Easy Fried Donuts | German Pfannkuchen
German Pfannkuchen are fried donuts with a light dusting of powdered sugar. Less sweet than an American donut, but just as delicious! Make this recipe as part of your holiday traditions.
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Germans love their Pfannkuchen. People get them at Christmas markets in triangular paper bags. Serving them on New Year’s Eve is supposed to bring you good luck in the new year. And bakeries are brimming with the larger, round version around the German carnival.
If you aren’t familiar with the name of this German donut recipe, it might be because it has different names. Depending on the region, they are also known as Schmalzgebäck, Schmalzkuchen, Berliner donut (although NOT in Berlin), Mutzen, Krapfen, and others.
What makes this fried donut recipe special
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you will need:
- milk: Makes the dough light and airy. Most of the time, I use raw milk. Plant-based milk products work really well in this recipe, too.
- butter: Salted or unsalted butter brings out the flavor of any dish. You can even use homemade butter! The recipe also works with coconut oil or a plant-based butter substitute.
- quick-rise yeast: Also known as instant yeast, this leavener doesn’t require blooming before using it.
- granulated white sugar: I use organic granulated cane sugar. Feel free to adjust the sweetness of the fried donuts by decreasing or slightly increasing the amount of sugar.
- vanilla sugar: Using vanilla sugar instead of vanilla extract gives the best flavor to the dough. You can buy it, but I always have a jar or two of homemade vanilla sugar in my kitchen. If you don’t have that, you can use vanilla extract, but use a tad bit less milk.
- salt: did you know that a little bit of salt always brings out the sweetness of any recipe?
- egg: the egg in this recipe gives it more structure and “backbone”.
- frying oil: Lard is the distinct, original fat in which you’ll fry the little pastries in. I often use rendered goose fat, but lard is more traditional. Of course, corn oil, peanut oil, or any other frying oil will work.
Variations of Pfannkuchen
Create different shapes. The traditional shape for this Christmas market classic is little squares. However, you can make triangles, little balls, free-form pastries, or even large, round fried donuts. The latter can be filled with jam, jelly, or custard of your choice. I think elderberry jam is a delicious choice for filled donuts!
How to make the fried donuts
- Make the yeast dough. Combine warm milk, butter, flour, instant yeast, sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, and an egg in a mixing bowl.
- Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes. Use a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, a handheld mixer, or your hands knead the dough for at least 5 minutes.
- Let the dough rise for about 30 minutes to an hour, until it has nearly doubled in size.
- Roll out and cut the dough into triangles, squares, or any shape you like.
- Heat the frying oil to about 325˚F.
- In small batches, fry the squares until golden brown on both sides.
- Cool slightly, then dust liberally with powdered sugar.
- Enjoy your Pfannkuchen while they are slightly warm and fresh.
Notes
Anja’s notes for success
- If you’re making fried donuts for the first time, be sure to use a digital thermometer to measure the temperature of the frying oil.
- If you will be frying multiple batches, keep in mind that the temperature of the oil will decrease with each batch. It’s best to let the oil come back to 350°F. before frying another batch.
- After kneading the dough, if it seems too wet, mix in a tablespoon of flour at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl.
- Don’t be shy with the powdered sugar! Because the Pfannkuchen will be warm, the powdered sugar will begin to melt, so you’ll want to use a lot to create a nice, thick layer.
While these tiny German pastries will keep for a day or two after frying (if you can keep yourself from eating them before that!), they do taste best when they are fresh and hot.
However, you can prepare the dough and freeze it for later use.
Useful tools and equipment
Given that people in Germany have been making variations of this recipe since the 16th century (source), you can certainly make the recipe without any special equipment. Living in modern times, though, I like to use tools that save me time.
- electric mixer: I like to use my KitchenAid stand mixer fitted with the dough hook to knead the dough. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a handheld mixer or your hands.
- rolling pin: This helps with rolling out the dough to a uniform thickness. For a rustic, homemade look, you can absolutely stretch the dough by hand.
- slotted spoon: I use a slotted spoon to remove the fried donuts from the oil.
- a sharp knife or pizza wheel: You’ll need something sharp to cut the dough into triangle shapes. I like to use my German carbon knife.
- digital cooking thermometer: For the best results, the frying oil should be heated to 325˚F. The best way to determine that is by using an instant-read digital cooking thermometer or a candy thermometer.
- cooling rack: When it’s time to cool them, I place the Pfannkuchen on a wire cooling rack covered with paper towels. This helps to absorb the excess frying oil.
Other holiday recipes you might like
German Apple Fritters | Apfelküchle
Authentic German Cinnamon Star Cookies
German Fried Donuts | Pfannkuchen
Ingredients
- 5 oz milk warmed to about 112℉ (44℃)
- 3 ½ TBSP butter
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 3 TBSP sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 whole egg
- 1 quart lard or other frying oil
Instructions
- Using a medium mixing bowl and electric hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), combine the very warm milk, butter, flour, yeast, sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, and the egg.
- Either using the stand mixer with the dough hook attached, a handheld mixer, or your hands, knead the dough for at least 5 minutes.
- If the dough is too wet, mix in 1 tablespoon flour at a time until you have a uniform dough that does not stick to the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let the dough rise for 30-60 minutes, until visibly increased in size.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough. With a knife or pizza wheel, cut out squares or any shape you like.
- In a large frying pot, heat about 1 quart of lard to about 325˚F.
- In small batches, fry the the squares until golden-brown on both sides.
- With a slotted spoon, transfer the fried donuts to a cooling rack covered with paper towels.
- Dust liberally with powdered sugar and enjoy while they are fresh and hot.
Notes
- These taste best when enjoyed fresh but if stored in an airtight container, they will last for a few days at room temperature.
- Pfannkuchen is a sweet breakfast treat, but less sweet than American donuts. A liberal dusting of powdered sugar is traditional.
Good day Anya. I am wondering if you have ever converted this recipe using your sourdough starter?
I haven’t but I am working on a post on how to convert any recipe to sourdough so stay tuned for that ~ Anja
That is a wonderful idea!
These look so delicious! I am going to try making them gluten free for my family with buckwheat!!
Wow! My kids would love these! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
They are great for kids (both making and eating). If you make them, let me know how they turned out ~ Anja
This is a versatile recipe! I could see this being a great breakfast, dessert, or snack. Thanks for sharing!
Yes! You can make them bigger and fill them with jam, too! So glad you like this recipe ~ Anja
Oooo these look mouth watering 🤤
Thank you! They are 🙂 Anja