Oma’s German Potato Noodles (Schupfnudeln)

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares easy, authentic German recipes you can trust, rooted in family tradition and featured in her cookbooks.

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Potato noodles, made from scratch, just like Oma. So, so good! These noodles can be found all through Germany, and are recognizable with their unusual shape.

Similar to Italian gnocchi potato dumplings, these German potato noodles, Schupfnudeln, are a traditional side or main dish in southern Germany. So easy to make! Really! 

Popular in the Baden-Württemberg area, but also found throughout Germany, these potato noodles are recognizable with their unusual shape.  

Because they almost look like little fingers they are also known as "Fingernudeln" or "finger noodles". Yes, there are also some names that aren't quite appropriate to mention 😉.

Especially if you are looking for kid-friendly dinner recipes, these fun-shaped noodles are also a great way to use up leftover potatoes.

I never realized as I was growing up that noodles were among the traditional German foods. I used to think I was eating "Italian" when Mutti made what I now know as German noodles!

The fact that these Schupfnudeln are similar to the Italian gnocchi, shows the similarity between foods in the European region. With shared history and culture, there's going to be an overlapping of cuisines.

What type of Potatoes to Use

The best kind of potatoes for this are starchy ones, such as russets. Can't get russets. I find that the Yukon golds are a good all-purpose potato that will work for this as well. A bonus is the lovely yellow color that they give.

If your potatoes aren't starchy enough, you may need to add a bit extra flour to get the right consistency. Potato flours works for this as well.

The exact amount of flour to use for this recipe is impossible to predict. It depends upon the moisture content of the potatoes. Potatoes have differing amounts of moisture depending upon the time of year. 

Add just enough flour so that the dough doesn't stick to your hands.

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A bit about Schupfnudeln

This particularly delicious type of noodle is one that is often served just by itself! It's also the perfect accompaniment for pork, duck, lamb or sauerkraut.

Not only that, but it's also perfect for dessert! Sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and then served with applesauce, you'll find it the culmination of a traditional German meal.

Schupfen means "to push or throw". In this case, little bits of dough are rolled between the hands and thrown off into finger-shaped noodles, hence its popular name of Fingernudeln, finger noodles, since this classic shape has the ends narrower than the middle. 

Ready to make these Potato Noodles?

Print Recipe

Oma’s Schupfnudeln – German Potato Noodles

Similar to Italian gnocchi potato dumplings, these German potato noodles, Schupfnudeln, are a traditional side or main dish in southern Germany. So easy to make! Really! 

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 75 minutes

Servings:

Makes 2 - 4 servings (depending if main dish or side dish)

Ingredients:

• 1½ pounds (680 grams) potatoes, peeled and quartered 
• 2 large egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons (32 grams) all-purpose flour + more for as needed
• 2 tablespoons (19 grams) potato starch or cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons (10 grams) salt, plus more as needed
• freshly ground black pepper, nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons (30 grams) butter

Instructions:

1. Cook potatoes until tender in boiling water, about 20 minutes.
2. Drain potatoes and let steam escape to dry the potatoes (put pot of potatoes back on burner, briefly to evaporate moisture, shaking pot frequently so the potatoes don't burn).
3. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Add the salt, cover, and set it to simmer.
4. Mash the potatoes or put through a ricer. Once cooled, add egg yolks, flour, and potato starch. Mix together using your hands. Season with additional salt, pepper, and freshly ground nutmeg.
5. Gently knead the dough, adding more flour as needed so that the dough doesn't stick to your hands.
6. Using floured hands, form half the dough into log shape, about ½ inch thick. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece into a finger-size noodle by rolling between your hands. If the dough is too sticky, add a bit of flour. Each noodle should be thicker in the middle and tapered at the ends. Repeat with the remaining dough.
7. Drop half the noodles into the pot of gently boiling salted water and simmer until they float, about 5 minutes. Remove noodles and drop into a bowl of cold water. Once cool, drain. Repeat with remaining noodles.
8. Just before serving, over medium heat, melt butter in a saucepan. Add the cooled, drained noodles and sauté for about 5 minutes, until golden brown and serve immediately.

Hints:

• Serve Schupfnudeln along side perfect pork, duck, lamb or sauerkraut.
• These also make a delicious light lunch all by themselves.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and serve with applesauce for a dessert.
• Russets or other starchy potatoes work best. I also use Yukon Gold, which is a good all-purpose potato.
• Got extra mashed potatoes? Turn them into the traditional German potato dumplings.

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

05.06.2023 revision update

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.