Steamed yeast dumplings (also known as Dampfnudel in Germany or Germknödel in Austria). These delicious yeast rolls are filled with plum jam, topped with poppy seeds and vanilla sauce. Great dessert or breakfasst which is vegan, gluten-free, and easy to make!
Sweet Yeast Dumplings (Dampfnudel/Germknödel)
Have you ever heard of German Dampfnudel? Or maybe you are familiar with the word Germknödel? That’s how people from Austria call this delicious dessert. If you never tried them, well, you really should because you don’t want to miss this incredible dish. Steamed yeast dumplings are a traditional dessert from South Germany and Austria but they are also very popular in the Czech Republic, and in Poland.
Vegan + Gluten-Free Steamed Yeast Rolls
These steamed dumplings are special since they are not only vegan but also gluten-free. And to be honest, it’s pretty hard to make vegan AND gluten-free desserts which include yeast. Most yeast buns are either vegan or gluten-free because working without gluten and eggs isn’t the easiest thing, however, it IS doable. And yes, maybe the outcome with gluten/eggs would have been a bit better but I want to show you that you can make tasty desserts even without eggs, dairy, and gluten.
Dampfnudel Filling
I filled these German Dampfnudel with plum jam, however, you can use any filling which you like. Blueberry compote tastes delicious (I already tried it out and posted a photo on my Instagram account). You can also leave out the filling completely! Actually it’s not unusual to leave these steamed yeast dumplings unfilled but in my opinion, a fruity filling makes them even better. Plum jam/jelly is a popular one and so is apricot jam. You can also make them savory (leave out the sugar) and fill them with something hearty! But I must admit I never tried it out yet.
I am even thinking about to fill them with chocolate since I am a chocoholic, haha. Maybe they would turn out as delicious as my chocolate stuffed pancakes.
How To Make Sweet Yeast Rolls
Steamed yeast dumplings have a shiny white top and a brown salty crust bottom. That crust is actually very special and tasty. It will form when you cook them in a pan/skillet with a little bit of oil, water, and 1/3 tsp of sea salt. You need to put a lid on the pan and cook them for 25 minutes. Don’t lift the lid during that time. You will hear it when they are ready because all the water will evaporate and the crust will form.
These Stuffed German Yeast Dumplings Are:
- Gluten-free
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Plant-based
- Refined sugar-free (if you used Erythritol)
- Filled with plum jam
- Delicious
Give them a try!
It’s so funny that most people (who aren’t from Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, and Poland etc.) never heard of Dampfnudel, steamed donuts, or steamed yeast dumplings before. It’s such a popular dish in some European countries and in my opinion, it should become more popular in the US and many other countries. I love to top them with poppy seeds and vanilla sauce. That’s how I am used to eating these delicious sweet dumplings.
Should you recreate my recipe, please leave a comment below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your recreations.
Yeast Dumplings
Ingredients
Dough
- 500 g gluten-free flour mix (*see recipe notes)
- 75 g sugar (I used Erythritol)
- 2 tbsp psyllium husk powder
- 50 g vegan butter (margarine)
Yeast mixture
- 1 2/3 cups (400 ml) plant-based milk lukewarm
- 40 g fresh yeast (*see recipe notes)
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
Optional ingredients
- 150-200 g plum jam (or jam of choice)
- 2 tbsp poppy seed/sugar mix: 1 tbsp ground poppy seeds and 1 tbsp sugar
- vanilla sauce (*see recipe notes)
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine lukewarm plant-based milk (should not exceed 105 degrees F/40 degrees C), yeast, and 1/2 tbsp sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes to proof the yeast. If it get's frothy your yeast is fine. If not, your yeast is most likely old and cannot be used.
- In a big bowl, combine all dry "dough ingredients" (flour, psyllium husk powder, sugar) and mix with a whisk. Once the yeast has proofed add the yeast mixture.
- Add the soft vegan butter as well and knead the dough with your hands. It might appear too wet at first (depends on which flour mixture you used) but the dough consistency will be fine after a few minutes and should look like this:
- If the dough is too dry though, add a little bit more plant-based milk. If it appears too wet, add more flour. Put cling foil on top of the bowl (you don't want the dough to dry out) and let it rise for about 30-60 minutes. After that, it should have risen quite a bit:
- Divide the dough into 8-9 parts (90-100 grams each) and fill each dough ball with plum jam (or jam/jelly of choice).
- Seal the filling with more dough and roll the dumpling between your hands to form a ball. Put all dough balls on a floured plate and let them rise again for about 20 minutes (preferably covered with cling foil).
- Once the time is up, heat a pan over medium heat, add oil, water, and salt and bring to a boil. Add about 4 dough balls (if you have a big pan you can add more) and put a lid on top of the pan/skillet). Steam for about 25 minutes and do NOT lift the lid during the first 15 to 20 minutes (otherwise the dumplings might collapse).
- You will hear when the water has evaporated and the crust begins to form. Enjoy warm with vanilla sauce and poppy seed sugar.
Notes
- 300 grams rice flour (equal amounts of brown rice flour and white rice flour)
- 200 grams starch (equal amounts of cornstarch and tapioca starch/flour)
- You can use 2 1/4 tsp of dry instant yeast instead of fresh yeast
- 1 cup plant-based milk
- 3-4 tsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp Erythritol (or regular sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1/2 vanilla bean)
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Randy
The flavor was nice.
But the buns stuck to the pan and burned on the bottom. I could not separate the bun from the pan. It was a mess.
Not sure what I did wrong but it went very wrong.
I made the poppy seed sugar and the vanilla sauce and that was a very nice touch.
Egahds!
Ela
Sounds like your pan was a little too hot, or you didn’t use enough oil?