Homemade German egg noodles are the perfect side dish for all kinds of recipes. Plus, spaetzles are made in under 10 minutes with just 3 basic ingredients.

German spaetzle noodles can be served with just butter and salt or tossed with your favorite sauces and gravies for a versatile side dish your whole family will love.

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I love the way food can connect us to places far away. My husband and I both come from German heritage, and I regularly make dishes that connect us with our roots.

Spaetzle is a traditional food from southern Germany and is also popular in Switzerland and Hungary.

My husband grew up in Cincinnati, which historically was heavily influenced by German culture, as it became a center for German immigrants in the 1830s.

This German dumplings recipe is adapted from one I found in a Cincinnati church cookbook that belonged to my husband’s late grandmother.

Spaetzle is translated to mean “little sparrows,” which is reflected in the rustic shape of the noodles. These aren’t flat dumplings like you’d find in my Copycat Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings; they’re “drop noodles” that take an irregular free-form shape when added to boiling water.

You can serve spaetzles with German sauerbraten, Instant Pot Beef Stew, or Instant Pot Swiss Steak.

You can also eat homemade spaetzle pasta as a plain side dish with butter, salt, and pepper, or add a cheese sauce.

No matter how you serve them, these noodles are easy to make and disappear fast!

Cutting German Spaetzle Noodles

Many people avoid learning to make homemade pasta because they believe it’s challenging to make or requires special equipment.

German egg noodles are a great beginner pasta because they aren’t fussy, the recipe is simple, and their rustic form is part of their appeal.

Of course, you can buy a special tool for making more uniform spaetzles, but it’s totally not necessary. I assure you, your Oma wasn’t using a fancy tool back in the old country.

She was likely using a cutting board and a knife, just like I do.

How to Make Spaetzle Noodles

It’s really easy to make German Egg Noodles–all you need is a few staple ingredients.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

• All-purpose Flour
• Ice Water
• Eggs
• Butter, for serving
• Salt and Pepper

How to Make It:

(Full printable recipe is available below)

Boil the water. First, you’ll bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Make the dough. Next, you’ll add flour to a medium mixing bowl, followed by the ice water. Add eggs to the center of the flour.

Use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix together until a wet, sticky dough forms.

Cut the noodles. Then, you’ll place the dough on a wet cutting board (smooth-edged is best) or plate, as close to the edge of the board as possible. Holding the cutting board over the boiling water, use a knife to cut off small segments of dough, roughly the width of a pencil, allowing them to drop into the boiling water.

Boil the noodles. Then you’ll boil the noodles until they float on the surface. Skim them out of the water with a slotted spoon.

Serve. Last, you’ll coat the noodles with melted butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with herbs if you’d like, or top with a sauce or gravy if desired.

Notes and Adaptations:

• Spaetzle noodles aren’t flat or perfectly shaped. They’re “drop noodles,” which are rustic and irregular in appearance. So don’t stress about what they look like as you’re cutting the dough into the water.