This post may contain affiliate links.Please read our disclosure policy.
Traditional German Onion Pie (Zwiebelkuchen) is loaded with bacon and sweet, caramelized onions! A savory, easy fall bake for wine nights, easy dinners, and Oktoberfest gatherings.
There’s something magical about a warm slice of German Onion Cake (Zwiebelkuchen). Sweet, soft caramelized onions, smoky bacon, and a hint of caraway, all on a tender, fluffy dough. It’s the kind of cozy fall dish you’ll want to bake again and again (and yes, it pairs beautifully with a glass of wine).
Zwiebelkuchen is a traditional favorite in southern Germany and at harvest wine festivals, especially when enjoyed warm with “new wine” (Federweißer). There are different varieties of Zwiebelkuchen. This Bavarian version of onion tart, called Zwiebelplootz in Franconia, is made on a large baking sheet and uses a yeast dough for the base. The topping is thinner than in the Swabian version, which is baked in a springform pan.
Looking for more German fall recipes? Check out our Flammkuchen recipe, German Apple Cake, and German Plum Cake.
Why Our Recipe
- Traditional recipe – I’m from Bavaria and love Zwiebelkuchen. This recipe is as authentic as it gets!
- Easy to make – This is a great recipe to make for a crowd. It tastes delicious lukewarm, but also great cold or reheated.
- Simple ingredients – All the ingredients are easy to get at any grocery store. In fact, you probably already have most of them at home!
Key Ingredients (& Swaps)
Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom for quantities.
- Milk: Make sure the milk is just lukewarm and not hot.
- Yeast: I use instant dry yeast for the dough.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works best. Make sure to measure it correctly; I like to use my scale and switch to metric measurements in the recipe card.
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter. Make sure the butter is soft but not liquid.
- Onions: Yellow onions are traditional. White onions or sweet onions will work too.
- Bacon: I use thick-cut bacon and cut it into lardons or small dice. Leave it out for a vegetarian version and use butter for cooking the onions instead.
- Sour Cream: American sour cream is slightly different from German sour cream (Saure Sahne), but it is a great substitute that doesn’t change the taste of this dish.
- Eggs: The eggs thicken the onion topping.
- Caraway seeds: Caraway seeds add a lot of flavor and are essential in this traditional recipe.
My Top Tips Before You Start
- Caramelize carefully: Cook the onions over medium-low heat so they soften and sweeten without burning. This takes about 20 minutes.
- Don’t skip resting the dough: Let the yeast dough rise fully; this gives you a light, airy crust.
- Cool the onion mixture before mixing with eggs: This helps avoid cooking the eggs before it goes in the oven.
- Bake until golden: Make sure to bake it until it is lightly golden and the filling is completely set.
- Let it rest: Allow the pie to cool a few minutes after baking. It cuts cleaner, the topping sets, and the flavors settle.
How to make authentic German Onion Pie
- Make the dough: Make the dough according to the recipe instructions (see recipe card below) and let it rise until doubled.
- Caramelize the onions and cook the bacon: In a large skillet, fry the diced bacon until crispy then add the finely diced onions, reduce the heat and cook slowly for about 20 minutes until soft, sweet, and a little golden.
- Mix the filling: In a bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, salt, and caraway seeds. Add the cooled cooked onions to the bowl and stir thoroughly.
- Roll out the dough: On a baking sheet spread the dough evenly about 1/2 inch thick across the pan. This works best with your hands.
- Assemble the onion pie: Pour the onion-egg mixture on top and spread out evenly. Then bake at 200F until the top is lightly golden and the filling is set.
Serving Suggestions
- Zwiebelkuchen tastes best while it’s still lukewarm.
- Serve it with a salad on the side: A simple green salad or my German Cucumber Salad goes perfectly with this dish.
- In Germany, Federweisser is traditionally served with Zwiebelkuchen, but a glass of semi-dry Riesling also goes well with it.
- Great for lunch, dinner, brunch, wine nights, and Oktoberfest gatherings (Check out my recipe for homemade Bavarian Pretzels).
Storage
Make-ahead: Zwiebelkuchen tastes best fresh while it’s still lukewarm. But you can also make it a few hours ahead of time and serve it cold or reheat it in the oven just before serving.
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. The onion pie will keep about 3 days. It tastes great cold or warm. Reheat leftovers in the oven for the best texture or microwave.
Freeze: Freeze slices after cooling completely. Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm in the oven.
More German Recipes
German Onion Pie (Zwiebelkuchen)
Ingredients
For the yeast dough:
- 1 cup milk, lukewarm
- 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar, (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
For the onion topping:
- 2 ½ lbs yellow onions, finely diced
- 5 slices bacon, finely diced
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine milk, yeast, flour, sugar, butter, and salt, and knead until a soft dough forms, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead with your hands for one more minute.1 cup milk, 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let the dough rest in a warm spot for 40 minutes or until about doubled in size.
- Make the onion topping: In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy then add the onions. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the onions slowly caramelize to a nice golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes.5 slices bacon, 2 ½ lbs yellow onions
- In a bowl, combine sour cream, eggs, salt, and caraway seeds. Add the cooled onion mixture to it and stir to combine.¾ cup sour cream, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- Grease an 18×13-inch baking sheet. With floured hands, spread the dough evenly about 1/2 inch high. Let it rise while you preheat the oven to 390℉ (200℃).
- Spread the onion mixture evenly on top. Bake in the middle of the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the top is light brown and the filling is set. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving. This tart tastes best lukewarm.
Might be tempted to try your recipe but what in the world does
” 1 tsp package instant dry yeast 2 and 1/4 ”
mean?
I’m so sorry, Fred! I changed my recipe plugin a few weeks ago and it seems like the import didn’t work perfectly. It should say “1 package instant dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)”. – Julia