Krapfen (German Jelly-Filled Donuts) |

Did you know that there’s a tiny, magical place in Vienna that makes the best krapfen (German jelly-filled donuts)? No? Well, it’s probably time to change that.

Krapfen are German donuts made with yeast dough, similar to the French cruller but with a much softer texture and a very distinct flavor. The dough is very delicate, which makes the Krapfen a great food for beginners. If you want to make the Krapfen at home, you need a special donut pan with a hole in the middle. The hole in the middle allows the dough to spread evenly on the pan and results in perfectly round Krapfen.

No, I did not say donuts or croissants. I am referring to Krapfen (German Jelly-Filled Donuts) |. That is a mouthful, I know.

These Delectable Krapfen Will Transport You to Germany!

Do you have a hankering for a jelly-filled donut? You’re going to need a German Krapfen! These delicious delights are made with a simple yeast dough then deep-fried to perfection. They’re jam-packed and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

While they are most often consumed during Europe’s Karneval season (known as Fasching in certain areas of Germany), this Krapfen dish may be prepared at any time of year.

German Krapfen is a one-of-a-kind, one-of-a-kind, one-of-a-kind

Krapfen has a variety of names.

You could look at these Krapfen and say to yourself, “Hey, that’s simply a jelly-filled doughnut,” and you’d be right. In Germany, however, they go by a variety of names. The name is often determined by the area.

Lisa knew them as Krapfen while she was growing up in the south of Germany. This is a name that is popular in Austria and Italy as well.

People in other areas of Germany may refer to them as “Berliner Pfannkuchen,” or “Berlin pancake.” In Berlin, they are often referred to as “Pfannkuchen,” while they are referred to as “Berliner” in other areas of the nation.

We also ate them often in the Netherlands (in a town near the German border), where they were known as “Berliner Bol.”

Suggestions/Substitutions for the Recipe

Read through these recipe guidelines before you start making this Berlin Pfannkuchen (also known as Krapfen) recipe to get the best results!

• Check the expiration date on the yeast box before utilizing it since you’ll be dealing with it. Also, before contacting the yeast, make sure the egg and butter are at room temperature. Warm milk is preferred, but not too hot, since this may damage the yeast bacteria.
• The amount of time it takes to cook the Krapfen depends on how big they are. If the oil is excessively hot, a bigger krapfen’s exterior may be golden brown but the doughy interior may still be uncooked. Smaller Krapfen are often simpler to perfect and guarantee that they are fully cooked.
• You may use whatever jam flavor you like. We typically use raspberry or strawberry jam, although apricot or even black currant jam may be used instead. Simply ensure that the jam you choose is seedless and free of chunks. Otherwise, when you try to pump it into the new Krapfen, it may become caught in the piping bag/squeeze bottle.
• If you’re going to coat the Krapfen with icing sugar, make sure they’ve cooled a little first, otherwise it’ll simply melt and vanish!

The inner jam ratio may be distorted at times… So, if required, have jam on hand for dipping!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Krapfen

The German doughnuts recipe can be found at the bottom of this article if you wish to create these delectable sweets.

Take a look at the recipe process pictures in this section for visual step-by-step Krapfen instructions.

That way, if you have any concerns about how to accomplish anything or how yours should appear, you can go to our step-by-step pictures for assistance.

In a mixing dish, combine the flour, salt, and sugar.

In a medium-sized mixing basin, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. With a spoon, combine everything.

Toss in the yeast.

After that, add the yeast and mix one more.

Combine the egg yolks and butter in a mixing bowl.

Then add the butter and egg yolks. Using the spiral dough hooks on your electric mixer, combine everything.

Form a ball out of the dough.

Slowly add in the warm (not hot!) milk while mixing with your mixer. Continue to mix until the dough has an elastic consistency and is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl.

With your hands, roll the dough into a ball and return it to the basin.

Place the bowl in a warm, draft-free area of your house, covered with a lid or dish towel. Allow the dough to rise for about 45 minutes.

Make the dough by kneading it.

Sprinkle some flour on the countertop and knead the dough briefly with your hands after it has visibly grown in size.

Using your hands, rip the dough into tiny pieces.

Cut or tear the dough into 6 (for large doughnuts, as we usually do), 8 (for regular donuts), or 12 (for mini-sized donuts) equal-sized pieces.

Form the dough into a ball.

Form the tiny pieces of dough into round balls, then gently flatten the top and bottom to give them the Krapfen form.

As many seams as feasible should be near the bottom of the garment. This may take some practice, but it isn’t required to be flawless!

Allow the Krapfen to cool.

Place a dish towel over them and let them rest for another 20 minutes once you’ve shaped all of the dough into tiny Krapfen (don’t worry, they’ll grow quite a bit in size when you fry them).

This will allow them time to grow in size and remove some of their “wrinkles,” as seen in the picture above.

Make the jam first.

While the Krapfen are proofing, fill a squeeze bottle or a piping bag with a tiny tip halfway with the jam.

The oil should be hot.

Also, fill a pot with high sides with a large amount of oil.

You’ll need enough oil for the donuts to float in the oil rather than touching the bottom. As a result, the precise quantity depends on the size of your Krapfen and the size of your pot.

Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat until visible bubbles appear when a wooden spoon is dipped into the heated oil. Then lower the heat down just a smidgeon.

Cook the Krapfen in a skillet.

Add one “test doughnut” to the pot after the 20 minutes are up. Make sure there’s enough oil in the pot to keep the Krapfen from sticking to the bottom (otherwise part of it might burn).

Fry the Krapfen for 3-4 minutes over medium-low heat (for tiny donuts, 2-3 minutes may enough) until beautifully browned on one side, then turn and fry the other side for the same amount of time.

It’s critical to cook over medium-low heat so that the interior of the Krapfen cooks without burning the exterior. When creating big Krapfen, this is particularly essential.

Take the Krapfen out of the oil.

With a straining spoon, take the Krapfen from the saucepan and put it on a plate lined with paper towels to collect any extra oil.

Make a jam-filled Krapfen.

Allow the Krapfen to cool for a minute or two before filling it with the jam.

Gently poke a hole in the donut’s center “seam” and insert the jam. You may use as much or as little jam as you like, as long as there isn’t too much leaking out of the hole.

As previously said, you may use whatever jam flavor you want as long as it is free of seeds and fruit pieces.

Using icing sugar, dust the Krapfen.

Dust the doughnut with powdered sugar after it has been filled. You may also use granulated sugar if you want.

Cook all of the doughnuts.

Then put it aside while you finish frying, filling, and dusting the other Krapfen.

Our Krapfen came out beautifully!

As a delicious treat, enjoy the fresh Krapfen!

Storage Suggestions

The best way to appreciate these German doughnuts is to eat them the day they are prepared. The jam, icing sugar, and freshness of the fried dough… it’s better to consume them as soon as possible.

If you have any leftover Krapfen, put them in a sealed container in order to keep them wet. They’ll dry out and become stale if you don’t.

Make sure to consume the Krapfen the following day!

FAQ

What exactly are Krapfen?

A “jelly-filled donut” is known as a krapfen in German. These donuts are deep-fried, jam-filled, and dusted with some kind of sugar (often powdered sugar).

In Berlin, how do you refer to a Berliner?

A Berliner is known as a “Pfannkuchen” in Berlin, which comes from “Berliner Pfannkuchen” or “Berlin Pancake.” It’s not the same as the other, flatter pancakes you’re thinking of!

What is the best way to make Krapfen?

Krapfen are prepared by kneading yeast dough into balls and shaping it into balls. You cook them, then stuff them with jam and powdered sugar. This article contains the full, step-by-step recipe.

Recipes that are similar

Take a peek at some of the sweet delights below for more excellent sweet European recipes:

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour (all-purpose)
• 2/3 cup warm milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. instant dry yeast
• 2 egg yolks (at room temperature) from big eggs
• 3 teaspoons of sugar
• a generous teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons room temperature butter
• for frying oil
• Filling jam without fruit chunks

Instructions

1. In a medium mixing basin, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. With a spoon, combine everything.
2. Stir in the yeast one more. Then add the butter and egg yolks. Using the spiral dough hooks on your electric mixer, combine everything.
3. Slowly pour in the warm (not hot!) milk while mixing with your mixer, and continue to mix until the dough has an elastic elasticity and no longer sticks to the edges of the bowl.
4. With your hands, roll the dough into a ball and return it to the basin. Place the bowl in a warm, draft-free area of your house, covered with a lid or dish towel. Allow the dough to rise for about 45 minutes.
5. Sprinkle some flour on the countertop and knead the dough briefly with your hands after it has visibly grown in size.
6. Cut or tear the dough into 6 (for large doughnuts, as we usually do), 8 (normal-sized), or 12 (mini-sized) equal-sized pieces.
7. Form the tiny pieces of dough into round balls, then gently flatten the top and bottom to give them the Krapfen form. As many seams as feasible should be near the bottom of the garment. It may take some time to get used to this.
8. Place a dish towel over them and let them rest for another 20 minutes once you’ve shaped all of the dough into tiny Krapfen (don’t worry, they’ll grow quite a bit in size when you fry them).
9. In the meanwhile, pour a large amount of oil into a saucepan with high sides. You’ll need enough oil for the donuts to float in the oil rather than touching the bottom. As a result, the precise quantity depends on the size of your Krapfen and the size of your pot.
10. Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat until visible bubbles appear when a wooden spoon is dipped into the heated oil. Then lower the heat down just a smidgeon.
11. Add one “test doughnut” to the pot after the 20 minutes are up. Make sure there’s enough oil in the pot to keep the doughnut from sticking to the bottom (otherwise part of it might burn). Cook the donut for 3-4 minutes over medium-low heat (for tiny donuts, 2-3 minutes may enough) until well browned on one side, then turn it over and fry the other side for the same length of time. This must be done over medium-low heat to allow the interior of the Krapfen to cook without burning the exterior. When creating big Krapfen, this is particularly essential.
12. With a straining spoon, take the Krapfen from the saucepan and put it on a plate lined with paper towels to collect any extra oil.
13. Allow the Krapfen to cool for a minute or two before filling it with the jam. You may do this using a piping bag with a tiny tip or a plastic “squeeze bottle” container (which is what we did). Gently poke a hole in the donut’s center “seam” and place the jam inside. You may use as much or as little jam as you like, as long as there isn’t too much leaking out of the hole.
14. Dust the doughnut with powdered sugar after it has been filled. Then put it aside while you finish frying, filling, and dusting the other Krapfen.

Notes

• You may measure the jam you put in each doughnut for uniformity. If you have a squeeze bottle with measurement lines on the exterior, this will be much simpler.
• Because the dough is prepared using yeast, be sure your yeast isn’t over its expiration date. When the egg and butter come into touch with the yeast, they should be at room temperature, and the milk should be warm but not hot, since this may damage the yeast germs.

Information about nutrition:

Serving Size: 6 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size 303 calories 10 g total fat 4g Saturated Fat 0g trans fat 5 g of unsaturated fat 105 milligrams of cholesterol 84 mg sodium 46 g carbohydrate 2 g fiber 11 g sugar 8 g protein

An online nutrition calculator was used to determine this nutritional information. It should only be used as a guideline and not as a substitute for expert dietary guidance.

How did this recipe turn out for you?

You may save it to one of your Pinterest boards and come back to it at any time!

Krapfens, or krapfen (the plural form) in American English, are a traditional German treat, made by filling a donut-shaped Styrofoam mold with jelly. The jelly is then covered in sugar and baked until the sugar melts into a syrup and the krapfen is ready to be eaten.. Read more about berliner vs jam doughnut and let us know what you think.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are jelly donuts from Germany?

Yes, jelly donuts are from Germany.

What is the German name for jelly donut?

Jelly donut is called a Berliner.

Whats the difference between a donut and a Berliner?

A donut is a type of pastry that is usually fried and has a hole in the middle, while a Berliner is a type of bread.