Krapfen

Name: Austrian Apricot Krapfen
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 12–15 pieces
Cuisine: Austria
Ingredients: 500 g (1 lb 1½ oz) all-purpose flour; 1 packet (7 g) (2¼ tsp) dry yeast; 250 ml (1 cup + 1 tbsp) whole milk; 60 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar; 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter; 2 large eggs; 1 lemon zest; 1 pinch salt; 1 L (4 cups) vegetable oil; 300 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) apricot jam; 100 g (1 cup) powdered sugar

Also known as Faschingskrapfen, Wiener Krapfen

📍 Countrywide — strongest in Vienna, Salzburg, Graz, Innsbruck ★ 4.3

Last updated Aug 28, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

Austrian yeasted doughnut filled with dark Powidl plum jam, traditionally eaten through the carnival season and at Kaffeejause all year.

About Krapfen

Krapfen is the Austrian version of a filled yeasted doughnut, a soft, round, plum-jam-filled ball of sweet dough fried in clarified butter and dusted with powdered sugar, traditionally eaten during the carnival season between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday, and especially heavy in the weeks leading up to Fasching. The classic Austrian filling is Powidl, a slowly cooked, almost black plum jam made from dried quetsch plums, and the dough is enriched with egg yolks, butter and a splash of rum.

The best Austrian Krapfen are made the morning they are eaten, so that the inside is still just slightly warm and the jam inside has not yet soaked fully into the dough. They are round, the size of a small fist, with a pale golden crust and a characteristic white ring around the middle where the doughnut floated in the oil while frying. The same dough is the basis of Faschingskrapfen, Berliner Pfannkuchen, and the Italian bombolone, and a Krapfen is the thing every Austrian bakery window is full of from mid-January until the start of Lent.

A Krapfen is also one of the central foods of an Austrian Kaffeejause, the late-afternoon coffee-and-pastry table, where a single doughnut is cut in half with a fork, the inside inspected for jam, and eaten with the fingers while the coffee is still hot. Outside carnival season, the Krapfen reappears at Easter, and the filled-yeast-doughnut form is the same family as the Slovenian krof, the Hungarian fánk, the Czech kobliha and the Polish pączek, all of which descend from the same Habsburg-court kitchen.

🏛️ History & Culture

Krapfen, a fried yeast pastry typically filled with apricot jam and dusted with powdered sugar, holds a cherished place in Austrian dessert culture. Its origins are debated, as similar filled doughnuts appear across Central Europe, but in Austria it is most strongly tied to the Carnival season (Fasching), where it is traditionally enjoyed in the weeks before Lent.

Regional variations abound: in Vienna and eastern Austria, Krapfen are often served plain or with jam, while in other areas they may be filled with vanilla custard or even savory options. Beyond Carnival, they are also a popular treat on New Year's Eve, symbolizing good luck and prosperity, and remain a staple at family gatherings and local markets throughout the year.

🍳 How to make Krapfen

AI-assisted, not kitchen-tested

Austrian Apricot Krapfen

Fluffy, golden yeast-raised doughnuts filled with apricot jam and dusted with powdered sugar – a classic Austrian carnival treat.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 50 min
Serves: 12–15 pieces
Difficulty: Medium

Recipe ingredients

500 g (1 lb 1½ oz) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 packet (7 g) (2¼ tsp) dry yeast, or 15 g fresh yeast
250 ml (1 cup + 1 tbsp) whole milk, lukewarm, about 35°C/95°F
60 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar
60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 lemon zest, organic, finely grated
1 pinch salt
1 L (4 cups) vegetable oil, for deep frying, e.g. sunflower or canola
300 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) apricot jam, smooth, for filling
100 g (1 cup) powdered sugar, for dusting, or to taste

Steps

1 In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in the lukewarm milk. Let stand for 5–10 minutes until frothy.
2 In a large bowl, combine the flour, remaining sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture, melted butter, and eggs.
3 Mix with a spoon, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until a smooth, elastic dough forms. Place in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm spot for 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
4 Punch down the dough and roll it out on a floured surface to 1.5 cm (½ inch) thick. Cut out rounds with a 7–8 cm (3-inch) cutter. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut more. Place the rounds on a floured baking sheet, cover, and let proof for 30–45 minutes until puffy.
5 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep, heavy pot to 170–175°C (340–350°F). Use a deep-fry thermometer to ensure the temperature is correct.
6 Carefully slide a few dough rounds into the hot oil, not crowding. Fry for 2–3 minutes per side, turning once, until golden brown and puffed. The internal temperature of the dough should be at least 90°C (194°F) – check the center of one with an instant-read thermometer.
7 Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. While still warm, fill each krapfen with a generous teaspoon of apricot jam. Insert a piping tip into the side and squeeze, or use a small knife to cut a slit and spoon in the jam.
8 Dust generously with powdered sugar immediately before serving. Best eaten fresh the same day.

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🧺 Key ingredients

bread flour
milk
fresh yeast
egg yolks
butter
sugar
rum
lemon zest
salt
Powidl (quetsch plum jam) for filling
clarified butter for frying
powdered sugar for dusting

🍴 Where to eat it

Pick one up at any Austrian bakery in the weeks before Fasching — the Konditorei Sluka in Vienna's Kärntner Strasse, the Café Fürst in Salzburg, and the historic shops around the Hauptplatz in Graz all fry their own Krapfen daily. The smaller artisanal ones — particularly Demel and the original Gerstner in Vienna — are the benchmark, and the simplest way to eat one is standing at the bakery counter, warm, with a paper napkin. At Kaffeejause, split it in half with a fork and check the jam before the first bite.

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