My Stollen Bites are quick to make and perfect for sharing! Use my easy no yeast German Stollen recipe to bake these irresistible festive treats.
Love German recipes? You have to bake my delicious Lebkuchen Cookies and classic Christmas Stollen!
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I fell in love with Stollen on my first trip to Germany several years ago. When I say love, I mean it… I simply couldn’t get enough of this rich fruit-packed Christmas bread!
My love for German Christmas Stollen has never faded but these days I bake my own for the holidays!
What is Stollen?
German Stollen has a truly rich history that dates back centuries. Stollen originated in Dresden circa 1329 when bakers in the region created a rich fruity bread for a contest set by the Bishop of Nauruburg.
The stollen was a sensation, so loved by the Bishop that he ordered a quantity of flour set aside for baking stollen every year.
There are several traditional German Stollen recipes. The most well known one is probably the Dresden Stollen, but there’s endless variations such as Quarkstollen (using quark), Mandelstollen (withs almonds) and Marzipanstollen.
Stollen Bites
Although Stollen originated in Germany it is now popular around the world. In the Uk you will find supermarket own versions of Stollen as well as the incredibly popular Stollen bites.
These mini stollen are basically a large stollen baked as a traybake then sliced into small squares. Quick to make, perfect for sharing and ideal for gifting!
Easy No Yeast Stollen
This easy Quark Stollen uses no yeast so it is the quickest and easiest variation. No need to knead, no proving – perfect for those short of time! Take a look at my Christmas Stollen recipe if you would like to make a traditional German Christstollen.
Take a look at the ingredients you need to make these delicious Stollen bites! Don’t be intimidated by the long list, this is actually a very easy all- in-one- bowl recipe!
- Flour – plain / all purpose flour
- Ground almonds
- Sugar
- Baking powder, salt and spices
- Eggs
- Softened butter
- Quark – this is a fresh creamy cheese that is used in a lot of German recipes. It has become popular in the UK due to Slimming World and is relatively easy to find
- Vanilla extract, lemon and orange zest
- Dried fruit such raisins, currants and sultanas
- Rum to soak the dried fruit
- Mixed peel (candied citrus peel)
- Marzipan – good quality store bought marzipan
- Icing sugar for dusting the stollen
What is a good substitute for Quark?
If you cannot find Quark then you can use ricotta cheese, greek yogurt or sour cream. I think a mix of Greek yogurt and sour cream is the closest in terms of taste.
Although the quark used in Stollen is usually low fat or fat free, I would advise using full fat yogurt or sour cream if you are substituting.
How to make Stollen bites
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Start by soaking the dried fruit and peel in rum. Add the fruit into a bowl and top with the rum then soak overnight or simply heat in the microwave for a few short bursts until the fruit plumps up. Strain the fruit to get rid of excess liquid, should any remain.
Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F). Mist a 9×13 rectangular baking tin with cake release and line with parchment paper. Use a double or triple layer of paper to line the bottom of the tin to prevent the bottom of the stollen from getting too dark.
Measure the flour, sugar and ground almonds into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the baking powder, spices and salt.
Add the eggs, softened butter, quark, zest and vanilla extract and beat together using an electric hand mixer fitted with the dough hooks (or use a stand mixer). Start mixing on the lowest setting then increase the speed gradually until a shaggy dough forms.
Gradually mix in the dried fruit with the mixer then fold the rest in using your hands. Make sure the ingredients are well incorporated into the dough.
Dust a silicone baking mat with icing sugar. Gently warm the marzipan in your hands then roll out to form a rectangle, approximately 8 x 12 inches.
Press half the dough into the prepared tin in an even layer. Add the marzipan, trimming the edges if necessary so it fits neatly. Top with the remaining dough.
Place the stollen in the bottom third of the preheated oven and immediately turn down the temperature to 160°C (235°F). Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the stollen feels firm and a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Remember if you are using a fan forced oven the temperature will need to be even lower by about 20 degrees, at 140°C (275°F).
Leave the Stollen in the baking tin and brush with half of the melted butter. Dust with icing sugar then repeat the process one more time with remaining butter. The stollen is ready to eat as soon as it cools but it tastes even better if you let it age.
TOP TIP
Wrap the cooled stollen in two layers of baking paper and foil and store in a cool and dry spot in your kitchen. Allow the stollen to mature for one week or even longer to allow for the wonderful aromas of the fruit and spices to develop.
Slice into small squares, as needed, to serve. This recipe makes up 30 small stollen bites so you can parcel it up for gifting if you can bear to share!
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HAVE YOU MADE MY STOLLEN RECIPE? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes. I can’t wait to see your take on it!
Stollen Bites – German Quark Stollen
Ingredients
For the Stollen
- 300 g (2 cups) mixed dried fruit
- 150 g (1 cup) diced citrus peel (candied peel)
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) rum or hot tea / orange juice
- 500 g (3 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 200 g (1 cup) sugar
- 200 g (1 ½ cups) ground almonds
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp mixed spice (or ¼ tsp each of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 200 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) butter, softened
- 250 g (1 cup) quark
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 150 g (5 oz) marzipan
For the baked Stollen
- 115 g (½ cup) melted butter, divided
- 120 g (1 cup) icing sugar or as needed
Instructions
- Start by soaking the dried fruit and peel in rum. Add the fruit into a bowl and top with the rum then soak overnight or simply heat in the microwave for a few short bursts until the fruit plumps up. Strain the fruit to get rid of excess liquid, should any remain.
- Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F). Mist a 9×13 rectangular baking tin with cake release and line with parchment paper. Use a double or triple layer of paper to line the bottom of the tin to prevent the bottom of the Stollen from getting too dark.
- Measure the flour, sugar and ground almonds into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the baking powder, spices and salt.
- Add the eggs, softened butter, quark, zest and vanilla extract and beat together using an electric hand mixer fitted with the dough hooks (or use a stand mixer). Start mixing on the lowest setting then increase the speed gradually until a shaggy dough forms.
- Gradually mix in the dried fruit with the mixer then fold the rest in using your hands. Make sure the ingredients are well incorporated into the dough.
- Dust a silicone baking mat with icing sugar. Gently warm the marzipan in your hands then roll out to form a rectangle, approximately 8 x 12 inches.
- Press half the dough into the prepared tin in an even layer. Add the marzipan, trimming the edges if necessary so it fits neatly. Top with the remaining dough.
- Place the stollen in the bottom third of the preheated oven and immediately turn down the temperature to 160°C (325°F). Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Leave the Quarkstollen in the baking tin and brush with half of the melted butter. Dust with icing sugar then repeat the process one more time with remaining butter.
- The stollen is ready to eat as soon as it cools but it tastes even better if you let it age. Wrap the cooled stollen in two layers of baking paper and foil and store in a cool and dry spot in your kitchen.
- Allow the stollen to mature for one week or longer to allow for the wonderful aromas of the fruit and spices to develop.
- Slice into small squares, as needed, to serve. This recipe makes up 30 small stollen bites so you can parcel it up for gifting if you can bear to share!
iris says
Thank you for your recipe. Unfortunately it didn’t work for me. Despite baking for longer, I found it was undercooked when I started to cut it. I put it back in the oven . I think I have now overcooked it.🥺
Lucy Parissi says
I am sorry to hear that Iris! Maybe wrap them and leave for a few days to see if the maturing time helps?
sara says
delicious recipe …can cottage cheese be used instead of quark ?
Lucy Parissi says
I haven’t tried it so cant say for sure but ricotta would be a closer match to quark
Brigitte says
I am from Germany, and Stollen is one of my favorite things. I usually bake a whole one with yeast, which takes all day. This time I looked for something different and came across your recipe. I decided to give it a try. And because I can’t get quark where I live, I followed your suggestion of mixing sour cream and yogurt . These Stollen bites are the best. I have to strictly limit my daily portion. Otherwise I would keep eating too much. Thank you for this delicious and easy take on the traditional Stollen.
Lucy Parissi says
Thank you for your comment Brigitte – and I am exactly the same they are so addicting!!
Carol says
Lucy,
When I found this recipe I knew I wanted to try it so I printed it out to make later for Christmas. When I made it yesterday it just wasn’t getting done. I extended the time and that didn’t work. Eventually I raised the temperature in the oven and left it in until I thought it was done. I went back to your website to see if there were any hints I had missed. It was then I saw the comment about the temperature error. After all that it turned out to be a very delicious cake! Today I will make it using the proper temperatures and I know it will be even better as stollen bites.
Merry Christmas and thanks for the recipe.
Lucy Parissi says
Oh no Carol did you print it before the correction? I am so sorry 😞 I was recovering from Covid and a bit not with it when I posted the recipe. I hope it works well second time around, pls let me know .
Carol says
Absolutely no need to apologize. I did print it when I found it before the correction was made.
My family will now have two versions of your delicious recipe. The Stollen Bites turned out beautiful. Thanks to you there won’t be anymore store bought stollen for this family.
Sorry you were ill. I wish you health and happiness in the new year!
Kind regards,
Carol
Lucy Parissi says
Thank you and happy holidays to your family xxx
Mary Lou Surgi says
Hello, I am about to put mine in the oven, are you sure these temperatures are correct??
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Mary Lou – hope I caught you in time – yes you are right the second temperature was in error (apologies!!) Have corrected now