As the Fasching season rolls in—bringing with it laughter, costumes, and the joyful chaos of Carnival—I find myself drawn to one of Germany’s most beloved treats: Faschingskrapfen. These golden, jam-filled donuts are a staple of the season, and for me, they’re more than just a pastry. They’re a memory, a tradition, and a playful nod to the joy of celebration.
Growing up in Germany, I remember the excitement of buying a box of Krapfen from the local bakery. They were always filled with rose hip jam (Hagebutte), but there was one mischievous twist: one donut in the box was secretly filled with mustard. It was a Carnival prank, and whoever bit into it was met with surprise—and usually laughter from the rest of the family.
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German Carnival Donut ingredients 
Combine flour, yeast, egg butter and water in a large bowl 
Preparing the yeast dough with dry and wet ingredients 
Knead all ingredients 
Knead yeast dough for about 7 minutes until smooth. Let rise at warm place 
Yeast dough will double in size 
Roll out dough 
Mark circles with a glass and place Jam in the middle 
Lay the second sheet on top and cut out the Krapfen 
Let rise for an hour 
Frying German Donuts, Faschingskrapfen 
Let cool on paper towel 
Cover with powdered sugar
🎭 Krapfen by Any Other Name
• Franconia: Krapfen (available year-round)
• Baden-Württemberg & Saarland: Fastnachtsküchle
• Hessen: Kräppel
• Berlin & East Germany: Berliner Pfannkuchen
• Ruhrgebiet & Sauerland: Berliner Balle
• Austria: Faschingskrapfen or Glaskrapfen
No matter the name, they share the same essence: soft, airy dough, fried to perfection, and filled with something sweet—or surprising.
This year, I decided to make Faschingskrapfen myself. There’s something magical about watching the dough rise, the jam being tucked inside, and the donuts puffing up in hot oil. Here’s how I did it:
🥣 Step-by-Step
I began by soaking dry yeast in warm milk with a pinch of salt for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, I creamed the soft butter and sugar with a mixer, then slowly added each egg yolk and a splash of rum (vanilla works too). Once smooth, I added the flour and yeast mixture, mixing on low until the dough pulled away from the bowl. I adjusted the flour slightly to get the right consistency.
Covered with plastic wrap, the dough rested in a warm spot for 2 hours, rising until doubled in size. Then I divided it in two and rolled each half to about 1 cm (⅓ inch) thickness.
Using a glass, I gently marked circles on one sheet of dough—without cutting through. In the center of each circle, I placed 1 teaspoon of jam. I rolled out the second sheet and laid it carefully on top, then pressed the glass down to seal and shape each donut.
After shaping, the donuts rested for another hour, rising again until plump and airy.
🍳 Frying and Finishing
I heated clarified butter in a deep pan, then carefully dropped the donuts in and fried each side until golden brown. This took about 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. I did a final flip for an extra 30 seconds on the top half. Timing is key to get that perfect puff and color.
Once fried, I placed them on kitchen towels to cool, then dusted them generously with powdered sugar. You can also glaze them if you prefer a glossy finish.
🍋 Variations and Playfulness
While rose hip jam is traditional, I’ve seen fillings like eggnog, chocolate, and vanilla cream become popular too. And yes, I still sneak one mustard-filled donut into the batch—because what’s Carnival without a little surprise?
Krapfen – German Donut
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup milk (room temperature)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp dry yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 4 egg yolks
- ½ cup rose-hip jam or strawberry, raspberry, apricot
- 3 tbsp Rum (optional) or 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 liter vegetable oil (or clarified butter) for frying
- Powdered sugar to sprinkle on or make a glaze
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Instructions
- In a bowl combine dry yeast with the milk and salt. Let soak for 30 minutes.
- Mix the soft butter and sugar with a blender, then slowly add each egg yolk and rum or vanilla.
- Keep mixing while adding the flour and yeast mixture with the electric mixer on slow, until the dough separates from the bowl. Adjust flour if needed!
- Let the dough rise for 2 hours or more covered with plastic foil in a warm place until double.
- Divide the dough into two, and roll with rolling bin 1 cm or 1/3rd inch thick
- Use half of the rolled-out dough and make round marks with a glass, but don’t break through.
- In the middle of the circle place 1 tsp. of jam of your preference.
- Roll out the second dough sheet and place on top.
- Press the glass down to form the donuts.
- Repeat the same with the rest of the dough
- Let rest for 1 hour or until the donut doubles in size.
- Heat the butter/oil in a deep pan.
- Carefully drop the donuts in vegetable oil or clarified butter and fry until golden-brown, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, turn and fry an additional 1 minute or until golden brown.
- Turn one more time and fry an additional 30 seconds the upper half. (Important!)
- Remove from pan and place on kitchen towels. Let cool
- Cover with powdered sugar or glaze
Notes
Let cool and cover with powdered sugar, or if preferred a sugar glaze
