We’ve gathered together all our favorite authentic German recipes, sorted them into topical collections for easy reference, and listed them alphabetically below by type of food and special meal occasions — from Abendbrot (evening bread with cold cuts and vegetables) to Wintersuppen (winter warming soups).
You’ll find recipes that celebrate every season and seasonal ingredient, from spring’s asparagus and ramps, to summer’s berries and barbecue, and fall’s bountiful harvest. In addition, special meal occasions are represented, from weeknight family dinners and easy entertaining to the Thanksgiving feast.
Note that you can also access our recipes by type of dish or course — such as Appetizers, Sides, Soups or Salads. Or go straight to the Holiday Recipes or Chef’s Recipes, if that’s your interest. We hope you enjoy browsing all our recipe collections… and Guten Appetit!
Asparagus
Spargelzeit!
Celebrate the season of fresh spring asparagus with these authentic German asparagus Spargelzeit recipes.
Bountiful Berries
Cherry & Berry Recipes
Celebrating nature’s abundance of berries in the summer months is a must! Colorful and delicious recipes await.
Strawberry & Rhubarb Recipes
This combination cannot be beat. Some of these recipes are great to serve with tea or coffee for an afternoon treat.
Breads
Abendbrot
Literally translated, the word Abendbrot means “evening bread,” yet the term implies more than eating bread in the evening — it’s a simple evening meal in which family comes together and shares the day’s news around the table.
Sophisticated Summer Sandwiches
One of the many joys of Summer is picnicking outdoors whether at home on your patio, deck or in the garden or at a lake, outdoor concert or the beach. For a more sophisticated picnic, try some of these delicious sandwich recipes using a selection of German cheeses, and learn more about the variety of German cheeses and breads available in the US.
Breakfast & Brunch
Breakfast Dishes
Whether you’re craving something sweet or savory, an abundance of recipes await.
German-Inspired Brunch
Whether you’re celebrating a college or high school graduation, Mother’s Day, a bridal shower or just enjoying a beautiful spring day, these unique German-inspired brunch recipes will wow your guests and make your special occasion a day to remember.
Christmas Celebrations
Authentic German Christmas Recipes
In this Recipe Collection you will find the scrumptious fare that Germans typically enjoy on Christmas Eve.
Christmas & Holiday Baking
The holiday season brings about closeness in families–some even baking together! Here are some recipes that can bring people together.
German Christmas Cookies
When Christmas season comes around, Plätzchen (cookies) come in all shapes and sizes. From nutty to sweet, these cookies bring back memories of Oma’s baking.
Cook Like A Chef
German Chef’s Recipes
Chef’s from all over Germany have put together some of their favorite recipes. From simple to gastronomical, creativity abounds.
Drinks
Bright Summer Coolers
After a hard day at work, coming home to bright and refreshing summer coolers can change your mood instantly.
Easter
Easter Cakes
If you’re looking to make a special treat to cap off the Easter meal — or for sharing with coffee later in the afternoon — this is the page for you. The German cakes below are all spectacular in their own way.
German Easter Recipes
In Germany, as in other countries, the Easter season is marked by traditional dishes, cakes and confectionery. Here’s a collection of recipes for each of the most important days of Easter week, namely Maundy Thursday (Gründonnerstag), Good Friday (Karfreitag) and Easter Sunday (Ostersonntag).
Fall Vegetables
Pumpkin and Squash Recipes
A selection of recipes that celebrate pumpkin and other squash in recipes that range from Appetizers to Soups, and Side Dishes to Mains.
Family Meals
Easy Meals for Busy Mom & Dads
Are you worn out after a busy work day and too tired to prepare a five course meal for your loved ones? Here are some fast and easy, not to mention tasty, meals for the whole family.
For Kids
In today’s fast-paced world, it can be an especially rewarding experience when your family manages to carve out some time for a simple dinner — share the fun of making these simple, tasty recipes with your kids.
Homemade Ice Cream
There are two things that could make a hot sunny day better. A scoop of homemade ice cream in a homemade waffle cone. Browse the fresh flavors we have compiled to make a sweet treat for a beautiful summer’s day. We all scream for ice cream!
One-Pot Wonders
One pot dishes are usually quite simple and fun to prepare and provide great nourishment for the body and comfort to the mind. From a nutritional standpoint, most soups and stews have a balance of protein (meat) and healthy carbohydrates (potatoes, pasta), vitamins (vegetables) and minerals (stock/broth) that’s hard to beat.
Summer Picnic
Nothing captures the essence of summer quite like a great outdoor picnic. Whether you are enjoying a day at the beach, in the mountains, at a park or at your favorite spot in the countryside, we have put together a collection of delicious light snacks which would make great additions to any picnic basket.
Recipes from German Brands
Brandt
Whether paired with fruit or cheese or eggs or fish, Brandt Zwieback toasts are a great short-cut to many family-pleasing recipes!
Hela
This brand is commonly used in Germany as a condiment, ranging in flavors from curry to ketchup.
Hengstenberg
Founded in 1876, Hengstenberg has long been making high quality products such as pickles and sauerkraut.
Kölln Oats
Extend your enjoyment of super quality oat products with these recipes from Kölln, a 200 year old company that’s Germany’s best known brand of oats.
Manner
Manner wafers are delicious just as they are, but they can also lend their light and crispy creme filled goodness to these baked goods and desserts.
Meica
Many say that great sausages are bested enjoyed simply, but these recipes from Meica offer great ideas to add to your portfolio of sausage meals.
Mestemacher
A selection of snack sandwiches built on the foundation of Mestemacher whole grain breads. Many of these recipes could quickly adapt into party appetizers.
Niederegger
The maker of some of the finest marzipan and sweets in Lübeck, Germany.
Party Food
Food for Friends
Perhaps it’s an annual family reunion, a neighborhood picnic or a bunch of long-time buddies catching up. Why not make the occasion special with authentic German recipes?
BBQ
What would a barbecue be without a great sausage hot dog topped with sauerkraut and mustard accompanied by potato salad and pickles and washed down with a refreshing glass of beer? All these “American” foods and beverages have traditions in German culture.
Beer Garden
If you’re yearning for a German beer garden experience but don’t live close to one or are stuck at home, don’t despair. We have plenty of recipes for you to create your own beer-buzz Gemütlichkeit for your friends and family right in your back yard.
Dumplings
Traditionally served with dishes like rouladen and sauerbraten, dumplings soak up the rich sauces that accompany many hearty German entrees. Some of the most popular dumplings are made of potato; they can include meat or not, and paired with fruit or custard sauces they can also be offered for dessert. Whether savory or sweet, you’ll want to add a few of these authentic German recipes to your kitchen repertoire.
Kaffee und Kuchen
In Germany it is typical to enjoy Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake) in the afternoon with friends and family.
Oktoberfest Party
Even if you can’t travel to Munich or join in a local celebration, you can stage your own Oktoberfest party at home! With such a variety of imported German foods and beverages available in the US, it’s not difficult to offer your guests a genuine “Oktoberfest Experience.”
Party Canapes (Party-Häppchen)
Tasty hors d’oeuvres are wonderful to have for any small or large get-together.
Simple Comfort Food
When the weather gets cold outside its a lovely idea to host a small winter gathering, while serving simple, yet delectable comfort food.
Spaetzle
While it is enjoyed in Austria, Switzerland (knoepfle), Hungary (nokedli), and other parts of Eastern Europe, spaetzle’s roots are in southeastern Germany, in the region of Swabia, which includes the state of Baden-Württemberg and part of the state of Bavaria. “Dressed up” in a sophisticated dish or “dressed down” in a casserole, spaetzle dishes are ideal for a crowd.
Turkey & Goose
Sophisticated turkey and goose recipes that can be used for a friendly dinner party!
Winter Warming Soups
Soup can be an elegant, light appetizer to whet your appetite or it can be a substantial meal that satisfies your hunger. The Germans are great soup makers and find many opportunities to serve hot, steaming bowls of homemade soups. Vegetables, meat broths, sliced cold meats, sausages and creamy cheese, even sauerkraut and fruits can all form the basis of a good German soup. Germans have a wonderful variety of accompaniments for soup – dumplings, pancakes shreds, noodles, croutons and toast.
Springtime Recipes
Herring & Mackerel
Make the most of smoked mackerel and herring with the recipes below. Both fish offer great nutritional benefits and tasty flavors to add to your recipe repertoire.
Spring Salads
Fresh greens and veggies combined with German pantry staples create salads which are satisfying and nutritious enough to make a great light lunch or dinner. Our fresh interpretations breathe new life into beloved classics like potato and kraut salad.
Thanksgiving
German Thanksgiving
Many German dishes are a natural fit with the Thanksgiving meal, particularly those traditional to harvest season. So, if yours is one of those families whose Thanksgiving tradition allows a little play in the menu, try slipping one or two of these German favorites into the spread.
Sides with a German Flair
If you want to take a break from green bean casserole at Thanksgiving and try something, well…, schnockered, then we suggest a few unique side dishes like Tipsy Plum or Cassis Cured Red Cabbage.
Valentine’s Day
Chocolate Lovers
Let’s cut to the chase: when it comes to dessert, for some people only chocolate will do! The following recipes all call above that classic ingredient.
German Valentine’s Day
Browse from a collection of chocolate, waffle, and dinner recipes.
Sweet Indulgence
For the shortest and coldest month of the year (at least in our latitudes), we’ve put together a collection of delightful German sweet comforts sure to keep you and your guests happy. Make one or two of these recipes as a special treat for that special person in your life on Valentine’s Day or for a crazy carnival crowd.
Vegetables
Potatoes
German cuisine is rich with potato dishes, which often appear as accompaniments to roast meats and stews. In some of the recipes below, the the earthy über tuber has the starring role.
Red & Green Cabbage
Main dishes and appetizers that incorporate red or green cabbage.
Sauerkraut Spaetzle
Beloved in Biergartens, festivals, and in German homes, dishes made with the combination of spaetzle and sauerkraut tend to be comforting, harmonious — and just plain tasty. Krautspaetzle can be seasoned with juniper berries (or caraway, according to local tradition) and flavored with onions, bacon or speck.
Vegan and Vegetarian Favorites
The lifestyles of vegetarianism and veganism have been growing in recent years. Despite the stereotypical view of a potato- and meat-loving Germany, many Germans are embracing the vegetarian menu. No matter what cuisine you enjoy, these recipes are for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike!
Wild Garlic Recipes
If you’re not already familiar with Wild Garlic and its relatives, also called ramps or rampson or wild leek (or in German Bärlauch), these recipes offer several ways to get to know the tasty springtime green.
