Easy German Mini Donuts (Quarkbällchen)

These cute little donuts are one of Germany’s favorite treats during Fastnacht, Fasching, or Karneval, and they are the perfect size to snack on them all day long. They look like donut holes and Jason says they taste a lot like funnel cake and now you know why they're so addictive! The batter comes together quickly and fries up perfectly puffy and golden. They're an amazing spur of the moment answer to 'what kind of sweet treat should we make today?'

The best part: you don't need Quark to make them! But if you miss Quark and want to make some anyways (I get it), you should check out my Quark recipe in my cookbook 'German Home Kitchen.'

In my hometown of Trier, Germany, Fastnacht means parades, costumes, and way too much fun. And while the party side of it used to be my thing, these days I’m more about dressing up my kids and celebrating it with them!

"Looks delicious! Perfect for Fasching" - Marta

Why these German donut holes rule

These mini donuts are:

• Super quick and easy! While I love Berliner, the classic German donut, this recipe is much easier! It requires no yeast, which also means there is no waiting for a rise.
• Light and airy thanks to quark, which gives them that classic German donut texture. No quark? This recipe works great using Greek yogurt as a substitute!
• Delightfully nostalgic, especially if you grew up with Fasching treats!

What you need

A few basic tools and ingredients, most of which you likely already have in your kitchen:

• A deep pot or deep fryer with a high smoke point oil (like peanut, avocado, or safflower oil) 
• A candy/frying thermometer (in case you're not using a fryer) to keep your oil at the right temperature (about 350–375°F / 177–190°C) 
• A strainer (or slotted spoon) for rescuing the finished Quarkbällchen from the hot oil.
• Two soup spoons to drop batter into the hot oil 
• A cooling rack or paper towels for draining fried donuts 

Ingredients

You probably already have everything at home to make these German donuts at home. For a detailed ingredient list with amounts, see the recipe card below.

• Eggs. You're using whole eggs in this recipe. No need to bring them to room temp before making your donuts.
• Sugar. But don't worry because these donuts are not too sweet. You'll ultimately decide how sweet they are with the amount of powdered sugar you add on top.
• Vanilla extract gives your Quarkbällchen a nice warming flavor note.
• Quark! I know this can be a tough one to find in the United States. If you'd like to make it at home, check out my Quark tutorial inside my membership. Otherwise, Greek yogurt works incredibly well in this recipe as a substitution.
• Milk (any kind) to thin the texture of the batter.
• Flour. All-purpose flour works great in this recipe!
• Baking powder is a much quicker rising agent compared to yeast (which is what I use for my traditional German Berliner donuts).
• Powdered sugar to dust the tops of your German mini donuts.
• Oil for frying. Peanut oil or avocado oil are my go-tos.

How to make German donut holes

Wow, that's easy! For detailed instructions, skip to the recipe card below.

1. Mix the batter: In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, quark, flour, baking powder, and salt until smooth and thick (similar to spätzle batter). Add milk if needed to make the batter workable. The consistency can vary based on the exact brand of quark or Greek yogurt you choose, but the batter should be think enough to not be runny.
2. Heat the oil: Clip your thermometer to the pot and fill with oil at least about 3″ deep. Heat to 350–375°F (180–190°C). Or use your fryer instead.
3. Fry the donuts: Using two spoons, scoop spoonfuls of batter and gently slide them into the hot oil in batches. Donut holes should have space to swim. Fry until golden brown, about 3–5 minutes total, turning as needed. 
4. Drain & dust: Lift the fried donuts out with a skimmer and transfer to paper towels or a cooling rack. Let cool slightly, then dust generously with powdered sugar. 

Tips & Notes

Quark Substitutes:
If quark is hard to find (I hear you!), you can swap in whole-milk Greek yogurt, fat-free sour cream, or farmers cheese. Depending on the substitute’s texture, you might need a bit more milk to loosen the batter. 

Keeping Donuts Fresh:
Store leftover donuts at room temperature on a covered cake stand or plate for up to a day. If they lose some crispness, pop them back in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for ~5 minutes to recrisp. However, I totally recommend just finishing them the first day and you likely won't have any issues doing so!

Filling Option:
If you’d like them filled, prepare a piping bag fitted with a filling tip with raspberry jam (the easiest for filling since it has no chunks) or Nutella. Fill the donuts after frying. Rote Grütze is a great option for dipping, too!