German onion pie (called Zwiebelkuchen in Germany) is what I need to make at least once every fall! I have perfected this popular onion cake recipe over the last 7 years for you, so you don't have to think twice about making it.
Follow my easy steps to make a simple yeast dough, then add in the addictive onion filling made with cream and eggs. Top your onion pie with smoky bacon before baking.
In Germany, we eat it as a main course with a side salad and a glass of Federweisser (a young German wine). In America, I love making it for any occasion (but also Thanksgiving) and love it with a glass of good Riesling.
Ingredients
Onion pie uses mostly staple ingredients, which makes it easy to whip up when you get the craving!
- Onions. I use yellow onions for my onion pie. Sweet onions or white onions will work, too.
- Butter. It goes into the filling and into the dough.
- Flour. I use all-purpose wheat flour in my recipe. You'll use it to make the dough and a little thicken the filling.
- Eggs. A couple of whole eggs go into the filling to help it set up.
- Heavy cream. It makes the filling super creamy and delicious! No regrets.
- Bacon. I use thick-cut bacon that I cut into small dice or little lardons (long, little pieces).
- Yeast. In Germany, you will use fresh yeast (sold refrigerated in cubes). If using it, you will need half as much in weight as the dry yeast. Active-dry yeast is what I use for all of my yeast doughs in America. I keep it in an airtight container in the fridge when I don't use it and it stays good for about a year.
- Milk. I use whichever kind of cow's milk I have on hand. Currently, my kids drink 2% milk, so that's what I use. I haven't experimented with plant-based milk, but I am sure it would work just fine.
- Sugar. I use just a little bit of sugar to help wake up the yeast. However, if you want to skip it, you can (the lactose in the milk also helps feed the yeast).
- Caraway Seeds (optional) My Oma Sieghilde used to add some whole caraway seed (one tablespoon or so) into the filling to help with digestion. I am not a big fan of caraway, but you can add some if you would like. It would also be pretty to brush the edges of the crust with egg wash before baking and to top those with caraway.
How to make authentic German onion pie
You may find it surprising that German onion pie is easy to make.
First, you will prepare a simple, buttery yeast dough. While the dough rises, you'll cook the onions until translucent.
Then mix up the egg-cream mixture for the filling and cut up your bacon. Press the dough into the bottom of a pie or tart pan, with the sides going up about one inch (two centimeters). You could also use a square brownie pan or double the recipe for a half-sheet pan.
You will not need to pre-bake your dough before filling.
Fill with the cooked onions first, then add the custard and press the onions down into it. This is to make sure none of the top pieces sticking out will burn. Top the mixture with the cut-up, uncooked bacon. The bacon gets nice and crispy during bacon and the crust will have a nice golden color.
I know you will LOVE making, smelling, eating, and sharing this German onion pie recipe with your family and friends to celebrate the fall season. I have to make it at least once every fall.
Drink pairing for onion pie
Traditionally in Germany, onion pie is served with Federweisser. Federweisser is a young, sweet wine that can usually be picked up seasonally from local wineries in Germany.
You can make homemade Federweisser, but I haven't tried it yet. However, once I do, I will put the recipe up. Another wine pairing that would work well with Zwiebelkuchen is a young Riesling. A semi-dry or dry Riesling would be lovely, which is my favorite!
More German onion recipes
Zwiebelkuchen has to be at the top for my favorite onion-forward German recipes. But if you're looking for more, check out my German onion meatloaf (Zwiebelhackbraten), Oma's Klößchen with onions and, rye sourdough bread with onions and Käsespätzle (German cheese noodles).
Video
Watch me make German onion pie in this short video.
German Onion Pie (Zwiebelkuchen)
Equipment
- Quiche Pan This one (as shown in pictures) is so pretty!
Ingredients
Zwiebelkuchen Filling
- 250 grams all-purpose flour
- 55 grams butter
- 3 grams active-dry yeast half a little pouch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 155 milliliters milk lukewarm
Zwiebelkuchen Filling
- 500 grams yellow onions about 4 medium-sized onions
- 55 grams butter to cook the onion in, plus some more for greasing the pan
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs size US large
- 100 milliliters heavy cream
- 2 slices bacon I use thick-cut bacon and cut into little strips or cubes
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds optional. I do not use them, but my Oma Sieghilde added some (see notes below)
Instructions
- Dissolve the dried yeast and sugar in some of the luke warm milk and allow to sit until bubbly, about 5 minutes.1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 155 milliliters milk, 3 grams active-dry yeast
- Add the remaining dough ingredients and knead for 5 minutes. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 1 ½ hours.In the meantime, rub your baking dish with soft butter.250 grams all-purpose flour, 55 grams butter, 1 teaspoon salt
- While the dough rises, trim and peel the onions and cut them up into rings or half rings.500 grams yellow onions
- Over medium heat and in a large skillet, cook the onion with the butter until they are clear and soft. You don't want to brown them. This can take 10 minutes or longer. Add the flour and let the mixture cool down. Season with a good amount of salt.55 grams butter, 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Whisk together the eggs and cream. Add caraway if desired (you can also sprinkle it on top instead).2 eggs, 100 milliliters heavy cream, 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- Press down the dough evenly in the baking pan using your hands and fingers, going up about one inch or two centimeters on the sides. No tools needed!Note: My quiche pan has a 9.5-inch diameter, but if yours is larger, your Zwiebelkuchen just won't be quite as tall.
- Add the cooked onions to the baking dish and top with the egg-cream mixture. Sprinkle the caraway seed on top (or add to the filling). Evenly distribute the cut-up bacon on top.2 slices bacon
- Bake on the middle rack at 390° F (200° C) for 35 to 45 minutes. Gentle wiggle your baking dish. The middle should not shake when it's fully baked and the crust should be nice and golden in color.
- Allow cooling for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with Federweißer (a young German wine) or some good Riesling and a green salad on the side. Guten Appetit!
Lena
Super easy recipe and sooo delicious!!
dirndlkitchen
So happy you loved my Zwiebelkuchen recipe!! We love it so much and make it at least once every fall!
Sarah
Hi Sophie - I came across this recipe on your Instagram page. I’m so glad I did. I had never tried Zweibelkuchen while in Germany but my Bavarian husband is familiar with the dish so I was excited to find an easy recipe to try it. I followed your recipe which was so easy and also skipped the caraway seeds. This was delicious! My husband and I loved it and will definitely be making again in the future. I also appreciate the wine suggestions, it really adds to the meal.
dirndlkitchen
I am so excited that you love this recipe and that it convinced your Bavarian husband! I have to make it at least once every fall and I am going to be making it for Thanksgiving this year (like I do most Thanksgiving). So glad you liked the wine suggestions with it too!
Eve
My Ukrainian grandmother made something similar to this recipe. Its origin was always a mystery. I believe it was based on zwiebelkuchen and she learned how to make it during WW2 when she worked as a laborer at a German farm. She used sour cream topped with sauteed onions as the filling. I did the same when I made it (baked at 425° for 20-25 min) but I would love to try it with this filling. The crust was moist and delicious! My father said it tasted just like my grandmother's crust.
dirndlkitchen
This makes me incredibly happy and your story gave me goosebumps. Thank you so much for sharing!
Lori
Oh, Zwiebelkuchen!! I'm so happy to find this recipe. I love Zwiebelkuchen. For along time, there was a German couple at our farmers market every week. She made an incredible Zwiebelkuchen and a phenomenal sourdough rye bread. I have pretty much replicated the rye bread but I am not q u i t e there with the Zwiebelkuchen. Thanks to you, now I can do it. Can't wait! Vielen Dank!
Sophie Sadler
Lori, I am so happy that you my Zwiebelkuchen was a success for you! Thank you so much for the kind comment.
Glen
Fantastic recipe. I used vidalia onions which add an extra rich sweetness to the pie. My friends just loved this. I’ve used zwiebelkuchen as an appetizer.
Marina Nyberg
I think this Zwiebelkuchen is a winner! My daughter sent me the link to this recipe with a request to make it for Easter Sunday. I had to take a deep breath because to me, as a native German, this is a fall dish to be served with fresh new wine. But I made it and I'm so pleased.
The crust is perfect. I don't have a beautiful little ceramic tart pan like yours but a 9.5" pie/quiche pan with 2" high sides. It's pretty large. The other challenging factor: half of my family is vegetarian but will consume eggs and dairy.
Here's how I adapted your recipe:
I made the dough for the crust as specified. It stretched easily into my larger pie pan. No changes needed from your recipe.
Here's what I changed:
I doubled the weight of the onions because I knew my pan was too big to fill with the amount from your original recipe. Since I had to make the recipe vegetarian, I omitted the bacon, added another onion, two leeks and 8 scallions, chopped, for depth of flavor, and I also added one egg and 50 ml of heavy cream.
The onion pie/Zwiebelkuchen turned out delicious! I made the Zwiebelkuchen a day ahead of serving it, reheated it, then reheated the leftovers the next day. The crust never got soggy but stayed crisp. Thank you for a great recipe!
dirndlkitchen
Vielen lieben Dank, Marina! I love this Zwiebelkuchen recipe so much and am so grateful your daughter sent it your way to try out! I hope you make many more of my German recipes to help you feel closer to Germany! Sophie