Spritzkuchen (German Crullers)

A recipe for Spritzkuchen (German Crullers)! Piped circled of dough are fried until light and golden, then coated in a sweet glaze.

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Spritzkuchen (Eberswalder Spritzkuchen, Spritzring) are German Crullers popular during the Karneval season, other festivals, or simply as an afternoon snack alongside coffee or tea. They originated in Eberswalde, a town northeast of Berlin near the Polish border, in 1832.

The base is made from a choux pastry dough (no yeast or rising times!), then piped into delicate circles and fried until golden. They are finally topped with a thin sweet glaze before serving.

A Few Tips

Cut out as many squares of parchment to prepare as you want. I only used 4 since I wasn’t frying more than 2-3 Spritzkuchen at a time.

The light and airy texture is created with the pâte à choux base. Water (some recipes use milk) and butter are heated on the stove with vanilla sugar and salt until the butter has melted and sugar/salt has dissolved.

The pan is removed from heat and the flour is whisked in the form a thick paste with no lumps, then the mixture is cooked briefly until it starts to pull away from the sides and bottom of the pan.

Take care not to overheat the dough or the mixture will start to separate.

After cooling slightly, but still warm, the eggs are beaten in along with baking powder to form a creamy yet stiff glossy dough. It should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped into rings on the prepared parchment.

The baking powder is optional, but helps add some rise and lightness.

I tried a couple of different tips for piping. A larger star-shaped tip works best. For these photos, I used an #855 deep closed star piping tip (Amazon link).

Adjust the oil between medium and medium low as needed to create a golden crispy exterior while also giving the center a chance to cook.

I blended lemon juice into the powdered sugar for the glaze, but you can also use rum or water. It should be thin enough to lightly coat the Spritzkuchen.

Notable Ingredients

Vanilla sugar is optional, but adds a wonderful light vanilla flavor. You can buy small packets of vanilla sugar in the European section of many larger supermarkets, but it is easy to make at home. Scrape out the seeds of one vanilla bean and mix well with 2 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar. Store in an airtight container with the scraped out vanilla beans.

If the vanilla sugar is not available, simply add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar to the water and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract as you beat in the eggs.

Looking for more German recipes?

Try my:

• Currywurst (German Bratwurst with Curry Ketchup)
• Flädlesuppe (German Crepe Soup)
• Schupfnudeln (German Potato Noodles)

This recipe was originally posted in February 2015. It has been updated in February 2022 with new photos and the addition of vanilla sugar and baking powder to the ingredient list.

Spritzkuchen (German Crullers) Recipe

Adapted from Backen mit Spass

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5 from 1 vote

Spritzkuchen (German Crullers)

A recipe for Spritzkuchen (German Crullers)! Piped circled of dough are fried until golden, then coated in a sweet glaze. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Keyword doughnut, fried, German, Germany, Karneval, Mardi Gras, pastries, pastry

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

0 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 12 -14 Crullers

Ingredients

Doughnuts:

• Vegetable oil for coating parchment and frying the Spritzkuchen
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) water
• 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon (8 grams) vanilla sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups (155 grams) all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Glaze:

• 1 1/4 cups (155 grams) powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons (44 milliliters) lemon juice, rum, or water

Instructions

To form the dough:

• Cut parchment paper into 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch (9×9 centimeter) squares and brush the top of each with oil.
• In a large saucepan, combine the water, butter, vanilla sugar, and salt over high heat.
• Once the butter has melted and the mixture comes to a boil with the sugar and salt dissolved, remove from heat.
• Use a wooden spoon to immediately stir in the flour.
• Place the pan back on the stove over medium low heat. Continue to stir until a dough forms and pulls away from the bottom and sides of the pan, about 1 minute.
• Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl and allow to cool until no longer hot, but still warm to touch.
• Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the eggs, one at a time, followed by the baking powder into the cooled dough at high speed to form a smooth and glossy mixture.

To assemble:

• Fill a deep saucepan with 2-3 inches (5-8 centimeters) of oil and place over medium heat.
• Attach a large star tip to large piping bag. Fill the bag with dough (in batches if needed).
• Pipe rings of dough onto the greased parchment paper.
• Once the oil is 350˚F (180˚C), place the piped dough, being careful not to overcrowd, into the pan paper side up. Gently remove the paper and fry the doughnuts on each side until golden.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining batter.
• Place a wire rack over a sheet of parchment.
• In a large bowl , whisk lemon juice, rum, or water into the powdered sugar until a thin and smooth glaze comes together. If too thick, add more liquid. If too thin, whisk in more sugar.
• Dip each warm Spritzkuchen into the glaze and place on wire rack to set. They are best served the day they are made.