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Oma's Jelly Donut Recipe: Berliner Pfannkuchen or Krapfen

Also known as Berliner Pfannkuchen and Krapfen, among many other names, these soft pillowy donuts are easy and fun to make and taste absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

For The Donuts:

• 3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons (7 grams) instant yeast
• ⅓ cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (13 grams) vanilla sugar
• pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) rum or milk
• 1 tablespoons (6 grams) lemon zest
• 4 egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons (84 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup (240 milliliter) milk, lukewarm
• about 1 cup (240 milliliter) jam or marmalade
• canola or peanut oil for frying

For The Topping:

• ½ cup (63 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons (26 grams) vanilla sugar, optional

Instructions:

1. Mix flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer, if using).
2. Add the granulated sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, rum, lemon zest, egg yolks, and melted butter.
3. Using a dough hook, slowly start mixing it all together, and gradually add in the milk. Continue to mix at medium speed for about 5 minutes, until the dough is soft and elastic.
4. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5. Gently punch down the dough to deflate it. On a lightly floured counter, roll out the dough to ¼-inch thickness.
6. Using a floured 3-inch circular cutter, cut out 28 circles. Put a bit of jam or marmalade onto the center of half the circles.
7. Brush the edges of the circles that have jam with water and place a plain circle over the jam ones. Press the edges together to seal well.
8. Gently knead any remaining dough and cut out donut holes. (I can usually get about 12.)
9. Put the donuts and donut holes onto a well-floured surface and cover them with a towel. Let them rise until they’ve doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
10. Heat some oil in a fryer (or deep pot) to about 360°F to 375°F (182°C to 190°C).
11. Fry a few donuts at a time (to avoid crowding) for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. The donut holes will fry in about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove them with a spider or slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels.
12. Mix the powdered sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons (26 grams) vanilla sugar together and sprinkle over the warm donuts using a sieve.
13. Serve warm, if possible.

Notes/Hints:

• If you’re using a deep pot or pan, be sure to use enough oil so the donuts float and don’t touch the bottom of the pan.
• Different filling ideas: apricot jam, raspberry jam, strawberry jam, black currant jam, cherry jam, plum jam, or peach jam.
• Can also be filled with vanilla pastry cream, vanilla pudding, chocolate pudding, or chocolate hazelnut spread.
• As an alternative to rolling and cutting out the dough, you can separate the dough into smaller balls of dough and fry them. Then once they're cool enough to handle, you can use a pastry bag to fill them with jam.
• Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container.

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Updated on November 20, 2025