35 German Favorites for an Oktoberfest Feast at Home

Enjoy some of Germany’s most beloved recipes. Best of all you don’t even need to get a passport. All of these recipes are mad with ingredients you can find at your local American grocery store.

And while we don’t cover every single recipe, we think we’ve got plenty of recipes that will bring a taste of Oktoberfest and Germany to your home. We chose a easy recipes that range from classic Spaetzle, Sauerbraten, to one of Germany’s favorite fairground foods – Currywurst. We also got some easy Germany desserts, classic sides, and of course classic dinner recipes.

So we feel that if you can’t make it to Germany for Oktoberfest we have you covered.

German Potato Pancakes

German Potato Pancake recipe by Cheerful Cook. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

Classic German Potato Pancakes (German: Kartoffelpuffer/Reibekuchen) are made from freshly grated potatoes fried to golden brown perfection. Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside.

Get the Recipe: German Potato Pancakes

Oma’s German Cucumber Salad

This tangy and sweet German Cucumber Salad is a delicious side salad that takes only minutes to make.

Get the Recipe: Oma’s German Cucumber Salad

Bee Sting Cake

Bee Sting Cake is a tried and true German dessert cake recipe. It’s a light, airy cake with rich vanilla cream filling and crunchy almond topping.

Get the Recipe: Bee Sting Cake

German Butter Cake

Butterkuchen recipe by Cheerful Cook. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

Butterkuchen (German butter cake) is a timeless, old-fashioned dessert. This German cake is made with a rich blend of milk, sugar, yeast, eggs, and flour.

Get the Recipe: German Buttercake (Butterkuchen)

Warm German Potato Salad

This authentic warm German Potato Salad recipe showcases perfectly tender sliced potatoes drizzled with a smoky, sweet, tangy bacon dressing and lots of crispy bacon.

Get the Recipe: Warm German Potato Salad

Classic German Currywurst

German Currywurst recipe by Cheerful Cook. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

Currywurst is a simple, flavorful dish that brings a lot of warmth and comfort to the table. With its tangy sauce and savory sausages, it’s an easy go-to meal that doesn’t require much effort but delivers big on taste.

Get the Recipe: Classic German Currywurst

Creamy German Cucumber Salad

This creamy Cucumber Salad is based on a classic German recipe. It’s made with crispy cucumbers and a fresh herb dressing.

Get the Recipe: Creamy German Cucumber Salad

German Crumb Cake

A slice of German Crumb Cake (Streuselkuchen) is the perfect afternoon snack. The cake has a light, airy texture with just enough sweetness and crunch from the jam, crumble, and almonds!

Get the Recipe: German Crumb Cake

German Fried Bacon Cabbage Noodles – Krautfleckerl

Fried Cabbage Noodle recipe by Cheerful Cook. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

Experience the warmth and comfort of a traditional German dish with this delicious fried cabbage and noodle recipe: crispy bacon, savory ham, caramelized cabbage and onions, tender pasta, and a hint of nutty Parmesan cheese.

Get the Recipe: German Fried Bacon Cabbage Noodles – Krautfleckerl

German Bread & Bacon Dumpling (Speckknödel)

German Bread and Bacon Knoedel (German Speckknödel). — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

‘Knödel’ are German bread and bacon dumplings. They are tender, savory, and incredibly delicious, making a perfect and filling side dish. And the recipe is easier than the pronunciation.

Get the Recipe: German Bread and Bacon Dumpling – Speckknödel

Authentic German Spaezle (Spätzle)

German Spaetzle (Spätzle) recipe by Cheerful Cook. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

Spaetzle (German: Spätzle) is an easy, hearty egg noodle dish that goes beautifully with classic German recipes such as Rouladen and Cucumber Salad.

Get the Recipe: Spaetzle

German Hunter-Schnitzel (Jägerschnitzel)

German Schnitzel with Mushroom Gravy by Cheerful Cook. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

Hunter’s Schnitzel (Jägerschnitzel) is a classic German recipe made with perfectly fried golden brown breaded pork cutlets topped with rich mushroom gravy!

Get the Recipe: Jägerschnitzel

German Potato Soup

This homemade creamy German Potato Soup (German: Kartoffelsuppe mit Wiener Würstchen) will warm you from the inside out!

Get the Recipe: German Potato Soup

Frikadellen

German Frikadellen are delicious pan-fried meatballs made with ground beef, onions, and seasonings. They are perfect for a quick and tasty meal.

Get the Recipe: Frikadellen

German Apple Cake

Our traditional German Apple Cake (Apfelkuchen) with streusel topping is a dessert classic you’ll find all over Germany. And you don’t even have to travel further than your kitchen because you can make this delicious dessert at home.

Get the Recipe: German Apple Cake

German Cherry Crumb Cake – Kirschstreusel

German Cherry Crumb Cake recipe by Cheerful Cook. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

This German Cherry Coffee Cake recipe is based on the classic German dessert – Kirschstreusel. It is a moist and tender, easy coffee cake with cherries.

Get the Recipe: Cherry Coffee Cake

German Flatbread Pizza with Onion and Bacon – Flammkuchen

A pizza with bacon and onions on a cutting board. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

Flammkuchen is a foolproof German flatbread pizza ready in only 30 minutes. The base of a Flammkuchen (flame cake) is wafer-thin dough. And the secret to this recipe is that we use puff pastry to create the dough!

Get the Recipe: German Flatbread Pizza with Onion and Bacon -Flammkuchen

German Ham And Egg Noodle Casserole

German Ham & Noodle Casserole by Cheerful Cook. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

We love this quick and easy Ham and Noodle Casserole. Tender pasta, topped with a simple egg and cream sauce and finished with Swiss cheese.

Get the Recipe: German Ham And Egg Noodle Casserole (Nudelauflauf)

Old-Fashioned German Raisin Bread

Irish raisin bread with butter on a white plate. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

Indulge in the inviting aroma of homemade Raisin Bread – warm, fluffy, and tender. This treat is easy to make using a few simple ingredients!

Get the Recipe: Old-Fashioned German Raisin Bread

Potato Dumplings

Classic German Potato Dumplings are one of Germany’s most popular comfort foods. Tender potatoes are combined with egg yolk, butter, and a hint of nutmeg.

Get the Recipe: Potato Dumplings

German Cheesecake

Our traditional German Cheesecake (Käsekuchen) has a crunchy crust, a rich, creamy filling full of sweet and tangy flavors, and a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Get the Recipe: German Cheesecake

Cheese Spaetzle (Käsespätzle)

You can think of Cheese Spaetzle (Käsespätzle recipe) as German Mac and Cheese. Tender homemade egg noodles are cooked to perfection in a deliciously cheesy cream sauce.

Get the Recipe: Cheese Spaetzle

German Chicken Schnitzel

Chicken Schnitzel is an easy twist on a classic German Schnitzel recipe. It’s got crispy on the outside and juicy chicken on the inside.

Get the Recipe: German Chicken Schnitzel

German Apple Pancakes (Apfelpfannkuchen)

German Apple Pancake recipe by Cheerful Cook. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

This classic German recipe has all the essentials – eggs, milk, flour, apples, and a dash of cinnamon. So get ready for a fantastic meal!

Get the Recipe: Apple Pancakes

German Strawberry Torte

A slice of strawberry cheesecake on a fork. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

Strawberry Torte is a delicious, classic German sponge cake with a creamy pudding layer and topped with glazed strawberries.

Get the Recipe: German Strawberry Torte

German Cherry Bundt Cake

This Cherry Pound Cake is simple to make, elegant to serve, and deliciously buttery, moist, and melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
Get the Recipe: German Cherry Bundt Cake

German Beef Rouladen

To make these mouthwatering German Rouladen, fill a thinly sliced steak with mustard, bacon, onion, and pickles. Braise in a red wine sauce until they are tender and irresistibly delicious.

Get the Recipe: Rouladen

German Tomato Salad

Tomato Salad recipe by Cheerful Cook. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

This refreshing German tomato salad is made with fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, and red onions and tossed in a sweet, tangy dressing.

Get the Recipe: German Tomato Salad

Sauerbraten (German Pot Roast)

Authentic German Sauerbraten recipe from my grandfather’s kitchen, make this braised chuck roast on the stove, in the oven or in the crock pot!

Get the Recipe: Sauerbraten (German Pot Roast)

German Onion Pie With Bacon

Onion Pie recipe by Cheerful Cook. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

Onion Pie is a traditional German dish. Made with an easy yeast dough that’s loaded with a mouthwatering onion, bacon, egg, and cheese!

Get the Recipe: German Onion Pie With Bacon (Zwiebelkuchen)

German Red Cabbage

Rotkohl, or Red Cabbage, is one of the most popular German side dishes. Beautiful purple-red cabbage is cooked till perfectly tender. This simple side dish perfectly balances savory, sweet, and sour.

Get the Recipe: German Red Cabbage

German Lemon Sponge Cake

German Glazed Lemon Sheet Cake recipe by Cheerful Cook. — Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

Light and airy, sweet and moist this lemon-infused and glazed German Sponge Cake is incredibly delicious and also easy to make.

Get the Recipe: German Lemon Sponge Cake

German Kassler Chops With Sauerkraut & Creamy Horseradish Sauce

German Kasseler chops with sauerkraut is a traditional Oktoberfest recipe, but I love to make this family favorite all year long. Kasseler is a salted and lightly smoked pork loin chop that is flavorful, very tender, and simple to prepare.

Get the Recipe: German Kassler Chops With Sauerkraut & Creamy Horseradish Sauce