Celebrating Oktoberfest by using these recipes for your Oktoberfest Menu Ideas to make at home has never been easier with these tried and true recipes. These German Food Ideas cover all the things you need to celebrate the Bavarian Festival at home. (Pretzels, Sauerbraten, Schnitzel, Brats and Apple Tart— It’s all here)
Whether you want a authentic Oktoberfest Menu that you take the extra time to make like a traditional Sauerbraten or you want a simpler dinner made in one pan. These recipes will hook you up!
There are appetizers with Pretzels–– an easy 5-minute pretzel bite (with yeast too) and a fun day of making the large soft homemade German pretzel recipes. You can make Bavarian Dips to go with them!
We have the best soups from beer brat soup to Beer Cheese Soup— Meals you can easily make on a budget and not spend hours in the kitchen.
Making a full meal of grilled brats, sausage and kraut or your favorite schnitzel (pork or chicken) we have you covered along with all the side dishes that are authentic Bavarian food. Food like Spaetzel and German Red Cabbage.
Appetizers & Starters: Bavarian Food Recipes
Everything you need to get your Oktoberfest Party started off on the right foot! Whether you start with a finger food like Soft Pretzels and a Beer Cheese Dip or make a hearty Beer Cheese Soup we have you covered with all sorts of traditional German Food Ideas!
Soft pretzel bites have the chewy fluffy inside you love in a soft pretzel! Make them for Octoberfest parties or just as a snack! Made in the air fryer so you can have them super fast! (oven alternative too!) Serve them with the beer cheese dip that follows!
Beer Cheese dip is great for pretzels, dipping bread into or slathered over a hot sandwich. Easy to make fast with pantry ingredients that is perfect for parties for a crowd or an easy cocktail appetizer!
Served Fresh and warm from the oven with a soft flavorful inside and a slightly crisp bite, these Homemade German Pretzels are perfect for when you want something a little more than just chips and dip!
Pretzels and dip all baked together is a great way to honor German traditions and have a great start to your Octoberfest Celebration!
Smothered on crusty bread, Kartoffelkäse (German Potato Cheese Spread) is like putting mashed potatoes in the limelight it deserves. Funnily enough, this 4 ingredient recipe actually contains no cheese at all. (Serve it on the beer bread below or with the soft pretzels above!
Easy and crusty no-knead 5-ingredient beer bread recipe. Sweet, delicious, healthy and nutritious bread with a little prickliness.
These soft and salty pastries, pretzel corners, are perfect for breakfast, as a quick on-the-go snack as well as a coveted item on the cold buffet.
Savory bratwurst, simmered in dark German lager, wrapped in puff pastry, and served with a rich and smooth Smoked Gouda Fondue. This phenomenal combination of flavors and a completely new take on “Pigs in Blankets” will make any party, any occasion, absolutely perfect.
Simple Bavarian Meals for an Oktoberfest Menu with Home Cookie
When you want an Oktoberfest themed menu but don't want to spend hours in the kitchen, these recipes like beer brat soup (add a little sauerkraut for true German Food) to Oktoberfest Chili (kraut in your chili? Yes Please! We've even got an easy way to stuff your brats and grill them too!
No need to spend hours cooking, --- but still great delicious easy to make Oktoberfest Food Ideas!
Simple Corn Chowder made with fresh sweet corn, beer and brats for a comfort food meal that can be ready in 40 minutes. Add a cup of sauerkraut for an easy German Soup!
This Beer Cheese Soup recipe hits that sweet spot with a creamy, sharp flavor from the cheddar and a deep, earthy flavor from the beer. It's the perfect dish to celebrate the beer holiday, Oktoberfest! (I made this over the weekend and used my favorite german lager and it was AMAZING! )
Thick, creamy and oh so good! This easy soup recipe is packed full of tender potatoes, onions, celery and savory. Serve with the beer bread above and an ice-cold beer for a simple German Celebration!
Perfect for Tailgating, these Grilled Sauerkraut Stuffed Brats on a Stick have the Kraut tucked right in! Serve then on the stick for the no carb eaters at your football game!
Spicy, hearty, full of bratwurst, kraut and delicious broth that scream Octoberfest Flavors!
Sometimes there's just nothing like a big sloppy sandwich, with big German flavors, like this Bratwurst Grilled Cheese Sandwich on a pretzel roll. Fall comfort food that is perfect for your party food!
These German inspired Cabbage Rolls are filled with ground pork and sauerkraut, then simmered in a garlic onion broth for an amazingly flavorful recipe!
Oktoberfest Themed Food Ideas you'll want to sit down and enjoy with your Guests (Main Course)
The king of Oktoberfest Meals is Sauerbraten and we have you covered with a slow cooker version. It may take a while to marinate, but not much work involved once you make it. Other stick to your ribs comfort food like sausages and dumplings, and potatoes and brats.
With one-pan meals and skillet meals you'll find easy clean-up recipes too!
This Sauerbraten recipe (traditional German pot roast) is made in the slow cooker it's tender it just falls apart. Marinated in vinegar, wine and simple spices it's perfect for your own authentic Oktoberfest party!
Air fryer pork schnitzel is crazy delicious! It can be our secret that it's a healthy alternative to deep-frying. This juicy tender boneless pork chop is coated in a crispy panko crust accented with bavarian seasonings that will become a entertaining favorite for a casual dinner!
Quick, easy and delicious cabbage and smoked sausage skillet that makes the perfect dish to celebrate OKTOBERFEST. It can be served by itself with mustard or in a sub roll.
This dish is so German and so tasty. Sauerkraut and sausage are all that we really need to say, but then add in knoephla dumplings, cream, and butter. Heaven in a skillet. So much flavor going on in this dish.
Sausage and Potatoes--- can you want more? Top it off that you make it all on a sheet pan for easy cleanup after hosting your Oktoberfest Party!
Sausage, Apple, Sauerkraut and Potato Skillet ~ German sausages with apples, onion, sauerkraut and potatoes in one skillet on the stovetop, perfect for celebrating Oktoberfest and the fall season!
Jaeger Schnitzel or Jagerschnitzel means hunter’s schnitzel. It’s a schnitzel topped with a mushroom sauce. It may or may not be breaded. My personal preference is the breaded variety.
Sides that are perfect to pair with your Bavarian Themed Dinner
From beautiful German red cabbage to homemade spaetzel you'll find all the sides you need to make your dinner party complete!
Authentic German red cabbage is a sweet and sour recipe that is often served as a side dish during Oktoberfest. It's easy to make with just a few simple ingredients and is a different side dish for pork chops, chicken sauerbraten or any of your favorite meat dishes!
Part noodle, part dumpling a classic german side dish pairs with all of your favorite Oktoberfest Party Food!
This is it, you kraut lovers, this is for you! This classic Bavarian snack, crispy golden brown ping pong sized balls, combines the creaminess of potatoes and the tangy tartness of sauerkraut.
German Fried Potatoes & Onions or Bratkartofflen is the ultimate comfort food. It’s also the perfect side dish for German entrées such as schnitzel and bratwurst.
Sweets to cap off your German Oktoberfest at Home
No party is complete without a sweet at the end! Or just have a dessert buffet and eat only dessert! From German Plum Cake to delicious Apple tart these are make-ahead ideas your guests (and you ) will enjoy!
Baumkuchen is a traditional German cake. It is labour intensive cake if you make it in the traditional way, but I am going to show you how to make this beautiful cake at home the easy way!
Delicious and Easy Apple Tart is so impressive, your family and guests will be impressed. This tasty tart is made with a puff pastry crust and your favorite apple.
German Plum Cake - Zwetschgenkuchen - is a sheet cake with yeasted sweet bread base, a generous layer of fresh plums, and a streusel crumb topping
There is something about the carts they have at Oktoberfest Celebrations watching them hand dip your caramel apple. These sweet treats give you plenty of options to make ahead for a fun party closer!
Erica Schwarz
Monday 21st of September 2020
Love me some pretzel bread bites and beer cheese dip YUM! Great roundup of yummy foods!