A recipe for Milchnudeln (German Milk Noodles)! Noodles are simmered in milk until tender and topped with cinnamon sugar.
Sunday Supper
Today, #SundaySupper is getting together with a collection of comforting recipes! I am joining in with one of my favorite comfort foods, Milchnudeln (German Milk Noodles).
Milchnudeln
Milchnudeln (Milk Noodles) in its simplest form are noodles cooked in or added to a milk soup. Variations can be found across Central and Eastern Europe. I also have the version from Estonia on the blog: Makaroni-Piimasupp (Estonian Pasta Soup with Milk).
Today, I am sharing the preparation I remember growing up. Noodles are simmered in milk with sugar and vanilla sugar until tender with a thickened, creamy coating.
To serve, top with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon sugar for an extra burst of flavor.
A Few Milchnudeln Tips
I have made Milchnudeln with a variety of pasta based on what I have on hand. Favorites include Fusilli and Farfalline.
Greasing the pan lightly with vegetable oil will help keep the milk from burning across the bottom and sides. Stir often, especially as the pasta soaks up more milk.
A deep saucepan is best to keep the milk from boiling over. Don’t walk too far away from the stove as it simmers.
I cooked the noodles in the sweetened milk mixture since that is how I remember them. I have seen others cook the noodles separately or use leftover noodles by briefly heating them in the milk.
As the noodles cook in the milk, they will release starch to slightly thicken the mixture. For an extra creamy coating, some readers stir in a little flour, cornstarch, or vanilla pudding mix.
After removing from heat, the milk will continue to thicken and coat the pasta.
Adjust the sugar based on personal taste. I added 1 1/2 tablespoons (18 grams) granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon (12 grams) vanilla sugar to the milk.
I served the Milchnudeln simply with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar. A cherry compote or applesauce would also be delicious.
Prefer rice? While I lean more towards noodles, my husband especially loves Milchreis (German Rice Pudding).
Vanilla Sugar
Vanilla sugar adds a wonderful light vanilla flavor to the Milchnudeln. 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 (400 grams) granulated sugar. Store in an airtight container with the scraped out pods. Some use powdered sugar in place of the granulated sugar.
If you do not have vanilla sugar available, simmer 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar in the milk and stir in a splash of vanilla extract after removing from heat.
Check out what everyone else made:
- Cabbage and Kielbasa Soup by Our Good Life
- Chicken and Dumplings by Palatable Pastime
- Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup by Pies and Plots
- Habitant Pea Soup by What Smells So Good?
- Milchnudeln (German Milk Noodles) by Tara’s Multicultural Table
- Mushroom Fennel Soup by Caroline’s Cooking
- Crock Pot Chicken Posole by My Imperfect Kitchen
This recipe was originally posted in October 2017 and updated in November 2024.
Milchnudeln (German Milk Noodles) Recipe
Adapted from Baltic Maid
Milchnudeln (German Milk Noodles)
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar:
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon (3 grams) ground cinnamon
Milchnudeln:
- Vegetable oil for greasing the pan
- 3 1/2 cups (830 milliliters) milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (18 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (12 grams) vanilla sugar
- Pinch salt
- 10 ounces (285 grams) medium shaped dried pasta such as Fusilli
Instructions
To make the cinnamon sugar:
- In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
To make the Milchnudeln:
- Lightly grease a deep saucepan with vegetable oil, add the milk, and place over medium low heat.
- Once the milk starts to steam, stir in the granulated sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt.
- Once the milk starts to simmer, add the pasta and cook, stirring often until tender and coated in the milk, 12-15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before serving with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.
Sarah
Yum! This reminds me of a lighter, unbaked kugel… gotta try this with buckwheat honey!
Liz
I’ve never heard of this before, but it definitely sounds like yummy comfort food!
Peter
I was weaned on this right after WWII in Berlin Germany. Have not had it since, but still remember the sweetness.
Deb
Can’t wait, grew up with milk soup, my Grandma was Czech.
Chichi
This sure looks creamy and delicious. Reminds me of a dish in Ghanaian chiding with rice and milk. Would love to try it out.
Lima Ekram
I am originally from Bangladesh and we have a similar dish called shemai – really enjoyed the post and can’t wait to try it!
Susan
Love this. My mother is from Germany so I had this a lot growing up. Good stuff. A real treat and good use of left over noodles.
Tara
Definitely the perfect use for leftover noodles! This continues to be one of my favorite comfort foods.
mike moran
My mom used to add a teaspoon/tablespoon (not sure on amount could depend on the amount of noodles one is making), of flour, (as a thickening agent), also added a teaspoon of vanilla. once done cooking and in a bowl, we added cinnamon sugar as a topping.
mike moran
Mom was from Germany and she was made this by her mom, then passed it on to us as kids.. LOVED IT!! especially during the colder months of the year, warmed you from the inside out. I just made a pot this am. Oh, the memories. 🙂
Tara
Such wonderful memories Mike! Thanks for sharing! It is so good with the cinnamon.
Gretchen Bagley
My mom made a version of this—not sure if it was her family’s recipe or my dad’s. Ours wasn’t sweet. Instead we sauté onions in butter until soft. Then we add the cooked noodles and warm them. Pour over some milk and continue to cook until the whole dish is hot. Mom’s family is German Swiss. Dad’s is Slovak.
Alexandra
Hi, so nice to see this here. I`m thickening it with vanilla pudding mix (starch with vanilla) with an added egg yolk and some brown sugar. The egg white is beaten and pulled under just before serving. My daughters like to add some cinnamon sugar.
All the best
Alex
Marianne M Jean
My mom was German and made this all the time. She always added corn starch to and it taste like pudding. Made this all the time for my girls and they loved it.
Angela
Greetings from Germany! Mom cooked milk noodles for us kids as a main dish about twice a month. Often with apple sauce to go with it. The best thing for us was the topping, though. Mom added more sugar than Tara and the noodles were even creamier, i.e. you could see the thickened milk between the noodles. Instead of cinnamon sugar our Mom spread slightly salted buttered breadcrumbs on the noodles. Heavenly!
Tara
Thank you for your comment, Angela. I will have to try them with the breadcrumbs soon!