14 Oktoberfest Recipes Worth Raising a Stein To

Oktoberfest may be celebrated around the world, but the original festival is a distinctly Bavarian tradition. It began in Munich in 1810 and remains a celebration of Bavarian food, beer and culture today. Here in the United States, though, Oktoberfest celebrations tend to cast a wider net, offering an opportunity to celebrate German food and culture more broadly. From cozy appetizers to filling main dishes, many of these recipes wouldn't feel out of place in Munich, while others draw from German and neighboring Central European cooking or the German-American foods you'll see at an Oktoberfest celebration stateside. Grab a stein and get ready to feast.

There’s no need to prepare a dozen separate dishes to put together a festive Oktoberfest dinner. Sunny Anderson piles red cabbage, potatoes and bratwurst or knockwurst onto sheet pans to roast together, then finishes everything with a sweet, tangy mustard sauce made with orange juice and hot honey.

The elaborately decorated gingerbread hearts known as Lebkuchenherzen are a classic sight at Munich's Oktoberfest, often iced with colorful designs and messages. This easy gingerbread dough isn't a traditional Bavarian Lebkuchen recipe, but it can be cut into any shape you like, making hearts a festive alternative to the usual gingerbread people.

A full day of Oktoberfest festivities calls for something especially refreshing. Geoffrey Zakarian's Radlermass couldn't be simpler: equal parts ale and lemon-lime soda served over ice with a lemon slice for a light, fizzy beer cocktail that takes just five minutes to put together.

Nothing quite hits the spot like warm and comforting Käsespätzle. Tender homemade spätzle are layered with nutty Emmentaler, deeply caramelized onions and chives, then baked until the cheese melts into every nook and cranny. A splash of balsamic vinegar in the onions adds a wonderfully tangy note to the rich sweetness.

Molly Yeh draws on the German food traditions of the Upper Midwest on Girl Meets Farm, including an entire “Midwest Oktoberfest” menu. Her warm German potato salad combines Yukon Gold potatoes with bacon and a punchy dressing of vinegar, grainy mustard and pickle brine, plus plenty of scallions and parsley for freshness.

Wiener schnitzel is technically an Austrian specialty, but the crispy breaded cutlet is closely associated with German-speaking Central European cooking and fits right into an Oktoberfest-inspired feast. Thin veal cutlets get the classic flour, egg and breadcrumb treatment before a quick fry in butter and a simple finish of fresh lemon.

If you're looking for something straight from Bavaria, start here. Obatzda is a creamy cheese spread, and Molly Yeh's version blends Camembert or Brie with butter, wheat beer, paprika, caraway, onion and chives for an appetizer practically begging to be scooped up with a warm pretzel.

No Oktoberfest spread feels quite complete without a basket of warm, salted pretzels. These start with a simple yeasted dough that gets a quick baking-soda bath before hitting a hot oven, resulting in a deeply browned exterior and soft, chewy center that's especially good with mustard.

Bratwurst and sauerkraut are staples of German-American cooking and exactly the kind of hearty pairing you're likely to encounter at an Oktoberfest celebration in the States. Michael Symon browns the sausages first, then simmers them with onions, garlic, caraway and sauerkraut before piling everything onto crusty baguette.

Sunny Anderson's love of spätzle goes back to the years she spent living in Germany as an Army brat, when her family regularly ate jägerschnitzel and spätzle at a neighborhood restaurant. Her easy version of the little dumplings gets an extra-savory upgrade from crisp bacon and its rendered fat, along with nutmeg, cayenne and parsley.

Sweet-tart braised cabbage is a natural partner for rich sausages and other hearty mains. Molly Yeh cooks hers with caraway, onion, apple cider vinegar and Granny Smith apple, then adds fresh dill just before serving for a bright finish.

Sunny's take on German party cheese starts with Camembert or Brie enriched with cream cheese and butter, then seasoned with paprika, caraway, onion and chives. A splash of pilsner loosens the mixture into a spreadable consistency that's ready to anchor a snack board with pretzels, radishes, red onion and cured meats.

Duff Goldman's family apple strudel comes from his great-grandmother, and it has one especially unexpected addition: pineapple. The fruit is cooked down with tart Granny Smith apples before being rolled into buttery layers of phyllo with cinnamon, sugar, breadcrumbs and nuts for a crisp, flaky finish.