Here’s a classic Berliner doughnuts recipe—soft, fluffy German-style filled doughnuts with no hole, traditionally filled with jam 🍩
🇩🇪 Berliner Doughnuts (Berliner Pfannkuchen)
Ingredients (makes ~10–12)
Dough
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup warm milk (about 110°F / 43°C)
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla (optional)
For frying
- Vegetable or canola oil
Filling & topping
- Strawberry or raspberry jam (traditional)
- Powdered sugar or granulated sugar for coating
Instructions
- Activate yeast
Mix warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy. - Make the dough
In a large bowl, mix flour, remaining sugar, and salt.
Add yeast mixture, egg, yolk, melted butter, and vanilla.
Knead until smooth and elastic (8–10 minutes). - First rise
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1–1.5 hours until doubled. - Shape
Roll dough to about 1/2-inch thick.
Cut into rounds (about 3 inches).
Place on parchment, cover, and rise 30–45 minutes. - Fry
Heat oil to 350°F (175°C).
Fry doughnuts 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels. - Fill
Use a piping bag to inject jam into the side of each Berliner. - Finish
Dust with powdered sugar or roll in granulated sugar.
💡 Tips
- Keep oil temperature steady so they cook through
- Do not overcrowd the pan
- Traditionally served on New Year’s Eve in Germany
- For a twist, fill with vanilla custard or chocolate cream
If you’d like, I can also share a baked Berliner version, a Nutella-filled option, or explain the difference between Berliners, jelly doughnuts, and krapfen 😊
