Berliner Pfannkuchen: In Berlin, a "Pancake" Is a Jam-Filled Doughnut
A soft, well-risen yeast dough, a golden fried crust, and a modest center of smooth jam added only after the pastries have cooled. The powdered sugar goes on last.
Ask for a Pfannkuchen in Berlin and you will not be handed a flat pancake. According to the city's official portal, in Berlin the word means a fist-sized pastry of yeast dough fried in fat, while the flat egg-batter dish is called Eierkuchen there. Elsewhere in the German-speaking world the same pastry usually goes by Berliner or Krapfen.
Tear one open and you find a light golden shell, a dusting of powdered sugar and a pocket of jam. At home, three things decide whether you get there: letting the yeast dough rise properly twice, frying at a steady temperature you actually measure, and waiting until the pastries cool before you pipe in the jam.
In Berlin, a Fried Pastry Rather Than a Pancake
The name is the first thing that trips people up. Berlin.de explains that Berliners call this pastry simply Pfannkuchen, and that in other regions it is known as Krapfen or Berliner. A background article by the folklorist Irene Krauß for Wissensforum Backwaren describes how widely the names vary across German-speaking regions.
| Where | Commonly used name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin | Pfannkuchen | The flat egg-batter dish is called Eierkuchen in Berlin |
| Many other regions | Berliner | The name widely used outside the city |
| Other regions | Krapfen | Another common name for the same family of fried yeast pastries |
Treat this table as a guide to commonly heard names, not a neat map. The names overlap, and the fillings and shapes vary from place to place.
The Kitchen Before Lent, and What Berlin's Records Show
Krauß explains, from a folklorist's perspective, that fried pastries in German-speaking lands have been linked to using up milk, eggs and fat before the fasting period. A fried dough could be made in a home kitchen, and her article also traces the household tools used for frying. This is an interpretation of past customs, not a description of why every household eats Berliner today, and not a single origin story.
In Berlin, the same article describes pastries like these being sold on the street as the city grew, a recorded recipe from 1795 for an unfilled version, and sales records from later in the nineteenth century. It is also clear about the gap: there is no firm record of when the filled form became established in Berlin.
Berlin.de mentions the story that the pastry was invented in Berlin, but presents it as a legend. Tales of a particular inventor belong in the same category. What can be said with confidence is the name Berliners use and the pastry they mean by it.
Ingredients for 10 Berliner
This recipe makes 10 Berliner Pfannkuchen. It uses fresh yeast.
Choosing the Flour, Jam and Butter
- Flour: The adopted recipe specifies 500g of Weizenmehl Type 405. Flour labels differ between countries; a locally named flour should not be assumed to be identical. A specific brand is not required.
- Jam: Choose a smooth jam. Seeds or large pieces of fruit can clog a narrow piping nozzle, so strain a chunky jam or pick a seedless one. The fruit is up to you; red jams look classic, and the flavor shifts with the fruit you choose.
- Fresh yeast: If you want to use dried yeast instead, follow the conversion on the product you buy. No conversion is given here.
- Butter: Salted butter changes the saltiness of the finished pastry.
This pastry contains wheat, milk and eggs. Check the label of your jam and other ready-made products as well.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Floured counter or board
- Tray or baking sheet, lightly floured
- Clean kitchen cloth
- Deep, heavy pot for frying
- Deep-frying thermometer
- Slotted spoon or skimmer
- Wire rack or paper for draining
- Piping bag with a narrow nozzle
Method: Two Rises, Careful Frying, Then Jam
The rising times are guides. A cool kitchen slows the dough, so look for a clearly puffier dough before moving on.
Color, Rise and the Pale Band: Troubleshooting
The Wissensforum Backwaren article explains that well-risen dough floats in the oil, which is how the pale ring around the middle, the Kragen, forms, and that this band is treated as a mark of quality. A home batch may or may not show a clear band, so take it as something to look for rather than a promise.
| Problem | What to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The dough barely rises | Milk too hot, the yeast's condition, a cold spot for rising | Keep the milk lukewarm, check the yeast's date, move the bowl somewhere warmer and give it more time |
| Dark outside, raw inside | The oil is likely too hot | Bring it back to about 170°C on the thermometer and fry fewer at a time |
| Greasy or slow to color | Oil temperature dropping, under-risen dough, too many in the pot | Check the thermometer, the puffiness of the dough and the batch size, in that order |
| No pale band | How far the dough floats in the oil | Make sure the second rise has clearly puffed the rounds before frying |
| The nozzle clogs | Seeds or chunks of fruit in the jam | Use a smooth jam or strain it first |
| Jam leaks out | Filled while still hot | Let the pastries cool completely before filling |
The German National Tourist Board publishes a different Berliner recipe that makes 12. It rolls and cuts the dough rather than rounding it, and gives about 3–4 minutes of frying at 160°C. In that version the pastries are turned in powdered sugar and cooled before the jam goes in. Its amounts and timings differ from this recipe, so don't combine the two.
Changing the Filling and Finish
Berlin.de lists several fillings found in the city besides jam, and they make the most useful variations.
- Change the jam. Any smooth jam works. A tart fruit and a sweet one give quite different results, so this is the simplest variation.
- Plum mousse (Pflaumenmus). A thick plum spread is one of the fillings Berlin.de mentions. Thickness varies by product, so test that it passes through your nozzle.
- Custard. Also named by Berlin.de. Choose a smooth, pipeable custard.
- Eggnog cream. Berlin.de mentions eggnog-liqueur cream as a local filling. It contains alcohol, so these are not for children. A ready-made product is the easier choice.
Berlin.de also mentions mustard-filled Pfannkuchen, but only as a joke version slipped in to surprise someone. If you ever try that prank, warn anyone who might be caught out by an unexpected filling or an allergen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Berlin Pfannkuchen a pancake?
No. In Berlin, Pfannkuchen means this fried yeast pastry. The flat egg-batter dish is called Eierkuchen in Berlin.
Are Berliner, Krapfen and Berliner Pfannkuchen the same thing?
They are regional names for closely related jam-filled fried yeast pastries. Recipes and fillings vary, so not every version is identical.
What goes inside?
This recipe uses smooth jam. In Berlin you may also find plum mousse, custard or eggnog cream.
When do I add the jam?
After frying and cooling. Then dust with powdered sugar.
Can I use dried yeast?
This recipe uses 42g fresh yeast and gives no dried-yeast conversion. If you substitute, follow the instructions on your yeast package.
Are Berliner only for Carnival?
The Wissensforum Backwaren article describes heavy demand at Carnival time, and also describes fried pastries made and sold outside that season. They are strongly associated with Carnival, but not limited to it.
Explore more dishes from Germany. For other fried pastries, see Apfelküchle and kleinur; their doughs and shapes differ from these yeast-raised Berliner.
Sources
- REWE, "Berliner Pfannkuchen Rezept." The 10-piece recipe this article follows, including the amounts, about 1 hour of rising, about 30 minutes after dividing, frying both sides at 170°C with a thermometer, the wooden-stick bubble check, and filling with jam after cooling. https://www.rewe.de/rezepte/berliner-pfannkuchen/
- Berlin.de / Land Berlin, "Pfannkuchen." The meaning of Pfannkuchen in Berlin, the names Krapfen and Berliner elsewhere, Eierkuchen, the legend of a Berlin origin, and fillings including jam, plum mousse, custard, eggnog cream and the joke mustard version. https://www.berlin.de/tourismus/berlinerisch/5078282-4528094-pfannkuchen.html
- Irene Krauß, "„Ich bin ein Berliner" – Vom rustikalen Schmalzgebäck zum gefüllten Faschingskrapfen," Wissensforum Backwaren e.V. Regional names, the folklorist's explanation of using up milk, eggs and fat before Lent, home frying, street sales in Berlin and the limits of the record, and how well-risen dough floats to form the Kragen. https://wissensforum-backwaren.de/ich-bin-ein-berliner-vom-rustikalen-schmalzgebaeck-zum-gefuellten-faschingskrapfen/
- German National Tourist Board / Germany Travel, "Berliner Pfannkuchen (Jelly Doughnut)." A separate 12-piece recipe, referenced only for comparison. https://www.germany.travel/media/redaktion/erleben_geniessen_content/deutsche_rezepte/rezept_pdf/en_14/DZT_Culinary_Rezepte_EN_RZ_BE.pdf
