• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cook Like Czechs
  • Recipes
  • Czech Republic
  • About
  • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Czech Republic
  • About
  • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Desserts

    Poppy Seed Filling Recipe

    Published: Mar 13, 2020 · Modified: Jan 29, 2022 by Petra Kupská

    Jump to Recipe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Email
    • 88shares

    Learn how to make homemade poppy seed pastry filling for kolache, kolacky cookies, or buchty buns! These all are Czech pastries that traditionally call for poppy seeds. Let's dive into the recipe!

    poppyseed filling recipe Czech
    Table of Contents show
    ➜ How to grind poppy seeds
    ➜ Ingredients
    ➜ Instructions with photos
    ➜ Cook’s Tips
    FAQs
    Maková Náplň - Czech Poppyseed Filling

    Czechs are the world's largest producers of poppies, so it is not surprising that poppyseeds have become a staple of Czech cuisine. The Czech name for the filling made with poppyseed is "makova napln".

    The poppy seed filling is based on ground poppy seeds cooked in milk. It is sweetened with sugar and flavored with various ingredients. Here are some of them: spicy jam, freshly grated lemon zest, spiced rum, or perhaps crushed cloves.

    MY TIP: Try this poppy seed roll (it tastes fantastic!)

    ➜ How to grind poppy seeds

    In the Czech Republic, we buy blue poppies either whole or already ground.

    If you are based in the US, you can get poppies in European deli stores (Polish, German). The downside is that you can only get whole poppy seeds, which you need to grind before making the filling.

    The first way to grind poppy seeds is with a special manual poppy seed grinder. It’s available on Amazon in the US if you want one (I saw a few when I did some quick research).

    The other method is to use a clean coffee grinder and grind the poppyseed in small batches.

    ➜ Ingredients

    Ingredients for homemade poppyseed filling.

    To make poppy seed filling from scratch, you’ll need:

    • Poppyseed, ground in a mill or coffee grinder
    • Whole milk, avoid using low-fat milk because there is no further fat added in this filling, and this is not a low-calorie recipe 🙂
    • Granulated sugar
    • Jam, the best variant is prune jam (Czech favorite); however, grab any solid jam you’ll find in your pantry
    • Lemon zest, freshly ground

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

    ➜ Instructions with photos

    STEP 1: In a pot with a thick bottom, combine ground poppyseed and milk.

    STEP 2: Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent milk from burning. Add sugar, jam, and lemon zest.

    poppyseed filling preparation

    STEP 3: Lower the heat and cook until the sugar dissolves and poppy seeds soften; it takes about 10 minutes. Don’t forget stirring.

    Czech maková náplň prep

    STEP 4: When finished, transfer the poppy seed filling to a bowl, set it aside, and allow it to cool down completely:

    poppyseed filling Czech maková náplň

    Important: This poppy seed filling thickens while cooling down. Make sure it’s cold before using it.

    ➜ Cook’s Tips

    • If the filling is too thin, add a few biscuit crumbles and stir.
    • If the filling is too thick, add a spoon or two milk.
    • Let the filling cool down before use!

    More poppy seed recipes:

    • Kolache – authentic recipe for Czech kolace
    • Škubánky s mákem – sweet treat with poppy seed topping
    • Makovec – poppy seed coffee cake
    poppyseed puff pastry hřebeny
    Puff pastry with poppy seed filling (Czech kohoutí hřebeny)

    FAQs

    How to grind poppy seeds?

    A simple way to ground poppyseed is by using a special mill. It’s a mainstay in Czech kitchens; try to find one from Tescoma (Czech brand). Another method is to grind poppy seeds in a clean coffee grinder.

    How to spice up poppy seed filling?

    Add some vanilla, crushed cloves (spice), rum-soaked raisins, or a tablespoon of spiced rum to the cooled filling for more flavor.

    maková nádivka poppy seed filling recipe

    Maková Náplň - Czech Poppyseed Filling

    Traditional Czech poppy filling for „buchty“ and „koláče“ and other sweet pastry.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Calories: 1640kcal
    Author: Petra Kupská
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: Czech mák, maková náplň, poppy seed filling

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cup poppy seed (220 g) whole
    • 1 cup milk (240 ml)
    • ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
    • ⅓ cup jam (110 g) any solid jam: eg, plum, strawberry, apricot
    • ½ Tablespoon lemon zest freshly ground

    Instructions

    • If you have whole poppyseed, grind it first.
    • In a pot with a thick bottom, combine ground poppyseed and milk.
    • Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent milk from burning. Add sugar, jam, and lemon zest.
    • Lower the heat and cook until the poppyseeds soften; it takes about 10 minutes. Don’t forget stirring.
    • When finished, transfer the poppyseed filling to a bowl, set it aside, and allow it to cool down completely.

    Notes

    1. Makes about 1 ½ cup of filling.
    2. If you’re filling smaller spaces (for instance Czech kolache or kolacky), put the filling in a decorating bag first and spray it over the pastry.
    3. Make sure the filling cooled down completely before using it.

    DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:

    Conversion chart

    Nutritional Estimate pro portion

    Calories: 1640kcal | Carbohydrates: 232g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 70g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 43g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 181mg | Potassium: 1495mg | Fiber: 31g | Sugar: 172g | Vitamin A: 397IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 2460mg | Iron: 15mg
    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Email
    • 88shares
    « Streusel Topping Recipe – Czech Drobenka
    Plum Butter Filling – Czech Povidlová náplň »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. David

      August 10, 2021 at 11:22 am

      5 stars
      Poppies are really hard to get here (Michigan), so I got to make this only once when my cousin sent a packet full of poppy seeds from the Czech Republic. Even then, this tasted fantastic! I think that poppies are really underrated in the US.

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        August 10, 2021 at 4:59 pm

        Ahoj David, poppy seeds are one of the most commonly used ingredients in the Czech Republic when it comes to making filling for kolache and buchty buns. Always a great choice!

        Reply
      • Marlyss

        January 28, 2022 at 6:52 pm

        FYI, canned poppyseed filling is available in grocery stores. Is on the baking isle with pie filling.

        Reply
    2. Diana Chandler

      May 09, 2022 at 12:08 pm

      If I were to make a big batch of this.. what is your recommendation for storing leftovers? Fridge? Freezer? Canning?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        May 16, 2022 at 6:57 am

        Ahoj Diana,
        I usually only make the amount I use. Maybe it's because poppy seeds are widely available in the Czech Republic, both whole and ground. If you make a big batch of poppy seed filling, probably the easiest way to preserve it is to divide the chilled filling into smaller portions and freeze it. Hope it helps at least a bit!
        Best wishes, Petra

        Reply

    Leave a star rating and review or ask a question! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi there, I’m Petra, a Czech mom of two teen boys with more than 20 years of cooking experience. I am here to share traditional recipes from the Czech Republic, a small country in the very heart of Europe.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Medovnik Czech Honey Cake
    • Zelnicky Czech Sauerkraut Crackers
    • Pickled Sausages (Czech Utopenci)
    • Easy Biscuits with Shredded Cheese

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    All Things Czech

    • Czech Recipes
    • Czech Republic
    • Conversions U.S. to metric

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for new recipes, stories and more Czech stuff

    Useful Links

    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 CookLikeCzechs.com