German Onion Pie

German Onion Pie combines sweet, caramelized onions, smoky bacon, and a creamy egg mixture baked on a soft crust. It’s hearty, savory, and perfect for sharing at family dinners or gatherings. A traditional comfort dish that turns simple ingredients into something unforgettable.

Love More Pie Recipes? Try My Christmas Eve Cinnamon Vanilla Creamy Custard Pie or this Pimento Cheese Tomato Pie next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s simple, hearty comfort food made with basic pantry ingredients, yet the flavor is anything but ordinary. Slowly cooked onions turn sweet and rich, while the soft bread-like crust makes it extra satisfying. Even picky eaters will be asking for seconds!

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Ingredient List

For the Yeast Dough:

• 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 55 g (4 tablespoons) butter, softened
• 3 g (1 teaspoon) active-dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 155 ml (⅔ cup) lukewarm milk

For the Onion Filling:

• 500 g (about 4 medium) yellow onions
• 55 g (4 tablespoons) butter for cooking onions
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 100 ml (scant ½ cup) heavy cream
• 2 slices thick-cut bacon, diced into small strips
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional but traditional)
• Salt to taste
• Extra butter for greasing the pan

Substitution Notes:

• Skip caraway seeds if you don’t have them
• Leave out bacon for vegetarian version
• Plant milk works fine instead of regular milk

Why These Ingredients Work

The yeast dough is different from pie crust – it’s more like bread so it doesn’t get mushy. Yellow onions have the right balance of sweet and sharp. When you cook them long enough, they taste almost like candy.

The flour keeps everything from getting soupy. Bacon makes it taste smoky, but I’ve made this without it when I ran out. Still good.

Essential Tools and Equipment

You need a big bowl, a kitchen towel, a sharp knife, a pan for cooking onions, a smaller bowl for eggs, a 9-inch pie dish, measuring cups, and a whisk. Nothing fancy.

How To Make German Onion Pie

Create the Yeast Dough

Mix yeast and sugar with some of the milk. Wait until it bubbles – about 5 minutes. Add everything else and knead until smooth. Cover and let it double somewhere warm. Takes over an hour.

Cook the Onions

Slice onions however you want. Cook in butter on medium heat until soft, not brown. Takes 15 minutes of stirring. Mix in flour and salt. Let cool.

Mix the Custard

Beat eggs and cream. Add caraway if you have it. Done.

Put It Together

Grease your pan. Press dough in, making sides about an inch high. Add onions, pour egg stuff over, sprinkle bacon around.

Bake Until Golden

Oven at 390°F for 35-45 minutes. Middle shouldn’t wiggle when you shake the pan gently.

Cool and Serve

Wait 10 minutes or it falls apart when you cut it.

You Must Know

Let the dough actually double or the crust comes out dense. If your kitchen is cold, put it near something warm but not hot.

I cook the onions the night before now. Tastes better and saves time the next day.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Don’t rush the onions or they’ll brown instead of getting sweet. Spread bacon around so it’s not all in one spot.

That flour mixed with onions stops watery disasters. If your yeast doesn’t bubble after 10 minutes, it’s dead and you need new yeast.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

No bacon? Add goat cheese or some herbs like thyme. I tried it with Swiss cheese once – kids loved it.

Fennel seeds work instead of caraway. Tiny bit of nutmeg in the egg mixture is nice too.

Make-Ahead Options

Cook onions up to 2 days early. Store in fridge. Whole pie keeps 4 days in fridge, reheats fine in low oven.

You can freeze slices for months. Thaw overnight, warm in oven.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Bigger pan means thinner pie – you might need to make more onion filling to get the right ratio. I learned this when I used a 10-inch tart pan and ended up with what looked like onion flatbread. Still tasted good, just wasn’t quite right.

The crust should be bread-like, not flaky like regular pie crust. If you’re used to making regular pies, this will feel weird at first. Trust the process – the bread texture is what makes this special and prevents soggy bottom syndrome.

Center will still wobble slightly when it’s done – it finishes cooking as it cools. Don’t overbake trying to get rid of every bit of jiggle or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs instead of smooth custard.

This pie tastes different at room temperature than it does hot. Hot, it’s more custardy and soft. At room temperature, the flavors are more distinct and the texture is firmer. Both ways are good, just different.

Serving Suggestions

Germans traditionally eat this with a simple green salad dressed with vinegar and oil. The acidity cuts through the rich onions and eggs perfectly. I usually make a basic mixed greens salad with whatever I have – nothing fancy.

This works for lunch, dinner, or even brunch. My neighbor brings this to potlucks and people always ask for the recipe. It’s different enough that it stands out on a buffet table full of casseroles and pasta salads.

Goes with white wine if you’re into that – something crisp and not too sweet. Beer works too, especially German wheat beer. My husband likes it with just a cold glass of milk, which sounds weird but actually tastes pretty good.

You can serve it warm or at room temperature. I prefer it warm, but my kids like it better cold the next day. Room temperature is perfect for picnics or packed lunches.

Hope this works for you like it does for us. My family keeps stealing pieces before dinner, so I’ve started making two at a time. One for dinner, one for them to pick at all afternoon.

How to Store Your German Onion Pie

Sits out 2 hours max after baking. Fridge for 4 days covered.

Freeze individual pieces wrapped up. Reheat in 300°F oven for 15 minutes.

Allergy Information

Has gluten, dairy, and eggs. You can try gluten-free flour but texture changes. Plant butter and cream work for dairy-free.

Eggs are harder to replace since they hold everything together.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use different onions?

Yellow onions taste best. Sweet onions work too but avoid red ones.

Dough didn’t rise – what happened?

Milk too hot killed the yeast, or yeast was expired. Start over.

No bacon?

Totally fine without it. Try smoked paprika for flavor.

How do I know when it’s done?

Middle should be set, not jiggly. Crust golden brown.

Can I use store pie crust?

You can but it won’t be the same. The bread crust is what makes this special.

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