This simple recipe for vegan Austrian curd dumplings can be used for all kinds of sweet dumplings such as vegan apricot dumplings, vegan strawberry dumplings, plum dumplings, nougat dumplings, etc.

The dough is quickly mixed together from vegan cream cheese substitute and vegan egg substitute and results in easy to shape fruit dumplings that do not fall apart during cooking.

To ensure the success of your dumplings, I have compiled the essential information for cooking them in this article.

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Ingredients
Instructions
What to eat with the vegan curd dumplings
Vegan curd dumplings freezing & shelf life
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Sweet Vegan Apricot Dumplings with Cream Cheese Dough

Veganer Topfenteig für vegane Marillenknödel, Erdbeerknödel & Co.

For those who prefer to make their vegan apricot dumplings from potato dough, here is the perfect recipe for apricot dumplings from vegan potato dough. The vegan potato dough can also be filled very well spicy with onions, mushrooms, etc. or without filling as a side dish to Sauerkraut & Co.

For non-vegan fruit dumplings, I can recommend my grandma's recipe for traditional apricot dumplings made from curd dough or this recipe for apricot dumplings made from potato dough (with egg).

Ingredients

Here is detailed information about the ingredients you need for the recipe. You can find the short version of the recipe in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

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For the vegan curd dumplings you need the following ingredients:

vegan cream cheese substitute or vegan "fresh cream" - this can be found in the supermarket in the refrigerated section.
Be sure to buy the "natural" plain version and not a vegan cream cheese with herbs or garlic ;).
vegan egg substitute powder
all purpose flour

Lemon zest from two organic lemons

pinch of salt - preferably fine, not too coarse-grained

To fill the dumplings: the vegan curd dough is enough for 6-8 apricots and about 10-12 plum or strawberry dumplings, depending on the size.

The dumplings can of course also be cooked without filling and then served with compote, fruit puree or fruit stew instead.

sugar cubes - optional - For apricots, the seeds can be removed and replaced with sugar cubes instead. I highly recommend this, especially for not quite ripe, harder apricots. For ripe, very sweet apricots, this is less often necessary.

Marillenknödel formen | shaping apricot dumplings

For the breadcrumbs you need:

neutral oil for frying or vegan margarine - for example corn oil, rapeseed oil, it also works coconut oil, but then it no longer tastes like grandma's 😉

Breadcrumbs from white bread or spelt bread - no dark bread or rye; the breadcrumbs can also be replaced by all kinds of grated nuts or seeds such as poppy seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.. (Or you can mix just a handful of them to the breadcrumbs).

vanilla sugar - optional, can also be replaced by "normal" sugar

powdered sugar for serving - optional

Instructions

Here comes a detailed step-by-step instructions with pictures. For the short version of the recipe, click here:

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1. Mix egg substitute

The egg substitute powder must first be mixed with water and swell briefly so that it can help the dough to bind better.

To do this, weigh vegan egg substitute and empty into a bowl. Mix with the specified amount of water. In the case of my egg substitute, this was 10g (2 teaspoons) of egg substitute powder and 100ml (a bit less than ½ cup) of water, which is about the weight of two eggs. Let swell for a few minutes.

Veganer Ei-Ersatz aus Maismehl, Süßlupinenmehl, Sonnenblumenkernmehl, Leinsamen und Kurkuma

2. Add lemon zest & vegan cream cheese

Add lemon zest and a pinch of salt and stir.

Add the vegan cream cheese substitute to the bowl as well.

3. Mix with flour and semolina

Weigh the flour and semolina and also add to the bowl. Mix until everything is well combined.

4. Let dough rest in the fridge

Smooth the dough and let it rest, covered, in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, until the dough is no longer soft.

5. Remove pits and form dumplings

Optionally, pit the apricots with the rounded end of a wooden spoon and fill with sugar cubes.

To form the dumplings, cut the dough into equal pieces. Form a round disk from each piece and place an apricot in the center. Then close the dough around the apricot well. Be careful not to leave a hole and make the dough evenly thick. Roll round with your hands.

Marillen entsteinen und mit Würfelzucker füllen

6. Cook dumplings

While shaping the dumplings, bring a large pot of water to a boil, lightly salt.

Simmer the dumplings on low for about 20 minutes. For frozen apricots a little longer. The dumplings can also be prepared in a steamer at 100 °C for 20-30 minutes. The cooking time depends on the size of the dumplings and the apricots.

In the meantime, heat oil or margarine in a pan and toast the breadcrumbs (optionally with sugar/vanilla sugar) on medium heat until golden brown. Always stay by the stove and stir, because the breadcrumbs burn very easily.

Strain finished cooked dumplings and roll in the toasted breadcrumbs. Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Important tips so that the dumplings do not fall apart during cooking:

The dumplings must be put into lightly simmering water as soon as possible after forming.
Never let the water bubble too much, but also be careful that it doesn't stop boiling completely.
Do not stir if a dumpling sticks at the bottom of the pot, just very lightly "poke" it with a wooden spoon.
After cooking, do not leave too long in the pot, but strain and immediately roll in the breadcrumbs.
After 15-20 minutes of cooking time, the dumplings rise to the surface. Cook for a few more minutes, then they should be ready to strain (depending on the size).

What to eat with the vegan curd dumplings

Austrians love to eat sweet dumplings as a main dish! When we have apricot dumplings or other sweet dumplings or pastries as the main course, I like to make a vegetable soup such as zucchini soup or lentil soup to go with it.

If the curd dumplings are not filled, I like to take the opportunity to serve them with leftover stewed plums, stewed elderberries, apple sauce, compotes or even jams that have been hanging around in the fridge for a while and need to be eaten up. 😉

Vegan curd dumplings freezing & shelf life

You can freeze vegan apricot dumplings, similar to traditional curd dumplings. For optimal results, it is recommended to freeze them in raw, pre-cooked, but when already shaped to a dumpling. When you're ready to thaw them, simply place them directly into boiling water, just like fresh dumplings. The cooking time may be slightly longer, but the outcome will be equally delicious to freshly cooked ones!

While it is possible to freeze cooked vegan curd dumplings, there is a higher risk of them falling apart during the thawing process. For more detailed information on freezing, see my recipe for traditional apricot dumplings made with curd dough.

Vegan curd dumplings can be stored in the refrigerator for approximately 2 days. To reheat them, you can either use a microwave or place them in an oven-proof dish, cover them, and heat them in the oven. The results are a bit more dry than frehly cooked, though.

Sweet Vegan Apricot Dumplings with Cream Cheese Dough

Ingredients