Every September and October, Germans everywhere celebrate Oktoberfest.
People gather together in large tents called Spiegeltents where there’s lots of entertainment.
But of course, the star of the show is the food and beer.
So naturally, many will travel to a nearby Oktoberfest, and some will host an Oktoberfest buffet at home with some traditional German Food Recipes.
I’ve attended Oktoberfest celebrations in Munich (thankfully before the dawn of social media) and the annual celebration in Big Bear Lake, CA.
It’s always a good time where you can enjoy some great food and friends. And maybe even make some more friends too!
Hosting an Oktoberfest Buffet at home
If you’re hosting an Oktoberfest event at home, be sure to prepare your menu ahead of time, particularly if you are hosting it potluck style.
After all, there are several ways to make some yummy German Potato Salad, so you want to make sure there will be plenty of other dishes too!
Be sure to also include some entertainment.
You’ll want to download some oompah music if a band isn’t available.
And be sure to have someone ready to get the crowd fired up with some sing-alongs with Oktoberfest classics like “Ba Ba Ba Ri Ba” and responsive drinking chants like “Tiki Taki, Tiki Taki – Oi Oi Oi!!!”
You may even want to play some games.
A fun one that’s easy to play is where you see who can hold out their beer stein filled with beer the longest.
(These games and songs are obviously a lot more fun when you’ve already enjoyed filling your stein once or twice.)
This game is really a challenge when you use a stein like the steins I brought home from the Hofbrauhaus in Munich.
They hold a liter!
If you’re enjoying one of these, have fun, but please remember to have a designated driver.
German Food Recipes for your Oktoberfest Buffet
But for me, the biggest attraction is the delicious food.
And would any Oktoberfest be complete without some yummy brats and a nice beer?
So put on your apron, order a keg of your favorite German beer (mine is Warsteiner’s Dunkle), and let’s cook!
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite German recipes that are perfect to serve on your Oktoberfest buffet.
We’ve even included a few different recipes for the same recipe so you can look over the ingredients and ways to cook them and decide what Oktoberfest fare works best for you.
Oktoberfest Pretzels
Be sure to make include some delicious homemade pretzels on your Oktoberfest buffet.
They make a great appetizer, and a terrific snack food to munch on to help soak up the beer.
Homemade Pretzels with Beer Cheese Dip
Inspired by the traditional recipe at Munich’s Hofbrauhaus, you’ll enjoy these yummy homemade pretzels with a delicious beer cheese dip.
Oktoberfest Pretzels are one of our favorite German Finger Food recipes.
Beer Cheese Dip that goes great with pretzels
With this beer cheese dip recipe, you have your choice of making it spicy or serving it a bit more mild.
You can spice it up with a spicy mustard, a brat mustard or with horseradish.
Oktoberfest Salads
A lot of traditional German foods served for Oktoberfest can be heavy on carbs, so you can always serve something lighter like one of these salads to help balance your meal.
Rotkohl (Sweet & Sour Cabbage)
This traditional Prussian Rotkohl {German Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage} is a symphony of smokey, sweetly spiced notes, with just a hint of sour for balance.
If you like sauerkraut, we think you’ll also like rotkohl.
German Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat)
If you like crunch, you’ll love this German Cucumber Salad recipe.
Made with very thinly sliced cucumbers, onions and fresh dill, it’s a delicious crunchy treat to add to your Oktoberfest menu.
Serve it as a salad or munch on it like German Finger Food.
Homemade Sauerkraut (Pickled Cabbage)
Your Oktoberfest fare is incomplete without a dish of homemade sauerkraut.
Our recipe can be served as a salad, as a side dish or even served as a condiment to go with your favorite brats.
If you only serve two things, serve some brats and some sauerkrat for your Oktoberfest celebration.
Instant Pot German Red Cabbage and Apples
Dishes with red cabbage are great to serve for Oktoberfest, and this one is different from sauerkraut, even though they look similar.
This dish is made with cabbage and apples.
Since it’s made in the Instant Pot, it’s also an easy addition to your menu, particularly if your range is at capacity with other dishes.
Oktoberfest Potato Dishes
No Oktoberfest buffet is complete without some delicious potato dishes.
Whether you’re making German Potato Salad or Kartoffelpuffer pancakes (potato pancakes), you’ll enjoy serving some of these delicious recipes as a side dish.
A yummy German potato salad recipe with crunchy bacon, red onions, celery, and a tangy, savory, and slightly sweet apple cider vinegar and mustard sauce.
Serve it piping hot straight from the stove with your favorite sausages for a cozy meal!
Potato pancakes, called Kartoffelpuffer Pancakes in German, are a traditional German recipe that goes very well on your Oktoberfest buffet.
It’s a versatile dish, and you can serve it with a side of sourcream, or even apple sauce.
Kartoffelpuffer pancakes taste great with brats or pork schnitzel.
Kartoffelsalat (German Potato Salad)
There’s no such thing as too much German Potato Salad on your Oktoberfest menu.
And we love this recipe too, particularly since it incorporates bacon as an ingredient. Mmmm…. Bacon…
Spaetzel (German Egg Noodles)
Spaetzel are delicious, German egg noodles.
They make a delicious side dish with many traditional German recipes.
Take a humedrum spaetzle dish and give it a swabian flare.
Add sauteed onions and cheese for a quick and easy, and more importantly – tasty, German dish.
Easy Spaetzle Recipe – How to make German Egg Noodles
It doesn’t have to be complicated to make this delicious, easy German Bavarian recipe for spaetzel.
Oktoberfest Main Dishes
A lot of Oktoberfest recipes are designed to go with the main dish.
Those dishes are often served with a type of pork sausage called a brat, a schnitzel, or a sauerbraten.
We’ve collected some of these traditional recipes for you to make at home.
Delicious pork schnitzel just melts in your mouth.
With it’s crunchy breading, it’s a little bit of heaven in your mouth.
And it’s great served with so many traditional German recipes like sauerkraut, spaetzle, and potato salad.
One-Pan Boiled Brats with Sweet Onions & Hard Apple Cider
An easy recipe for savory, juicy bratwurst browned & boiled all in one pan on the stove top with sweet onions and hard apple cider.
This is a tried-and-true technique for cooking brats all-year long without a grill.
Sauerbraten is far from your typical pot roast, though it’s might be described as one.
This traditional German dish takes a bit more prep, but there’s such depth of flavor. Comforting deliciousness!
When you need a yummy, convenient meal to make for an Oktoberfest celebration, try this Crock Pot pork and sauerkraut.
It comes together easily, and the flavors are nice and rich.
A relatively new Oktoberfest dish (if you consider the 1940s new), German Currywurst is kind of like a marriage between a brat and a hot link with curried spices.
It really brings out the pork’s flavor, and gives such a nice kick that goes really well with some pretzels and beer cheese dip or soup.
Slow Cooker Sauerbraten Beef in Gingersnap Gravy
An easy way to make sauerbraten is in the slow cooker.
And with the extra flavor from the gingersnaps, it’s an absolute delight to enjoy for Oktoberfest, especially served over some homemade spaetzel.
Oktoberfest Desserts
End your Oktoberfest meal with an Oktoberfest dessert recipe.
Whether you want something very traditional or an updated, easier way to make a classic, we’ve got some great recipes for you to enjoy.
Instant Pot Black Forest Cherry Pie Dump Cake
Making a Black Forest Cake in the Instant Pot is so easy.
It tastes delicious and is nice and moist when you serve it.
You’ll also enjoy being able to focus your attention on other dishes you’re preparing while the dessert cooks in the pressure cooker.
Pflaumenkuchen (Fresh Plum Cake)
This sheet cake, baked with fresh plums, is a delightful dish that’s sweet, but not too sweet. It’s a great way to use up your fresh plums.
Sounds weird, tastes great!!
This unusual chocolate cupcake is so, so good.
The cocoa, beer, and sauerkraut combination makes for an exquisite pairing you have simply must try!
Easy to make, this beer cupcake recipe is unique and fabulous.
Chocolate Beer Frosting Recipe
This chocolate beer frosting recipe is simple to make, and is ready in just a few minutes.
This chocolate frosting can be piped, textured, petaled, used a smooth frosting and more!
try it and share!
Please let us know how you enjoy the recipes we rounded up in German Food Recipes for Your Oktoberfest Buffet.
If you make one of the recipes yourself, please let us know on Pinterest that you tried it and tag us with #champagneandcoconuts on your Instagram photo.
If you haven’t had a chance to make it yet, be sure to save the recipe on Pinterest so you’ll remember where you found it.
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Hi, I’m Jennifer. I love to cook and entertain. I have a lot of fun sharing traditional food and drink recipes as well as putting a new spin on the classics. I strive to provide easy to make recipes that are perfect for the home cook, bartender and entertainer.