Plum Dumplings with Poppy Seeds

This is a Czech recipe for delicious plum dumplings with poppy seed topping. Czechs most often enjoy them as a sweet lunch. Curious? Let's make the dumplings together!

These plum dumplings are made with soft potato cheese dough. Inside comes a pitted fresh plum. The dumplings are boiled in water, cut in half on a plate, and sprinkled with ground poppy seeds mixed with icing sugar. As a final touch, the butter poured over the dumplings enhances their divine flavor.

➤ In the Czech language, plum dumplings are called "švestkové knedlíky".

Czechs most often make these dumplings during the plum season, which begins in August and peaks at the end of October.

MY TIP: Also try these strawberry dumplings made with cheese dough (they taste fantastic!)

➜ Ingredients

For plum dumplings, you'll need:

DOUGH:

• Potatoes; boiled in their skin on, ideally a day ahead. To prepare the dough, the potatoes must be thoroughly cooled.
• Cream cheese; use any neutral-tasting cream cheese with a higher fat content (do not use the light version).
• All-purpose flour; I give approximate quantities in the recipe card. The exact amount will always depend on the creaminess of the cheese used.
• Egg
• Salt

POPPYSEED TOPPING:

• Poppy seeds; ground. The poppy seeds can easily be ground in a clean coffee grinder. Grind the poppy seeds briefly and in smaller batches.
• Icing sugar
• Unsalted butter; melted in a small pot or in a microwave

You also need smaller, fresh plums, preferably of the Italian type.

✅ You will find the exact ingredient amounts in the recipe card below, which you can also print out.

➜ Kitchen Equipment

I cooked the dumplings in an 11-inch (28 cm) pan with a lowered rim. You will also need a hand grater to grate the cooked potatoes and a flat slotted spoon to remove the boiled dumplings from the water.

➜ Instructions with Photos

MAKE AHEAD: First, boil the potatoes in their skins in advance. Let them cool completely.

STEP 1: Peel the cooked, cooled potatoes and grate them finely.

STEP 2: Add the flour, eggs, cream cheese, and a pinch of salt to the bowl.

STEP 3: Work into a smooth, non-sticky dough. Add a little flour if necessary.

STEP 4: Shape the dough into a cylinder and cut it into equal-sized pieces on a floured surface.

STEP 5: Lightly press each piece of dough into the flour on both cut sides and shape it into a patty.

STEP 6: Wrap the halved plum in the dough and shape it into a round dumpling.

STEP 7: Cook the plum dumplings in gently boiling water for 8–10 minutes. There is no need to flip the dumplings while cooking them.

➜ Serving

Serve the dumplings warm; cut them in half on the plate. Sprinkle with ground poppy seeds mixed with icing sugar and top with melted butter.

Do you like plums? Try out these Czech plum kolaches!

➜ Useful Tips

• The exact amount of flour in the dough depends on the consistency of the cream cheese. Thinner, creamier cheese will need more flour and vice versa.
• The plums need to be perfectly dry when processing the dumplings, as do your hands. Water causes erosion of the dough, it will fall apart, and you won't be able to close the dumplings.
• Halve the plums for the dumplings. If they are sour, add a little granulated sugar between the plum halves.

TIP: If the dumplings stick to the bottom while cooking, loosen them with a fork so they can float to the surface.

More Czech dumplings:

• Fruit dumplings – made with yeast dough
• Potato dumplings – a perfect side for roasted meat
• Bread dumplings – ideal for sauces
• Cherry dumplings – třešňové knedlíky
• Plum compote – Czech klevela recipe