potatoes, bread, butter, potato starch, eggs, salt,

For the full recipe, scroll up ...

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More about me >

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.