Dampfnudel is a steamed German sweet dumpling that's almost like a sweet bread, served with a luscious vanilla custard and often fruit compote. It's hearty but wonderfully comforting and delicious.
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Much of the time I have spent over the years in Germany and Austria has been in the more mountainous regions. The Alps and Dolomites are an incredibly beautiful area, and I feel very lucky to have spent many childhood summers hiking there.
While as I've mentioned before, some of the hearty food might not be quite what many of us would want to have every day, after a busy day's hiking (or working on the farm, as was more traditionally the case), it can be the perfect fit.
I happily dug in to a plate of Wiener schnitzel, goulash or something with spaetzle. And if I was lucky, maybe Kaiserschmarrn as a treat. One thing I never had, though, was dumplings. That wasn't until many years later.
I'm not totally sure why, but my mum always said no to dumplings. I think she maybe had one on an early visit, before I remember, and it had been incredibly heavy and hard to eat. I doubt it was something she'd typically be drawn to, either. Whatever the rationale, it meant there was no way I might be choosing that to share.
So, I didn't manage to try this sweet dumpling until I went to Germany as an adult. Maybe as well, as I could appreciate it better. Though when I made this recently, both of my kids were raving about how good it was.
What is a dampfnudel?
Dampfnudeln are a yeasted, egg-rich dumpling that are steamed in a slightly creamy mixture. The result is like a moist sweet bread with a gently caramelized underside.
The name stems from "dampf" meaning "steam", and "nudel" which typically means "noodle". "Knödel" is the more typical word for dumpling in Southern Germany, though they are probably seen as a bit of a joint category of food. There is something very similar to these in Southern Germany and Austria called "Germknödel" that is cooked slightly differently and usually filled.
Dumplings are popular throughout Germany and come in many different varieties, some with potato, others with meat. These sweet dumplings are popular particularly in Bavaria, but you'll find them across Germany and Austria.
The exact origin of the dish is a little unclear, as they have been around for centuries, but it is often believed to be either Bavaria or the Palatinate region in Southern Germany.
Steps to make these German sweet dumplings
As with most traditional recipes, you'll find variations in methods and ingredients. Some only leave them to rise once, others twice, for example. I've drawn on a few recipes and adapted to make a more manageable quantity for a smaller group.
It might look like a number of steps, but these are easier than you might think:
- Mix together the dough and gently knead.
- Leave the dough to rise around an hour.
- Divide the dough and form each piece into a ball, by pinching in the sides then rounding in your hand (see photo above).
- Leave to rise again, and meanwhile make the vanilla sauce.
- Warm the ingredients for the steaming liquid enough to dissolve the sugar then carefully lower the dumplings into the liquid.
- Cover and leave to steam, checking there is still a little liquid towards the end to save them burning.
- Finish with a couple minutes without the lid then serve, topped with the vanilla sauce and compote/jam, if using.
How do you serve these dumplings?
You'll typically serve these with vanilla sauce, kind of like a thin custard (particularly creme Anglaise), and often a plum compote or other fruit compote/jam.
You can make the vanilla sauce a few hours or the day ahead, if it suits better. Refrigerate it if you make it more than around an hour ahead. Then either serve it cold or warm it gently before using.
If you have extra vanilla sauce, it's also great with many other desserts - it's a classic alongside apple strudel and Rote Grütze (a red berry pudding), for example.
While you don't have to serve these with anything else, as I say a pretty common addition is plum compote or stewed plums. The fruit certainly makes a lovely contrast to the heavier dumpling and creamy sauce, so I do recommend it.
If you can't get plums, as I couldn't, then a berry jam/complote would also be good such as blackberry or currants. Here I used some cherry jam which was also really delicious.
Dampfnudel is an incredibly comforting dessert that's a simple set of flavors that's so easy to love. The soft, gently sweet bread-like dough with the creamy sauce, and especially with a touch of sweet fruit is such a great mix. Give them a try, and enjoy.
Try these other comforting desserts from around the world:
- Malva pudding (a South African favorite that's soft, sweet and delicious)
- Arroz con leche (Spanish rice pudding)
- German plum cake (Pflaumenkuchen)
- Umm Ali (Egyptian bread pudding-like dessert)
- Pear clafoutis (a version of a classic French dessert where fruit is cooked in a custard-like base)
- Pus get more dessert recipes in the archives.
Dampfnudel (German sweet dumplings)
Ingredients
For vanilla sauce
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream double cream
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ½ vanilla pod
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch corn flour
For dampfnudel (dumplings)
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour plain flour
- 1 teaspoon instant dried yeast
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 egg
To cook dampfnudel
- 5 tablespoon milk (5tbsp is ¼ cup plus 1 tbsp)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
To make vanilla sauce (can do ahead or while dough on 2nd rise - see step below)
- Put the milk, cream and sugar in a small pan and stir. Split open the half vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds into the cream mixture. Put the pod in as well and warm the mixture over a medium-low heat to bring the mixture almost to a simmer.
- Break up the egg yolk in a small bowl and mix in the cornstarch until smooth. Once the cream mixture is almost at a simmer, add a tablespoon of the warm cream to the egg yolk to temper it. Stir in then repeat another two times then tip all of the mixture back in to the cream.
- Continue to warm the cream gently without it boiling until it starts to thicken slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside. You can make this ahead and either warm or serve it cold. If made more than around 1 hour ahead, chill and store in the fridge (can make a day or two ahead).
To make dampfnudel
- Gently warm the milk and butter together either in a small pan or in the microwave just enough to melt the butter. If it is more than lukewarm, leave to cool slightly before using.
- Mix together the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the milk mixture and egg and mix everything so that it comes together as a ball of dough. Lightly flour a clean work surface and turn the dough out onto it.
- Gently knead the dough, adding a little extra flour if needed, for a couple minutes until it is smooth. Form it into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and leave the dough to rise around an hour.
- Gently knock back the dough and divide the dough into four. Form each piece into a ball, by pinching in the sides then rounding in your hand (see photo above).
- Place the balls of dough, join side down, in a dish or on a baking sheet, cover and leave to rise again around another hour. Meanwhile make the vanilla sauce, if not made ahead (see above).
Cooking dampfnudel
- Once the dough has risen, warm the milk, butter and sugar for cooking the dampfnudel in a pan just a little larger than the four balls of dough over a medium-low heat.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, carefully lower the dumplings into the liquid so that they sit next to each other, flat on the bottom of the pan.
- Cover the pan and leave to steam over a low heat for around 20-25 minutes, checking there is still a little liquid towards the end to save them burning.
- Finish with a couple minutes without the lid on then serve, topped with the vanilla sauce and compote/jam, if using.
Notes
Nutrition
See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.
I've drawn on a few recipes as I developed this, particularly this recipe from The Austrian Dish.
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Ursula says
Have any idea why they may split on the top ?
Caroline's Cooking says
It's hard to say for sure - it could be that they maybe rose a little too much the second time around, or else maybe the cooking temperature is a little too high (in both cases I am assuming you mean they are splitting when they cook at the end). But these would only be guesses, really.
Tina D says
These sound delicious and I always love dumplings in all forms but I've never had a sweet dumpling like this before. I am going to try these and will do a slight twist on the American apple dumpling, which isn't steamed at all but just pie crust wrapped over an apple and baked. I will do the dumplings like here but at serving I will almost cut it in half and serve a warm apple cinnamon compote, maybe even add a few fresh cranberries in the cooking, and then pour the creme anglaise over. Can't wait!! Yum!! Any ideas on holding them over if I were to do them the morning of the dinner and then warm them up later?? I was thinking Thanksgiving would be perfect but I'm going to have to probably do a triple batch and my biggest pot will most likely only hold 4 at a time so multiple cookings and then transporting them to dinner. Let me know if you can 😉
Caroline's Cooking says
So I have made them ahead and then reheated them in the same pan that I cooked them in, but I just did it an hour or slightly longer ahead and left the pan out at room temperature. I wonder if left all day they should be refrigerated, but they may well be fine as long as the room isn't too warm. To re-heat, I added a little extra liquid down the side just so they didn't burn on the bottom but not too much as you don't want them wet. They definitely feel a little more dense re-heated, and it can be hard to get them completely warm through, but the sauce will save the top being dry and also if you have that warm, that will help with overall temperature. Hope that helps!
Sibylle says
I came across your recipe and though I have not made it yet I had to comment. My mother made these for me when I was a child. She would make them during Lent because she couldn’t think of meals without meat on Fridays. This was dinner, not dessert. I look back and have to laugh because I didn’t know until I was an adult that this is supposed to be a dessert. Anyway, they were delicious served with the vanilla sauce and fruit compote. Thank you for this recipe.
Caroline's Cooking says
What a great treat for dinner! And yes, such a lovely combination with the sauce and fruit compote, I agree. I hope you give this recipe a try and it brings back those memories!
Aaron Renninger says
Hi Caroline in 1985 I was was going to an American high school in Wiesbden (it was west Germany then) our senior class trip was skiiing in Kaprun, Austria. I had the most awesome dessert. For years I would describe it to people no one knew what it was. This is the first time I saw something that I think is the same thing. I think it had like a baked plum in the center with a plum sauce drizzled on top of this round fluffy pillow. It was ridiculously good. I think this is it! Thank you so much. It makes me nervous but im going to attempt to make it 🙂
Caroline's Cooking says
Ah, Kaprun - I haven't been in a while but remember it fondly. This could indeed be what you had. There are also another couple options - there's a similar dish that I also have a recipe for called Germknödel that has a plum filling in it (see link for the recipe). They are generally cooked slightly differently, either steamed or boiled so that they don't have the slightly darker almost crisp base, as these can have from the way they are cooked in the milk mixture. You can also get something in some parts of Austria with an apricot filling, which I think is similar to both of these though I'd need to dig into it a little more to see the specific differences. Hope you try one or other or both and it's indeed what you had, though (and you enjoy either way!)
Carroll says
Do you think it might be possible to make these in a slow cooker for a party?
Caroline's Cooking says
I haven't tried, but I can see it may work - you would need to use a slow cooker that works shape-wise (so not one that's too thin and deep) and they likely won't get the nice slight crispness/browning on the bottom that you typically get with the stovetop method, but otherwise I think it should work. It may take a little longer, too, so keep that in mind.
Marie says
This are great, HOWEVER it needed a couple adjustment. The dough is WAY too wet with the proportions given. There is no way it would come together with the flour amount given, I had to add at least 1/2 cup more, and they turned out great. It would be a sticky, loose mess otherwise. I also recommend doubling the vanilla sauce amount unless you only want a very small amount of sauce per bun.
Caroline's Cooking says
Glad you enjoyed! Certainly flours can vary, and sounds like you measured in cups which is always a little less accurate than weight, but yes, if it feels too loose you will want to add a little more flour (though I'm surprised as much as that) - you do still want a pretty soft dough. And yes, if you want more vanilla sauce it's never a bad thing!
Celina says
How do you reheat these if you have prepared them early?
Caroline's Cooking says
They should re-heat in the microwave, if you have them in a dish partially covered so they slightly steam. I'd suggest medium-high heat and try at 30 second intervals. Alternatively, you could gently steam them in a pan as originally cooked, just not as long (say 5-10 minutes) and with just a small amount of butter-milk mixture at the bottom to stop them sticking.
Kailin says
Any reasons why I can't get my dough to raise? I have tried making dampfnudel 4 times now! I followed your recipe to a T and had seriously high hopes- the dough was beautiful. But it's been rising now 45 mins and barely moved. I checked my yeast separately and it foamed nicely. What am I missing?! I am dying to relive my time in Germany with these!
Caroline's Cooking says
It is a relatively rich dough so it doesn't rise as much as some breads, for example - if you see the pictures above it doesn't rise massively. But it might just be that it needs slightly longer or a slightly warmer environment. Maybe give the dough slightly longer on the second rise to help them have a bit of air on them, and also bear in mind they will rise a bit again as they cook. Hope they work out for you!
Jeffrey D Nieves says
Can't wait to try these. In the 1970's, I would visit my brother in Vienna and I loved the Germknoedel. Similar, except those are filled with a poppy seed or plum filling. These look easier to make. Thanks for the recipe.
Caroline's Cooking says
What a lovely memory! Yes these are basically the same, just not filled (they can be served both ways). Not filling is certainly a little easier, hope you enjoy!
Nikki F says
I grew up loving my Mom's awesome Dampfnudel. She'd use a cast iron pot and got a delicious buttery crust once it was done. When my kids and I would visit my parents as they were growing up, she'd ask what we'd like to eat. We would unanimously say Dampfnudel...or as my young kids would say...damp noodles with the sauce. It was the best and I miss her German delicious cooking, but especially Dampfnudels. Thank you for this recipe since I never got my Mom's.
Caroline's Cooking says
I love how certain foods bring back wonderful memories like this, and glad this recipe can fill that gap for you!
Alison says
I love a good sweet bread and so do my kids! The fruit compote is a nice addition.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thank you, I agree the fruit really works to add a nice different flavor and texture.
Suzanne J Sailor says
My parents are from Germany and loved it when my mother made them I called them dough balls. We would eat them with applesauce and cinnamon sugar.
Caroline's Cooking says
I'm sure they'd be delicious with apple sauce too - yum!