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!
Table of Contents
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.
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:
- 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.
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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
- Simple Strawberry Slab Pie
- Chocolate Strawberry Bruschetta
- Strawberry Pretzel Dessert Cups
- Strawberry Galette with Whipped Cream
- No-Churn Strawberry Ice Cream
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
Shoutout
Did you try this recipe?
Share it with the world! Mention @justataste or tag #justatasterecipes!
This post may contain affiliate links.
Recipe adapted from Gourmet.
This was so easy and OUTSTANDING! It’s almost like a jammy sauce and fluffy biscuits. Served with homemade whipped cream. Yummy yummy!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, JoAnn!
Totally delicious! Thanks for this great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Can you use frozen strawberries
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!
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.
I hope you enjoy the dumplings, Anita!
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!
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! :)
Perfect!
Yay! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Jessy!
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!
Stay safe, Ellen! And I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! :)
Question
Do you put the dumpling mixture in all in one clump or small amounts distributed in the strawberry sauce
Thanks
Hi Diane – Great question! You can drop the dumpling mixture in small amounts :)
Really enjoyed this recipe. Thank you :)
You are so welcome, Jane!
I haven’t made this yet but I cant wait for tomorrow because all I have to get is some strawberry
Just found this on pinterest and I had to try it! Let me just say this is beyond amazing! Very tasty! Thank you! :)
This reminds me of my mom’s blueberry slump recipe. It is absolutely one of my favorites! Can’t wait to try this!
http://buyonsaleandsavethedifference.blogspot.com/2010/01/blueberry-slump.html
This looks amazing! I could eat this for breakfast this morning!
This looks absolutely beautiful, Kelly!! I hope you had fun in Portland!! xo
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.
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!