Southern Blackberry Dumplings
Comforting Southern dessert with tangy blackberries and pillowy dumplings, perfect for late-summer evenings.
Ingredients
For the Blackberry Sauce
- 2 cups fresh blackberries (or thawed frozen berries) Use ripe but firm blackberries for best texture.
- 1 cup sugar Reduce to 3/4 cup for very sweet berries.
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour Substitute 1:1 gluten-free flour blend if needed.
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk Dairy or unsweetened plant milk.
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted Use vegan butter for dairy-free.
Instructions
Preparation
- In a large pot over medium heat, combine the blackberries, sugar, water, and vanilla. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves and berries begin to break down.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- Pour the milk and melted butter into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined — a few small lumps are fine.
Cooking
- Once the blackberry mixture is simmering and slightly syrupy, drop spoonfuls of the dumpling batter onto the surface, ensuring they have room to puff.
- Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Let the dumplings steam for about 15–20 minutes. Avoid lifting the lid too often.
- Check if the dumplings are cooked by inserting a toothpick; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Serve warm, spooning the glossy blackberry sauce over each dumpling.
Notes
Serve warm dumplings with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. For a brunch twist, spoon warm dumplings over Greek yogurt and drizzle with honey.