German Quark and Potato Pancakes Inspired Quarkkeulchen Recipe
These are small, golden pancakes made from quark and cooked potatoes, fried in a pan and served sweet. In Germany, such pancakes are often made from leftover potatoes from dinner, so nothing goes to waste. The taste is like a cross between cheesecake and potato pancakes, but in a dessert version.
Quarkkeulchen come from Saxony, where they are traditionally pan-fried and served with applesauce as a sweet main dish or afternoon snack.
A clever way to use leftover potatoes and turn them into a sweet, comforting dish with a flavour somewhere between cheesecake and traditional potato pancakes.
Why this version works
- Combining potatoes with curd cheese creates a soft, moist interior without needing a lot of fat.
- Cold, thoroughly mashed potatoes stabilize the batter and keep the pancakes from spreading in the pan.
- Flexible amounts of flour and cream let you adjust the consistency to the exact type of curd cheese you use.
- Frying over medium heat gives you a golden crust and a fully cooked center without burning.
Chef's tips
Use well-drained, fairly dry quark so the dough doesn’t become too wet. If your quark is very moist, you may need to add a bit more flour. Fry on medium heat and be patient – slow, even browning gives the best texture.
How to serve
Serve stacked on a plate with powdered sugar, cream or yogurt and a generous spoonful of jam or fruit compote. They also pair nicely with fresh berries in season.
Watch out for
- Warm potatoes will thin the mixture and the pancakes will soak up a lot of fat while frying.
- Too much flour will turn the pancakes into hard, floury disks without that cheesecake-like softness.
- Too high heat will brown the outside quickly while the center stays wet and floury.
Substitutions
- You can replace Polish twaróg with semi-fat quark from a tub, but drain it well in cheesecloth.
- Swap the raisins for dried cranberries or finely chopped dried apricots for a different kind of sweetness.
- You can partially replace the sugar with xylitol, keeping in mind it will be a bit less sweet.
- You can substitute part of the wheat flour with light spelt flour while still keeping the batter delicate.
Ingredients
- potatoes cooked and cooled - 300 g
- quark - 250 g
- wheat flour - 120 g
- egg - 1 piece
- sugar - 3 tablespoons
- raisins - 40 g
- lemon zest finely grated - 1 teaspoon
- cinnamon ground - 0.5 teaspoons
- oil for frying - 4 tablespoons
- powdered sugar - 2 tablespoons
- cream thick, for serving - 100 g
Preparation
- Let the cooked potatoes cool completely, then press them through a potato ricer or mash very finely with a masher so there are no lumps.
- Mash the quark with a fork or blend briefly so it is smooth and without large pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, quark, egg, sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and raisins. Add the flour and mix everything until you get a soft, slightly sticky dough.
- If the dough is very runny and you can’t shape pancakes, add a little more flour. If it is too stiff, you can add 1–2 tablespoons of cream.
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. With wet hands, form small balls of dough about the size of a walnut, flatten them slightly and place them in the pan.
- Fry the pancakes for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden and slightly crispy on the outside. The heat should not be too high, so they don’t burn on the outside while staying raw in the middle.
- Place the fried pancakes on a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess fat.
- Before serving, dust the pancakes with powdered sugar and serve with a dollop of thick cream or yogurt.
Storage
Fried pancakes taste best fresh, but you can store cooled leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a dry pan or in the oven so they regain some crispness. Avoid freezing, as the texture may suffer.
These Quarkkeulchen-inspired pancakes are a nostalgic, homely dessert that also work beautifully as a special breakfast – especially when you already have cooked potatoes waiting in the fridge.
