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    Home » Desserts

    Strawberry Dumplings – Czech Jahodové knedlíky

    Published: Jun 21, 2021 · Modified: Oct 12, 2022 by Petra Kupská

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    The fresh strawberry season in the Czech Republic starts in June. And that means only one thing - it's the perfect time to cook strawberry dumplings! So I've made them for you, taken photos of the process, and written a detailed recipe so you can master this divine delicacy on your first try.

    strawberry dumplings czech jahodové knedlíky
    Table of Contents hide
    ➜ What Are Czech Strawberry Dumplings
    ➜ Tvaroh Substitution
    ➜ Ingredients
    ➜ Instructions with Photos
    ➜ Serving
    ➜ Storage
    ➜ Reheating Dumplings
    ➜ Topping
    ➜ Cooking Tips
    Strawberry Dumplings – Czech Jahodové knedlíky

    ➜ What Are Czech Strawberry Dumplings

    Czech "Jahodové knedlíky" are small dumplings, each filled with a fresh strawberry. The strawberries are coated with a thin dough made of "tvaroh" cheese, flour, and egg.

    Then, dumplings are boiled in water and served warm as a main dish or dessert. Most often, they are sprinkled with icing sugar on the plate, drizzled with melted butter, and decorated with a dollop of sour cream.

    MY TIP: Try also these fruit dumplings made with a yeast dough (a real Czech thing!)

    ➜ Tvaroh Substitution

    While "tvaroh" belongs among the common ingredients in the Czech Republic, you can't get it so easily abroad. Therefore, I offer possible substitutes to cook the dumplings without tvaroh: Ricotta or Cottage cheese.

    I used cottage cheese pressed through a sieve. I got a soft mass, similar to Czech tvaroh. Ricotta, which you can use straight from the cup (no need to pass it through a sieve), works just as well.

    If you would like to find tvaroh in your local store, here are the names used for this cheese in other countries:

    Quark, Topfen (German), Twaróg (Polish), Túró (Hungarian), Farmers’ cheese (USA)

    ➜ Ingredients

    czech strawberry dumplings ingredients

    Back to the dumplings! Here's your shopping list:

    • Cottage Cheese; the original Czech recipe calls for tvaroh, a type of fresh cheese, but ricotta or cottage cheese works just as well
    • Egg
    • Salt
    • All-purpose flour; the amount of flour added depends on how much liquid the cottage cheese/ricotta contains
    • Semolina; for a fluffier texture, can be omitted and replaced with all-purpose flour
    • Fresh strawberries; about the same size

    Topping:

    • Powdered sugar
    • Unsalted butter; melted
    • Sour cream

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

    ➜ Instructions with Photos

    STEP 1: Wash the strawberries, and dry them thoroughly. Finally, cut off the stem.

    STEP 2: Place a sieve in a bowl. Put the cottage cheese in the sieve and press it through into the bowl. This way, you get a smooth cheese mass without lumps.

    cottage cheese pressed through a sieve

    STEP 3: Add the all-purpose flour, semolina, salt, and one whole egg.

    making cheese dough for czech strawberry dumplings

    STEP 4: Use a spatula to mix everything by hand. If necessary, add all-purpose flour by tablespoonfuls until a workable, just slightly sticky dough forms. Finally, knead it quickly.

    cheese dough for strawberry dumplings

    STEP 5: Wrap the dough in cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

    STEP 6: Meantime, pour water into a wide pot, salt it, and bring to a boil.

    STEP 7: Form the rested dough into a roll about 2 inches thick and cut it into equal-sized pieces. Sift the flour onto your work surface and dust your hands with it; the dumpling dough may stick slightly.

    making strawberry dumplings

    STEP 8: Shape each piece of dough into a round patty like a mini pizza. Place a clean, dried strawberry in the middle of the patty. Cover the strawberry with the dough and very carefully seal the seams of the dough. Form a regular shape between your palms.

    making strawberry dumplings

    STEP 9: Cook the dumplings in gently boiling water for 6 minutes. You do not need to flip the dumplings. The dumplings tend to stick to the bottom of the pot, loosen them with a fork, so they float to the surface.

    cooking duplings in a pot

    STEP 10: Transfer the cooked dumplings to a bowl using a slotted spoon.

    transfering cooked dumplings

    ➜ Serving

    Czech strawberry dumplings are served warm immediately after cooking. They are usually cut in half on the plate.

    Sprinkle their surface with icing sugar and top with melted butter, garnish with a dollop of sour cream.

    czech jahodové knedlíky strawberry dumplings served

    ➜ Storage

    It rarely happens that these fruit dumplings are left over!

    If they do, or you're making a larger quantity to stock up, let the dumplings cool down first. Then, place them in a deep bowl, cover the surface carefully with cling film, and place them in the fridge. Here they will keep for up to four days.

    You can also freeze the dumplings in an airtight container for about three months.

    ➜ Reheating Dumplings

    The most reliable method is to heat the strawberry dumplings on steam. The cooked cottage cheese dough becomes stiffer when cooled; I highly recommend heating the dumplings in a humid environment.

    A quicker option is to heat the dumplings in the microwave. In this case, please place them in a secure plastic bag that you have sprinkled with a little water on the inside.

    cooked dumplings filled with strawberries

    ➜ Topping

    Strawberry dumplings made with cottage cheese dough pair best with icing sugar, melted butter, and sour cream.

    Another option is breadcrumbs fried in butter mixed with granulated sugar. The dumplings are either sprinkled or coated with the breadcrumb mixture. Especially our neighbors in Austria love strawberry dumplings coated in fried sweet breadcrumbs.

    A fancy option is to prepare a strawberry sauce to go with the dumplings.

    Or sprinkle them with ground poppy seeds mixed with powdered sugar. Top with melted butter again.

    ➜ Cooking Tips

    • The amount of flour in the dough depends on how much liquid the cottage cheese contains. If the dough is too sticky, add flour by tablespoons and work until the dough is not sticky and can be worked with your hands.
    • In the Czech Republic, cottage cheese dough for dumplings is made from coarse flour (Hrubá mouka), which is not easy to get abroad. That's why I add semolina to the dough to make it fluffier.
    • Only fresh strawberries are suitable for these dumplings, as frozen and canned ones contain too much liquid.

    More sweet recipes:

    • Strawberry Coffee Cake – jahodový koláč
    • Bublanina – Czech fruit cake with cherries
    • Buchty – sweet-filled yeast buns
    • Plum dumplings – with poppyseed topping
    • Cold strawberry soup

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest. Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me any question about Czech cuisine to my e-mail. I love hearing your feedback!

    strawberry dumplings czech jahodové knedlíky recipe

    Strawberry Dumplings – Czech Jahodové knedlíky

    The fresh strawberry season starts in June in the Czech Republic. And that means only one thing - it's the perfect time to cook strawberry dumplings!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 6 minutes
    Total Time: 36 minutes
    Servings: 14 dumplings
    Author: Petra Kupská
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Dessert, Main Course
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: fruit dumplings

    Ingredients

    Dough

    • 1 cup (250 g) cottage cheese or Ricotta
    • 1 egg
    • ¼ cup (40 g) semolina coarse flour
    • 1 and ⅓-2/3 cups (170-220 g) all-purpose flour
    • ¼ tsp Salt

    Topping

    • sour cream
    • powdered sugar
    • unsalted butter melted

    Misc.

    • 12-16 fresh strawberries about the same size

    Instructions

    • Wash the strawberries, dry them thoroughly. Finally, cut off the stem.
    • Put a sieve on a bowl. Place cottage cheese in the sieve and press it through into the bowl. This way, you get a smooth cheese mass without lumps.
    • Add all-purpose flour, semolina, a pinch of salt, and one whole egg.
    • Use a spatula to mix everything by hand. If necessary, add all-purpose flour by tablespoonfuls until a workable, just slightly sticky dough forms. Knead quickly at the end.
    • Wrap the dough in cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
    • Meantime, pour water into a wide pot, salt it a little, and bring to a boil.
    • Form the rested dough into a roll about 2 inches thick and cut it into equal-sized pieces. Sift the flour onto your work surface and dust your hands with it; the dumpling dough may stick slightly.
    • Shape each piece of dough into a round patty like a mini pizza. Place a clean, dried strawberry in the middle of the patty. Cover the strawberry with the dough and very carefully seal the edges of the dough. Form a regular shape between your palms.
    • Cook the dumplings in gently boiling water for 6 minutes. You do not need to flip the dumplings. The dumplings tend to stick to the bottom of the pot, loosen them with a fork, so they float to the surface.
    • Transfer the cooked dumplings to a bowl using a slotted spoon.

    Notes

    1. Makes about 12-14 dumplings.
    2. SERVING: Serve warm immediately after cooking. For one portion, count 4 dumplings. Half the dumplings on a plate, sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, top with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Add 2 tablespoons of sour cream.
    3. STORAGE: Place the remaining dumplings in a bowl, cover carefully with cling film and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
    4. REHEATING: Heat the dumplings preferably on steam. Another option is to reheat them in the microwave: in this case, first put the dumplings in a safe plastic bag into which you have sprayed some water beforehand.
    5. Only fresh strawberries are suitable for these dumplings, as frozen and canned ones contain too much liquid.

    DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:

    Conversion chart
    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karen

      August 22, 2021 at 1:14 am

      My husband is Croatian & Slovenian. Very similar food traditions. Anxious to try some of the recipes & see how they compare to his memories of "grandma's " cooking.

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        August 22, 2021 at 6:44 am

        Hi Karen, thank you for your kind comment. Both Croatians and Slovenians are Slavs (just like Czechs). I firmly believe that their cuisines have a lot in common. I'll be glad if you give me feedback later if the "taste" of Czech food is similar to the memories you have of your grandma's cooking! Greetings from the Czech Republic, Petra

        Reply
    2. Joe

      February 20, 2022 at 7:52 pm

      5 stars
      Super tasty just like my grandma made!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        February 22, 2022 at 3:28 pm

        Thank you very much 🙂

        Reply
    3. Holly

      June 22, 2022 at 1:02 pm

      5 stars
      I have Czech roots and grew up with both my mom and my grandmother making fruit dumplings. Although I have Gram's recipe for "regular" fruit dumplings, I didn't have one for the strawberry variety with quark. We just recently returned from a quick visit to Prague, with strawberry season in full swing. The strawberry dumplings I had for dinner one night were amazing and inspired me to search for a comparable recipe. Thankfully I found yours. Made them last night - just divine. Thank you so much!

      Reply

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    Hi there, I’m Petra, a self-taught home cook and a Czech mom of two teen boys with more than 20 years of cooking experience. I am here to share traditional recipes from the Czech Republic, a small country in the very heart of Europe.

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    Hi there, I’m Petra, a self-taught home cook and a Czech mom of two teen boys with more than 20 years of cooking experience. I am here to share traditional recipes from the Czech Republic, a small country in the very heart of Europe.

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