Growing up in Germany, Oktoberfest was all about the food. Giant soft pretzels, streusel cakes, and a never-ending supply of good bread.
I've spent years recreating those flavors in my own kitchen, from the crackly crust on fresh Brötchen to the layers of a proper Black Forest cake, and I'm pulling together every German recipe I've perfected so far right here.
Whether you're planning a full spread or just craving a taste of home, consider this your one-stop shop for all the best Oktoberfest recipes!
German Pretzels without Lye | Brezeln
These classic soft pretzels are boiled in water + baking soda to get the traditional tangy flavor, dark brown color, and soft interior, without lye.
Pretzel Bratwurst Buns
Chewy and salty on the outside, pillowy soft on the inside, great for serving hot dogs, bratwurst, and sausages.
Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels
Tangy flavor from instant yeast and baking soda meets sweetness from the butter, cinnamon, and sugar coating on these sweet soft pretzels.
Pretzel Bread Loaf
The beloved tangy flavor, chewy crust, and soft interior gets turned into two sliceable bread loaves, great for sandwiches or dunking into soup.
Soft Pretzel Hamburger Buns
Classic German pretzels are shaped into buns that bake in just 15 minutes, to serve with burgers, sliders, and even Bratwurst throughout Oktoberfest season.
German Onion Pie | Zwiebelkuchen
Caramelized onions and tart apples are cooked on the stove then mixed with sour cream, eggs, and a few savory spices in this sweet-and-savory German apple and onion pie.
Marble Cake | Marmorkuchen
Moist chocolate and vanilla cake batter are swirled together in a Bundt pan for this beautiful special ocassion cake.
Applesauce Cake | Apfelstreuselkuchen
Creamy applesauce baked in between two layers of moist spiced cake, then topped with crunchy cinnamon streusel.
German Bread Rolls | Brötchen
These traditional German rolls are made with just four ingredients, and taste great with bratwurst, sliced meat + cheese, or jam.
Baked Apples | Bratapfel
These cozy baked cinnamon apples are kept whole and stuffed with raisins, almonds, honey, and warm spices.
Bee Sting Cake | Bienenstich
This fluffy yeast cake is filled with creamy homemade custard and coated in a crunchy honey-almond topping.
Apple Strudel | Apfelstrudel
This traditional German apple strudel is made with layers of juicy apples + raisins and flaky homemade pastry.
Mini Apple Strudel with Phyllo
Made with phyllo dough, thinly sliced apples, juicy raisins, and chopped nuts, these taste as close as possible to my great-Grandma's authentic German apfelstrudel with a fraction of the effort.
Sour Cherry Cake | Sauerkirschkuchen
Sour cherries are harvested later than sweet cherries, making this German cherry cake ideal to make for Oktoberfest. Or swap in canned sour cherries folded in to the buttery almond cake batter.
Black Bread | Schwarzbrot
Made with rye flour, optional sourdough, molasses, cocoa powder, and brown sugar, this hearty loaf is a classic German bread to serve smeared with butter and topped with sliced meat, cheese, or smoked salmon.
Black Forest Cake | Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte
This four-layer chocolate cake is made homemade whipped cream, canned dark cherries, and no alcohol. It's such an impressive dessert to serve at your next Oktoberfest party!
Black Forest Sheet Cake
If you don't want to build a tall layer cake for traditional Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, this sheet cake version is ready in just an hour and a half.
Black Forest Bundt Cake
Rich chocolate cake from scratch, canned cherry pie filling, homemade whipped cream, and shaved chocolate combine all the rich, fruity flavors of classic Black Forest cake in the form of a quick & easy Bundt cake.
Black Forest Cupcakes
These cupcakes are like miniature individual-size Black Forest cakes that are so easy to serve at your Oktoberfest party.
Apple Hand Pies | Apfeltaschen
Made with buttery puff pastry and warm spices, these apple hand pies are so easy and simple to make in under an hour. They're like mini apple pies that you can easily serve & eat during Oktoberfest.
German Butter Cake | Butterkuchen
This easy yeast cake is topped with cubed butter, granulated sugar, and sliced almonds, and bakes in just 20 minutes.
German Brown Bread | Vollkornbrot
This hearty sandwich bread is made with 100% dark rye flour and a combo of instant yeast and optional sourdough for a rustic flavor & guaranteed rise. Serve as open-faced sandwiches with cold cuts and cheese!
Lightning Cake | Blitzkuchen
This one-bowl quick coffee cake is ready from start to finish in under one hour. Topped with cinnamon streusel, it's a great afternoon treat or dessert.
German Rye Bread | Roggenbrot
This hearty loaf has whole spices kneaded right into the dough to release their aromatic flavors as the bread is baked.
Poppy Seed Cake | Mohnkuchen
Made with buttery cake, a creamy poppy seed filling, and crumbly streusel topping that bakes all at once, this impressive & cozy German cake is so nostalgic at Oktoberfest.
Sunflower Seed Bread | Sonnenblumenbrot
This loaf is made with hulled sunflower seeds kneaded directly in the dough and pressed on top for a crunchy texture and nutty flavor.
Pumpkin Seed Bread |
Soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside, great for dunking into a warm bowl of soup at Oktoberfest.
Hazelnut Loaf Cake | Nusskuchen
This German hazelnut cake is moist, studded with chocolate chips, and practically melts in your mouth.
Gingerbread Hearts | Lebkuchen Herzen
Found at all the Oktoberfest celebrations and Weihnachtsmärkte, these gingerbread cookie hearts are so festive and found at all the German outdoor festivals.
Nut Corners | Nussecken
Another sweet found at both Oktoberfest and Christmas markets in Germany, these layered cookie bars are made with shortbread,
Farmer's Bread | Bauernbrot
A blend of coriander seeds, anise seeds, fennel seeds, and caraway seeds are added to soaked rye flour in this hearty German bread. Serve it with Bratwurst, Obatzda cheese dip, or cold cuts & cheese for a traditional Oktoberfest snack.
Almond Cherry Cake | Kirschstreuselkuchen
Fresh cherries are cooked on the stove with the pits to enhance their natural almond flavor before being added to the moist cake batter flavored with almond extract and topped with crunchy almond streusel.
Puff Pastry Chocolate Twists | Nussstangen
These puff pastry chocolate twists bake in just 15 minutes & make delicious handheld treats are German festivals.
German Cheesecake | Käsekuchen
This traditional German cheesecake is made with a buttery pastry crust, lemon, quark (or ricotta), and whipped eggs whites. No water bath needed!
Almond Torte | Mandeltorte
This four-layer almond torte is filled with creamy almond custard, topped with sliced almonds + sugar, and is an impressive dessert to serve at your Oktoberfest party.
Cherry Strudel | Kirschstrudel
Made easy with puff pastry, cherries, and almonds, this braided cherry strudel is a festive brunch, afternoon snack, or dessert.
Cheese Strudel | Topfenstrudel
This creamy cheese strudel is made with flaky phyllo dough and a sweet + tangy filling made with quark or labneh.
German Apple Cake | Apfelkuchen
This old-fashioned apple cake is spiced with cinnamon + almond extract & topped with warm, soft apples. It's an impressive Autumn cake that's secretly so easy to make!
German Spelt Bread | Dinkelbrot
This authentic German spelt bread is made with sourdough, whole grain spelt flour, and can be served with sliced cheese, cold cuts, and a generous slather of European salted butter.
Hedgehog Cookies
Made with almond flour and decorated with melted chocolate and chopped almonds, these buttery cookies are such an adorable festive treat!
Caramelized Onion & Cheese Bread Rolls
These soft dinner rolls are filled with rich caramelized onions and melty Gruyere or parmesan.
Homemade Caramel Popcorn without Corn Syrup
This sweet & salty caramel popcorn was inspired by the Werther's caramel corn served year-round at the Germany Pavilion in Disneyworld's Epcot.
Caramel Apple Dip
My dip version of a classic sugar apple on a stick is so much easier to eat without the mess.
Poppy Seed Strudel | Mohnstrudel
This classic German strudel is made from sweet yeast dough swirled around a nutty poppy seed filling, with raisins and sliced almonds.
Raspberry Strudel | Himbeerstrudel
Fresh or frozen raspberries get cooked on the stovetop into a gooey sweet & tart filling that gets wrapped in buttery, flaky phyllo dough.
German Potato Bread | Kartoffelbrot
Mashed potatoes mixed into the 5-ingredient bread dough keep this Dutch oven loaf soft on the inside & crispy on the outside.
Streusel Plum Yogurt Cake | Pflaumenkuchen
Fresh plums are baked on the spiced cake & topped with brown sugar streusel. It's an easy coffee cake to make with late-summer stone fruit.
I'm eggcited to hear from you :)