Stovetop Strawberry Dumplings

from 6 votes

Stovetop Strawberry Dumplings are the perfect way to put all of your remaining summer berries to use, transforming them into a thick, jammy sauce that’s perfect for topping with fluffy dumplings. Think of it as a twist on strawberry shortcake, but without the hassle of making biscuits from scratch.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for the perfect finishing touch!

Stovetop strawberry dumplings in a saucepan.

This old-fashioned dessert is one of my favorites to make every summer when I have an abundance of fresh strawberries. It’s similar to a cobbler, featuring a simple strawberry jam and homemade dumplings.

The best part? The irresistible aroma of stewing strawberries will fill your kitchen with the essence of summer. You might not be able to bottle summer, but you can definitely capture its scent with this easy strawberry dumpling recipe.

Ingredients

The star of this stovetop dessert is the strawberry compote, which is a thick, chunky fruit sauce. Before we dive into how to make this recipe, let’s take a brief look at the ingredients you’ll need:

Ingredients for strawberry compote and dumplings, including fresh strawberries, sugar, flour, butter, baking powder and salt.
  • Strawberries and sugar: This combination forms the compote base.
  • All-purpose flour: This pantry staple forms the base of our dumpling dough.
  • Baking powder: Gives the dumplings their airy rise.
  • Cold butter: Adds flavor and keeps the dumplings light and tender.
  • Milk: I use whole milk, but any variety works.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Strawberry Dumplings

The combination of warm berries and golden, tender dumplings is pure comfort food, making this recipe a must-try for anyone who loves strawberry desserts!

  1. Make the strawberry compote. Combine sliced strawberries and sugar in a 4-quart saucepan. Stir to coat the strawberries evenly and let them sit for 15 minutes to become juicy. Stir occasionally to help release the juices.
  2. Make the dumpling dough. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and use your fingers to work it into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with pea-sized pieces of butter.
  1. Cook the strawberry dumplings. Bring the strawberry sauce to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, stir the milk into the flour-butter mixture just until combined, forming a thick, sticky batter. Drop spoonfuls of the batter atop the boiling strawberries.
  2. Reduce the heat and simmer. Cover the pan securely with a lid to trap steam, which helps the dumplings cook evenly. Simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the dumplings appear dry on top and puffed up.

Kelly’s Tip: Resist the urge to lift the lid while the dumplings are cooking to ensure they cook through properly.

Thick, jammy stovetop strawberries and dumplings in a saucepan.

Serve these dumplings with strawberries warm with a dollop of homemade whipped cream or a scoop of no-churn vanilla ice cream to complement the sweet-tart flavors of the dessert.

Recipe Notes

  • No matter how tight-fitting your saucepan lid is, I’d recommend placing a layer of foil atop the pan and then securing the lid on top to guarantee a tight seal. You don’t want any moisture or heat escaping from the pan, so don’t peek until at least 15 minutes into the cooking time.
  • You can make this recipe any time of the year by using frozen strawberries. Because frozen fruit usually contains more liquid when it thaws, you’ll need to account for this additional liquid and cook the mixture slightly longer.
  • If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.
Strawberry sauce topped with fluffy dumplings in a saucepan.

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Dessert

Stovetop Strawberry Dumplings

Stovetop Strawberry Dumplings are the perfect way to put all of your remaining berries to use, transforming them into a thick, jammy sauce in which to cook a quick-fix batter until it fluffs into tender dumplings.
Author: Kelly Senyei
4.84 from 6 votes
Stovetop strawberry dumplings in a saucepan.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients 

  • 4 cups trimmed and thickly sliced strawberries
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 2/3 cup whole milk
  • Accompaniment: homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (optional)

Instructions 

  • Combine the strawberries and sugar in a 4-quart saucepan, stirring to coat. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until juicy.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
  • Work the cold pieces of butter into the flour mixture with your fingers, breaking up the pieces of butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-sized pieces of butter.
  • Bring the strawberries to a boil over medium heat.
  • Stir the milk into the flour-butter mixture just until combined to form a thick, sticky batter. Add the batter to the boiling berries. Stir once or twice and then reduce the heat to low and securely cover the pan. (See Kelly’s Notes.) Let cook for 15 to 18 minutes until the puffed up dumplings appear dry on top.
  • Let dumplings sit for 5 minutes before serving. Top dumplings with homemade whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream (optional).

Kelly’s Notes

  • No matter how tight-fitting your saucepan lid is, I’d recommend placing a layer of foil atop the pan and then securing the lid on top to guarantee a tight seal. You don’t want any moisture or heat escaping from the pan, so don’t peek until at least 15 minutes into the cooking time.
  • You can make this recipe any time of the year by using frozen strawberries. Because frozen fruit usually contains more liquid when it thaws, you’ll need to account for this additional liquid and cook the mixture slightly longer.
  • If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.
  • ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
 

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 111mg, Potassium: 339mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 170IU, Vitamin C: 56.4mg, Calcium: 107mg, Iron: 1.5mg

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Recipe adapted from Gourmet.


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4.84 from 6 votes

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Comments

  1. Barbara says:

    Can I use frozen dumplings for this recipe

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      I haven’t tried this recipe with frozen dumplings so I’m not sure how those would cook in the strawberry sauce!

  2. JoAnn says:

    5 stars
    This was so easy and OUTSTANDING! It’s almost like a jammy sauce and fluffy biscuits. Served with homemade whipped cream. Yummy yummy!

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      So glad you enjoyed the recipe, JoAnn!

  3. Diane says:

    5 stars
    Totally delicious! Thanks for this great recipe!

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      So glad you enjoyed it!

  4. Dianne says:

    Can you use frozen strawberries

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      Hi Dianne! I haven’t tried that but it *should* work! I recommend thawing the strawberries first and keep in mind that frozen strawberries might release more liquid as they thaw, so you may need to adjust the cooking time. Let me know how it turns out!

  5. Anita says:

    5 stars
    making it right now and the aroma is heavenly. Can’t wait to try it I’m sure it will be delicious. It was easy to follow your recipe.

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      I hope you enjoy the dumplings, Anita!

  6. Crissa says:

    5 stars
    I’ve been using this recipe for several years now and LOVE it! This is the dessert my mom chooses every year for her birthday. Always turns out perfectly! Thank you for sharing it!

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      You are so welcome, Crissa! I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying the recipe, and I love that your mom requests it for her birthday every year! :)

  7. Jessy says:

    5 stars
    Perfect!

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      Yay! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Jessy!

  8. Ellen A. says:

    Had a lovely container of strawberries but no power (thanks Hurricane Isaias)- so no fridge and hot weather but wanted to use the berries before they turned. This was perfect! Not pretty, but tasty for sure! Thanks for perfect way to use the berries. After 23 hours the lights came in in time to eat it!

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      Stay safe, Ellen! And I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! :)

    2. Diane M Thomas says:

      Question
      Do you put the dumpling mixture in all in one clump or small amounts distributed in the strawberry sauce
      Thanks

      1. Kelly Senyei says:

        Hi Diane – Great question! You can drop the dumpling mixture in small amounts :)

  9. Jane says:

    4 stars
    Really enjoyed this recipe. Thank you :)

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      You are so welcome, Jane!

  10. lakisha says:

    I haven’t made this yet but I cant wait for tomorrow because all I have to get is some strawberry

  11. Vanessa says:

    Just found this on pinterest and I had to try it! Let me just say this is beyond amazing! Very tasty! Thank you! :)

  12. Robin @ Simply Southern Baking says:

    This looks amazing! I could eat this for breakfast this morning!

  13. JulieD says:

    This looks absolutely beautiful, Kelly!! I hope you had fun in Portland!! xo

  14. Lana @ Never Enough Thyme says:

    What a brilliant idea and a beautifully served dessert. I’m quite sure I’ve never made stovetop dumplings but they’re on my list for the coming weekend.

  15. movita beaucoup says:

    This reminds me of something we eat here in Nova Scotia – Blueberry Grunt! I make it often. Dumplings floating in a sea of sweet fruit = brilliant! This will be a lovely change to the regular routine… my belly thanks you!