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Why we love this recipe for gluten free spaetzle
Spaetzle is a traditional German dumpling-style pasta. It's ridiculously easy to make since there's no shaping, rolling, or cutting.
You don't neeeeeeed a spaetzle maker (aff. link), but it does make things easier and neater—and make the dumplings look authentic. It's nothing more than a simple plastic or metal kitchen tool with round holes that are each about 1/4-inch in diameter. It looks quite a lot like a grater, and in fact you can use a grater.
I bought a spaetzle maker to make these little German dumplings look just right. The simple little device should be considerably less than $20 (mine certainly was), and I think it will make it more likely that you'll make this dish more often.
The first few times I made the dumplings, I found that they stuck together way too much if I didn't serve them immediately. When I tried rinsing them with warm water in the strainer, they stayed separate from one another.
And all of you who asked for this recipe over the years? You were so, so right…
They're tender but with the right amount of “bite,” even if you boil them a bit longer—if you rinse them afterward. They're lovely as a side in place of rice or pasta, and you can even boil them right in a nice pot of soup.
I bet they'd be lovely served as a pasta salad in the warm weather. Maybe even served sweet with some brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon.
Gluten Free Spaetzle
Equipment
- spaetzle maker
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) basic gum-free gluten free flour blend, (185 g superfine white rice flour + 62 g potato starch + 33 g tapioca starch/flour) (See Recipe Notes)
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, (optional but really adds nice flavor)
- ⅔ cup (5 ⅓ fluid ounces) milk, at room temperature
- 4 (200 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature, beaten
- Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, salt and ground nutmeg, and whisk to combine well.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the milk and then the eggs, mixing to combine after each addition. The dough should come together and be thick but soft.
- Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- Once the dough has chilled, uncover the dough and bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- Position a spaetzle maker (aff. link—the white one is so cheap!) or a large box grater on top of the bowl of dough. I used a spaetzle maker, since it is much neater and cleaner, but I did not use the hopper as I found it made a much bigger mess.
- Place about half of the dough on top of the spaetzle maker or grater.
- Using a silicone spatula or bench scraper and working quickly, position the dough on top of the device right above the pot of boiling water and press the dough through the holes and into the water by scraping it back and forth.
- Remove the device and set it aside, then stir the dumplings in the water gently to ensure that nothing has stuck to the sides or bottom of the pot.
- Allow the dumplings to boil for about 5 minutes, or until they are tender and cooked all the way through.
- Remove the dumplings from the pot with a strainer and rinse briefly with warm water.
- Repeat with the remaining dough. Serve immediately with chopped fresh parsley or cover and store in the refrigerator.
- Before serving, sauté in 2 tablespoons of melted butter in a hot skillet until just beginning to brown.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Any way to get nutritional information such as carbs etc?
Sure, Elizabeth! Just plug the ingredients into an online nutrition calculator!
Thanks for the tip about using the Ikea silverware holder/drainer. I bought one last year on vacation when I got to go to Ikea. Also thank you Nicole for this spaetzel recipe. My husband grew up eating spaetzle and misses it-now hopefully he will be happy with this version that I can eat also.
That’s awesome advice, Nerrida! Thanks for the tip. :)
I kind of squealed when I saw this recipe, Nicole – we are huge (really, really huge) spaetzle fans around here and although the recipe I use isn’t gluten-free, my sister just started eating gluten-free for some health reasons and I can’t wait to pass this on to her. Love it.
Really, Mel? Well, we’re gonna hook her up but good!
So, just to be clear, if I use Better Batter I should increase the milk to 7 and 1/3 ounces? Or, would you not recommend Better Batter at all for this recipe?
I really don’t recommend Better Batter for this recipe at all, Kelleigh. I included that information because I knew I’d get questions about whether or not Better Batter was appropriate for this recipe, and why.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I’ve been waiting for this recipe for a long time. Can’t wait to try them.
You bet, Chris. :)
I just saw these in my emails. I never heard of them but will try them tonight as a side to my hubby’s chicken wings. I don’t have a special gadget, but DO have a metal strainer that may do the trick. If this works well, I will try it again as the potpie dough for good ole ham pot pie this weekend. :-)
You don’t cut the dough, Angie. You push it through the holes, right into the boiling water. I haven’t refrigerated the dough for more than 24 hours, but it should be okay for double that. Just be sure to cover it well.
That’s really what I meant. Cutting it seemed like less words to say. :-) I did make this tonight and it reminded my husband of gnocchi. I used a metal pan strainer and a plastic stoneware scraper. My hand was getting tired so I asked my husband to take over. He pulled out a metal grill spatula and proceeded to push the dough through the holes. Ingenious! Lol (I was trying to push it through by scraping back and forth. Ha! He got the job done in only a fraction of the time. It doesn’t look as pretty as yours but it was super easy. :-)
How did that post 3 times? Oops. Sorry!
No worries, Angie. I tried going in to edit your response to delete 2 of the photos, but it won’t let me. It’s more dramatic this way anyway—and it looks perfect. The metal spatula idea is ingenious. It probably has the same size holes as the actual spaetzle maker!
As a nice German Girl this is right up my alley – LOL!
Can’t wait to try it!
I like getting spaetzle when I could order it out. Would love some ideas on what to do with it once I’ve got it made! :)
Serve it the same way you would rice or any small pasta. It’s even great with tomato sauce!
I’ll try these out soon – I have another recipe for these that “mostly” works, but still looking for perfection. We’re big spaetzle fans in our house – and used to always have dried spaetzle in the pantry until our daughter was diagnosed with celiac. We don’t use a spaetzle maker, or grater, or even a colander for our spaetzle – we use a potato ricer, which is what my German mother-in-law uses for her spaetzle. It makes them a bit narrower than those in your picture, but still yummy. Especially if you fry them in butter.
I’ve seen people using a potato ricer, Sarah. As you said it does make for smaller spaetzle, but if that’s what you’re used to it will be perfect. :)