A quintessential specialty hailing from Thuringia, Thüringer klöße is a simple potato dumpling that consists of a mixture of grated raw potatoes and mashed cooked potatoes filled with crunchy cubes of bread. The dumplings are typically cooked in simmering water, but they can also be lightly browned in butter for extra flavor.

These traditional Thuringian potato dumplings are a great accompaniment to a variety of German meat delicacies, and they are often served with dishes such as meat roulades, roasted meat, stuffed cabbage rolls, red cabbage, or sauerkraut. Large and perfectly rounded, these German potato dumplings used to be prepared on Sundays and were once considered to be food for the poor. 

Serviettenknödel are German bread dumplings, or Semmelknödel that derive their name - napkin dumplings - from the way they are traditionally cooked: wrapped tightly and steamed inside a cloth napkin called serviette in German.

They are typically made with pieces of stale bread rolls, baguettes, or pretzels, milk, eggs, lard, and softened onions. The bread mixture is usually seasoned with salt and pepper, and it is often enhanced with freshly chopped parsley and nutmeg for extra flavor. 

Dampfnudeln is a traditional dish made by steaming yeast dough dumplings in water, milk, and butter. After the liquids have evaporated, the dumplings are fried in butter until they develop a crispy crust on the bottom, while the top remains soft from the steaming process.

Dampfnudeln can be prepared in a savory or sweet versions. The savory version is a Palatinate specialty, steamed in salt water, typically without a filling, and it is usually accompanied by a thick potato soup. The sweet versions are usually filled with fruit jams and accompanied by vanilla custard or fruit compotes. 

Originating from Swabia in eastern Baden-Württemberg, Schwäbische Maultaschen are traditional, savory dumplings filled with ground meat, onions, spinach, and bread. This hearty dish is ideal for cold winter months and can be prepared in three ways: sliced and fried with eggs, simmered in broth, or topped with onions and butter.

Originally, the dish was invented by Cistercian monks from the Maulbronn Monastery in the 1600s. Since meat was forbidden during Lent, the monks chopped the meat and combined it with spinach and herbs to hide it, while the dough was used as another layer of disguise for the meat. 

Semmelknödel are popular German bread dumplings–nutritious and convenient, they are one of the most versatile side dishes in traditional German cuisine. Even though there are numerous semmelknödel varieties, which come in various sizes, they all have a recognizable round form and employ bread as the base ingredient.

Sliced or diced bread pieces, which can be fried in oil, are usually soaked in plain milk to soften, then mixed with eggs to form a pliable, soft base. Since they are incredibly neutral on their own, bread dumplings are usually mixed with different spices and additional ingredients to form a myriad of flavorful varieties. 

Kartoffelklöße or kartoffelknödel are traditional German potato dumplings that are consumed all over the country but are especially popular in Bavaria, Thuringia, and the Rhineland area. Depending on the variation, the dumplings may consist of cooked potatoes, raw potatoes, or a combination of both.

The potato mixture can further be enhanced with the addition of other ingredients such as beaten eggs, potato starch, cornstarch, or flour, and herbs such as chives or parsley, while some versions also call for filling the dumplings with croutons, sauerkraut, or ham. 

Kluten is a German dumpling that is made with flour, milk, eggs, and butter. The batter is dropped into boiling water or soup using a spoon, and it is then cooked until done, yielding small and soft dumplings. These dumplings have a very mild flavor, so they pair well with both sweet and savory specialties.

Kluten are often featured in dishes such as sweet buttermilk vanilla pudding (buttermilksuppe) and sour cherry soup (kirschsuppe).