Hungarian Plum Dumplings with Cinnamon and Breadcrumbs

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic Hungarian comfort: tender potato dough with a jammy plum center.
• Balanced textures: fluffy dumpling, juicy fruit, and a soft-crisp buttery breadcrumb coat.
• Make-ahead friendly: assemble and freeze, then boil straight from frozen.
• Simple pantry staples with a spectacular, bakery-quality finish.

Grocery List

• Produce: 900 g starchy potatoes, 16 Italian prune plums (or small ripe plums)
• Dairy: Unsalted butter, 1 large egg, optional sour cream for serving
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, fine dry breadcrumbs, ground cinnamon, salt

Full Ingredients

Potato Dough

• 900 g starchy potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold), skin-on (about 2 lb)
• 250 g all-purpose flour (about 2 cups minus 2 tbsp), plus 2–4 tbsp extra for dusting if needed
• 1 large egg
• 30 g unsalted butter, melted (2 tbsp)
• 1 tsp fine salt

Plum Filling

• 16 Italian prune plums (or small sweet plums), halved and pitted
• 60 g granulated sugar (1/3 cup)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of fine salt

Buttery Breadcrumb Coating

• 85 g unsalted butter (6 tbsp)
• 120 g fine dry breadcrumbs (1 1/2 cups)
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• Pinch of fine salt
• Optional: 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon for the crumbs

To Serve (Optional)

• Extra cinnamon-sugar (2 tbsp sugar + 1/4 tsp cinnamon)
• Sour cream or a drizzle of melted butter (optional, traditional in some regions)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Boil and rice the potatoes

Rinse the potatoes and place them whole, skin-on, in a large pot. Cover with cold water by 2–3 cm/1 inch and add 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook until the potatoes are fully tender when pierced, 20–25 minutes. Drain, let steam off for 2 minutes, then peel while warm. Rice the potatoes (or mash very smoothly). Spread out to release steam and cool for 10 minutes; the surface should feel warm, not hot.

Step 2: Toast the buttery breadcrumbs

While the potatoes cook, melt 85 g (6 tbsp) butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and stir constantly until evenly deep golden and nutty, 6–8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 3 tbsp sugar, a pinch of salt, and the optional cinnamon. Keep warm on the lowest heat or set aside; you’ll roll hot dumplings in this mixture.

Step 3: Prepare the plum filling

Halve and pit the plums. In a small bowl, mix 60 g (1/3 cup) sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and a tiny pinch of salt. Spoon 1/2–1 tsp cinnamon-sugar into each plum and press the halves together to re-form a whole fruit. Set aside.

Step 4: Make a soft potato dough

To the warm riced potatoes, add the flour, egg, melted butter, and 1 tsp salt. Using your hands or a spatula, bring the dough together gently until smooth and cohesive; it should be soft, slightly tacky, and pliable. If it clings heavily to your hands, dust in 1–2 tbsp more flour. Avoid overworking, which can make the dumplings tough.

Step 5: Roll and portion the dough

Lightly flour the counter. Pat or roll the dough into a rectangle about 6–7 mm (1/4 inch) thick. Trim the edges for neatness if you like, then cut into 16 even squares, roughly 7–8 cm (3 inches) wide. Keep the pieces lightly floured and covered with a cloth so they don’t dry out.

Step 6: Wrap the plums and seal well

Place a filled plum in the center of each dough square. Pull the corners up and over, pinch the seams to seal, and roll gently between your palms to form a smooth ball with no cracks. If a plum is large, trim a sliver off or stretch the dough gently; a tight seal is key so the juices stay inside.

Step 7: Simmer, then coat in crumbs

Bring a large pot (at least 4 liters) of well-salted water to a bare simmer, 90–95°C / 195–203°F. Slide in half the dumplings, stirring once to prevent sticking. Cook until they float, then continue 2 minutes more for a total of about 6–8 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain briefly, and immediately roll in the warm buttery crumbs. Repeat with remaining dumplings.

Step 8: Serve warm

Arrange the crumb-coated dumplings on a platter. Dust with extra cinnamon-sugar if you like, and serve warm. A spoonful of sour cream or a drizzle of melted butter is a lovely, traditional touch.

Pro Tips

• Use starchy potatoes and rice them while hot; excess steam escaping keeps the dough light, not gluey.
• Keep the dough soft—add only as much flour as needed to handle it. Softer dough equals more tender dumplings.
• Simmer, don’t boil hard. Gentle water prevents the dumplings from tearing.
• Classic trick: tuck a sugar cube inside each plum instead of loose sugar for an old-school Hungarian touch.
• Working with very juicy or frozen plums? Pat dry and sprinkle a pinch of breadcrumbs inside to absorb extra juices.

Variations

• Apricot gombóc: Swap in small ripe apricots (1 per dumpling) with the same cinnamon-sugar filling.
• Poppy-seed finish: Toss cooked dumplings in brown butter and a mixture of finely ground poppy seeds and sugar instead of breadcrumbs.
• Lighter dough: Replace 50 g (1/3 cup) of the flour with fine semolina for a slightly more delicate bite.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Best fresh, but still great later. To make ahead, shape the dumplings and freeze raw on a parchment-lined tray until solid, then bag for up to 2 months. Boil from frozen at a gentle simmer, adding 2–3 extra minutes. Leftover cooked dumplings keep 2 days in the fridge; reheat by steaming 5–6 minutes or microwaving lightly covered until hot, then refresh in a warm pan with a spoonful of fresh buttered crumbs.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate for 2 dumplings: 420 kcal; 68 g carbohydrates; 13 g fat; 8 g protein; 4 g fiber; 16 g sugars; 220 mg sodium. Values will vary with fruit size and finishing sugar.