Easy German Donut Holes

EASY Donut Hole Recipe Quarkballchen dirndl kitchen

5 from 10 votes

These German donut holes are a staple at German carnvival! They're made with quark, but work well with Greek yogurt (or sour cream or farmer's cheese). This addition helps to get them perfectly fluffy and soft. And here's a fair warning: they come together so quickly, you'll make Quarkbällchen over and over again!

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Cooling Time10

Total Time35

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Coffee, Dessert, Kaffee, Snack

Cuisine: German

Keyword: German Carnival Recipes, German Carnvial Donut Recipe, German donut hole recipe, German Donut Holes, German Fastnacht Recipe, German Mini Donuts, German quark donuts recipe

Servings: donut holes

Calories: 154kcal

Author: Author: Sophie Sadler

Equipment

Frying Thermometer This is a super useful tool that doesn't take up much space.
Skimmer Great for fishing out your mini donuts. If you don't have one, use a slotted spoon of some kind.
Fryer Optional, if you don't have a. frying thermometer. But it's easier to keep the oil temperature steady using a fryer versus a cooktop.

Ingredients

3 eggs
100 grams sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
250 grams quark See the notes for substitutions
100 milliliters milk can use any kind of milk
375 grams all purpose flour
16 grams baking powder
pinch salt
powdered sugar for dusting the tops
oil for frying Make sure to use a high smoke point oil. Peanut oil and avocado oil are my go-to's and to me, result in the best taste (vegetable oil works fine as well).

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Using a whisk or rubber spatula, combine all ingredients (except milk) in a large bowl to create a smooth, thick batter, similar to Spätzle in consistency. The batter should be thick and you should be able to barely stir it.
If needed, add some milk (this really depends on the consistency of the quark or quark substitute you're adding).
See notes for substitutes for quark or learn to make quark in my membership.
Clip a candy thermometer to a pot, fill at least 3 inches with frying oil, and heat to correct frying temperature (about 350℉ or 180℃).
Using two large spoons, scoop out the batter and drop it into the hot oil. Work in batches. You want enough room for the Quarkbällchen to be able to swim on the surface. They will expand to about twice the size, so account for that.
Fry until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes total, flipping them halfway through.
Remove your cooked donuts from hot oil using a steel skimmer (or slotted spoon) and transfer them to a plate covered with a paper towel or a cooling rack. Allow cooling for a few minutes before dusting with powdered sugar.
If filling, fit a pastry bag with a filling tip and your favorite jam or Nutella. Raspberry jam works best for filling as it's a smooth consistency already.
I also love dipping them in Rote Grütze, a German berry sauce!

Notes

Quark replacement

While replacing Quark doesn't always work, it thankfully does in this recipe! You can replace Greek yogurt for the quark amount listed OR use regular yogurt (the consistency is a bit runnier) for the milk PLUS quark used in this recipe. Sour cream or farmer's cheese also work as substitutions for the quark.

Homemade Quark

Want to step it up a notch? I have a homemade quark video tutorial inside my membership 'The German Connection.' It only took me about 10 years or trial and error to figure out the right method that has the right taste, texture and live probiotics, and it's SO GOOD!

Nutrition