Gluten Free Marillenknödel (Austrian Apricot Dumplings)

Marillenknödel may be one of Austria's most famous desserts aside from Kaiserschmarrn and Sachertorte. It's also one of those dishes that brings back a lot of memories from growing up in Austria. Sweet Apricots are wrapped in a delectable dough, boiled until tender, and then coated in a sweet breadcrumb topping. Serve them as a sweet main dish or for dessert. This recipe for Gluten Free Marillenknödel is a must-make during Apricot Season.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour. Both gluten-free flour blends work great in this recipe.

Fine Yellow Corn Meal: Corn Meal is a fine ground meal (coarse flour) ground from dried corn. It works as a binder in this Marillenknodel recipe. This is not the same as cornstarch. If you can't locate fine cornmeal, you can always pulse coarse-ground cornmeal a few times in a blender or food processor.

Greek Yogurt: Marillenknödel in Austria are made with Topfen (Quark Cheese) which is impossible to locate in the US. But, full-fat or 2% fat Greek yogurt works wonderfully here. Make sure to drain any liquid that's on top of the yogurt.

Gluten Free Breadcrumbs: I use Schar Gluten Free Bread Crumbs for the bread crumb coating. Make sure to use unflavored bread crumbs.

Fresh Apricots: Marillenknodel are the best with sweet, ripe apricots. Look for fruits that yield slightly to gentle pressure without being overly soft or mushy. Look for smaller apricots since they will cook faster. The apricots I use are around 40 grams each.

Vanilla: Vanillezucker, a vanilla-flavored sugar, is commonly used in German-speaking countries. If you have a European Grocery Store nearby, make sure to check their baking aisle. Use Vanilla Paste or Vanilla Extract as a substitute for Vanillezucker in the dumpling dough. Since I also add some of the vanilla sugar to the toasted bread crumbs, you may add a small dash of vanilla extract to the melted butter or substitute it with some ground cinnamon for flavor.

Recipe Testing Notes

I tested this Gluten Free Marillenknödel recipe with several substitutes for Topfen (quark cheese). I even tried to find farmers' cheese, which many claim to be the same as quark. While I am usually successful in finding special ingredients in Chicago, I could not locate farmers' cheese at any stores. Therefore, I decided to develop this recipe using products commonly available at grocery stores. Should I ever stumble over Farmers' Cheese I may give it a try but as for now, I won't even bother looking for it.

My first attempt to make Gluten-Free Marillenknödel used cream cheese and greek yogurt. Although this combination sounds delicious, the dumplings turned out to be dense and heavy.

In my next attempt, I used only Greek yogurt. While the dumplings were tasty, the dough was very sticky. I realized I needed to add a binder to the dough and drain the liquid often found on top of greek yogurt. My grandma's Marillenknödel recipe calls for wheat semolina as a binder, but since it is not gluten-free, I substituted fine ground cornmeal. The cornmeal absorbs some of the liquid and makes the dough easier to work with.

In my final recipe test, I used sour cream as a substitute for Greek yogurt. However, the dumplings were very tangy and not very pleasant (and this is coming from someone who loves sour cream). With this being said, Greek Yogurt is the winner in my books.

It's also important to mention that gluten-free breadcrumbs are very different than regular breadcrumbs. While regular bread crumbs can be toasted in a lot of butter, don't be tempted to use a lot of butter when it comes to gluten-free bread crumbs. The crumb soaks up all the liquid and can become very soggy.

What are Marillenknödel?

Marillenknödel, or Austrian apricot dumplings, are a beloved traditional dessert from Austria. Especially in the Wachau region, known for its apricot orchards, these dumplings hold a special place in local cuisine. This area, located along the Danube River, provides the perfect climate and soil for growing apricots (Marillen), making them a staple in local cuisine.

The exact origins of Marillenknödel are not well-documented, but they are deeply rooted in Austrian culinary tradition. The use of fruit in dumplings dates back centuries, and variations can be found in many Central European cuisines, including Czech, Hungarian, and German. However, the combination of apricots with a sweet dumpling is distinctly Austrian.

While the classic Marillenknödel is made with apricots, variations can include other fruits such as plums (Zwetschgenknödel) or Strawberries. The type of dough can also vary. Some recipes use potato dough, some quark-based dough (Topfenteig), or even choux dough.

Marillenknödel Dough

The dough for Austrian Apricot Dumplings comes together quickly but must rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flour to hydrate. One can make the dough ahead of time and allow it to rest in the fridge overnight.

1.  In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, remove it from the heat and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Allow the butter to cool for at least 5 minutes.
2. While the butter is cooling, combine the gluten free flour, fine ground yellow cornmeal and kosher salt. Whisk together and set aside.
3. To the melted and cooled butter, add powdered sugar, vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract) and room-temperature egg. Whisk the ingredients together until smooth.
4. Add the greek yogurt and whisk to combine.
5. With a flexible spatula fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The dough will be a tad sticky which is normal.
6. Cover the mixing bowl and place the gluten-free apricot dumpling dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Shaping Austrian Apricot Dumplings

The dough to apricot ratio is a personal preference. I use 8 small-ish (around 45g each) apricots for my Marillenknödel recipe. If your apricots are larger please adjust accordingly since ⅛th of the dough won't be enough to cover them.

Many recipes call for replacing the apricot pit with sugar cubes. It's not something my family did growing up so I leave the pits in my apricots. Growing up, I always found the pits to be a great way to keep track of how many dumplings I had eaten.

1. Wash and pat dry the apricots. If they have a tiny stem in them, make sure to remove it.
2. Line a baking sheet with some parchment paper. Lightly flour it and set aside.
3. Remove the knödel dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll it in a log and divide it into 8 equal pieces.
4. Lightly flour your hands with some additional gluten free multi purpose flour if needed. Flatten each piece of dough and wrap it around an apricot, making sure to cover the fruit is completely. Seal the edges well.
5. Roll the dumplings lightly in your hands to smooth them out. Place the knodel on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Refrigerate the dumplings while you prepare the cooking water. At this point, one can refrigerate the uncooked dumplings for up to one day or freeze them.

Cooking & Serving

Once you have shaped all the Marillenknödel it's time to cook them. In Austria Marillenknodel are commonly served as a main dish just like Kaiserschmarrn. If you know you won't be able to enjoy all the dumplings in one sitting, freeze some for later. To serve all the dumplings at once, cook them in two separate pots and use two sauté pans for the crumb topping. Alternatively, keep them warm in a baking dish in the oven at around 200°F for 15-20 minutes.

1. In a large pot bring lightly salted water to a boil. A wide pot is better for this so the dumplings don't stick to each other.
2. Once the water comes to a boil, add 3-4 dumplings and reduce the heat to a simmer.
3. Allow the Austrian Apricot Dumplings to cook for 13-14 minutes (this depends on the size of the dumplings). After a few minutes in the water give them a quick stir to make sure they are not sticking to the bottom of the pan.

4. While the Austrian apricot dumplings are simmering, one can prepare the toasted Breadcrumb topping.
5. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Once melted add the gluten-free bread crumbs, granulated sugar, a pinch of kosher salt, and if using vanilla sugar. If you use vanilla extract you can add about 1 teaspoon to the melted butter before adding the dry ingredients.
6. Quickly stir the dry ingredients into the butter. Over a very low heat, toast the bread crumbs until golden brown constantly string with a heat-proof spatula. Gluten Free Bread Crumbs can burn very quickly.
7. Remove the sautee pan from the heat (I normally just move it to an unused burner).

8. After 14-15 minutes, the Apricot dumplings should float in the water. Turn off the heat and allow the dumplings to sit for an additional minute.
9. With a slotted spoon carefully remove each dumpling making sure to drain as much water as possible.
10. Place the dumplings into the prepared breadcrumb topping. Carefully coat them fully in the topping using a spoon or spatula.
11. Transfer the Marillenknödel to a plate, dust with powdered sugar, and serve. (Remember they have a pit inside!)

Storage & Freezing

Uncooked Marillenknödel: Store uncooked Marillenknödel in the fridge for one day but I highly recommend freezing them instead. To freeze uncooked dumplings, place them on a parchment-lined sheet tray and place them in the freezer until frozen. Once frozen I like to wrap each dumpling with plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer bag. Freeze apricot dumplings for up to 6 weeks. Cook the dumplings from frozen as directed in the recipe adding 2-3 minutes to the boiling time.

Cooked Marillenknödel: Store leftover Gluten Free Marillenknödel in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I like to reheat them in the microwave covered with a small bowl (to create some steam) for 90 seconds to 2 minutes at 50% power.

FAQ - Gluten Free Marillenknödel

Note about Salt in my Recipes

I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.