Dampfnudeln
Steamed yeast dumplings with a crisp golden base, cooked in milk and butter for 25 minutes and served with vanilla sauce.
Photograph credit: 2026-08-28 Pfälzer Dampfnudeln Salzkruste mit Vanillesauce 0 (image of Dampfnudel on… by Burkhard Mücke · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Keep the lid on. That is the golden rule for dampfnudeln, because a quick peek lets the steam out and the dumplings sink. These sweet yeast dumplings, from southern Germany, are cooked in a covered pan with milk and butter, and they steam on top while the base turns crisp and caramelised.
The dough is soft and yeasty, made with flour, milk, egg, butter and sugar. Let it rise for 1 hour, shape it into balls and let them rise again on a floured board for 20 minutes. Do not lift the lid for the first 20 minutes, and listen: when the sizzling stops, the liquid has gone, and the base has set in a golden crust.
The dumplings are lifted out with a spatula, crust side up, and served with warm vanilla sauce, stewed plums or a plate of both. The best ones are puffy and dry on top, with a light, chewy crumb. They are a dessert, or a main dish on a fast day.
Quick Answers
How long does Dampfnudeln take to make?
25 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour 20 minutes of Rising, so allow 2 hours 10 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 6.
How to Make Dampfnudeln
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Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, lukewarm milk, egg and softened butter and knead for 8 minutes. Leave to rise for 1 hour.
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Shape into 6 balls and leave on a floured board for 20 minutes.
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Heat the pan milk, butter and sugar in a wide pan with a lid until bubbling. Set the balls in it, cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes without lifting the lid.
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Listen for the sizzling to stop and cook for 5 minutes more, until the base is golden.
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Lift out and serve crust side up with the vanilla sauce.
Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.
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Worth Getting Right
- Keep the lid on while they steam.
- Listen for the sizzling to stop.
- Serve at once, as they sink as they cool.
Pairs Well With
Vanilla sauce · Stewed plums · Poppy seeds
Storage
Best fresh.
Nutrition per Serving
Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: all the alcohol is counted, though some is lost in cooking. The calories include 25 g of alcohol a serving, which is not part of the protein, carbohydrate or fat. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
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