Blueberry Dumplings Skillet
This blueberry dumplings skillet is a casual dessert bursting with fresh summer berries. Ready in less than a half hour, this skillet slump is a delicious and alternative to cobblers, crisps and crumble. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a down home taste of the best warm weather flavors there are!
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My southern roots are showing right now.
My grandma used to make a blueberry dumpling dish in a cast iron skillet when I was little that I could not get enough of!
It was simple but oh so good with tender, buttery biscuits and sweet, slightly tangy berries.
This slump is how summertime is supposed to taste.
Slumps, Dumplings and Cobblers, Oh My!
If you don’t know what a slump is, you’re probably wondering about the use of the word here.
No it is not a time period when you can’t get out of a rut and sit around watching Netflix in your pajamas all day.
The term slump, when used in cooking and baking, refers to a recipe an East Coast style cobbler that uses a biscuit on top of a fresh berry compote.
These blueberry dumplings are similar to a berry slump but his recipe uses a dumpling dough instead of biscuits, making it a cross between a slump and cobbler.
The dough creates a pillow-like, soft morsel coated in sweet blueberry sauce.
It is the perfect crowd pleasing dish that goes great over vanilla ice cream and with a whipped cream topping.
Ingredients
You’ll need to have the following ingredients:
- Fresh blueberries – If you like, you could use other berries like blackberries, raspberries or strawberries instead.
- Water – This is used to cook the dumplings.
- Milk – I use and recommend using whole milk.
- Butter – It will need to be softened & cut into rough chunks.
- Baking powder – This gives the dumplings a bit of a rise.
- Sugar – If you are looking to reduce your sugar intake, you can substitute Splenda for the sugar. Just make sure to follow the conversion on the package or use granulated Splenda that measures cup for cup with sugar.
- Flour – I prefer using regular all-purpose flour, but you could use wheat if you want to.
- Salt – You only need a pinch.
- Vanilla ice cream – You can use this to serve with the dumplings. Whipped cream also goes great with these.
How to make
Part of the appeal of this dish, aside from how good it tastes, is how quickly you can throw it together.
To do it, add the tablespoon of sugar, baking powder, flour, and salt to medium mixing bowl. Next, whisk them together until evenly combined.
Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut in the butter.
Once the butter is completely incorporated and the mixture’s crumbly, add the milk and stir to form the dough. Be careful not to overmix or your dumplings will be heavy.
Next, stir together the berries, remaining sugar, and water until evenly mixed in a large skillet set over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Now, work quick to drop spoonful’s of the dumpling batter evenly out into the bubbling berry mixture.
It will get crowded by the end and that’s OK!
Once you have dropped all the dumplings into the skillet, reduce the heat to a low simmer.
Finally, cover and let the dumplings cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the dough’s cooked through. Do not stir them as they cook!
To test the dumplings, you can take a larger one out and check the center to make sure it cooked through.
If they are ready, remove from the heat and serve them warm over vanilla ice cream or with whipped cream on top.
Fork vs pastry cutter for cutting in butter
A pastry cutter is a great tool if you make a lot of biscuits and other baked goods that require you to mix in cold butter with flour.
Biscuits don’t come out correctly if the butter is melted at all, which is why you often need to use a pastry cutter.
But you can achieve the same results with a fork.
A fork can achieve a similar consistency and help protects the butter from melting from using your fingers.
The main drawback of the fork is that is not specifically designed for cutting in butter.
And the main drawback of a pastry cutter is it is one more tool to store, which can be an issue if you are tight on space or only make pastries that need it every once and a while.
Serving and storing
These blueberry dumplings are great when served fresh from the stove.
I love them over vanilla ice cream and with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
You can also add fresh blueberries on top or skip the extras altogether.
You can store left overs in the skillet in the fridge.
Just make sure to use cling wrap to cover them or transfer to an airtight container.
To reheat, you can place them in the microwave for a few seconds, just enough to warm them through.
Tips and tricks
- When the dumplings are cooking, don’t stir them. Also, you can crowd the pan, which is often a no-no when cooking using a skillet and liquid to cook foods.
- Make sure you chunk the butter BEFORE softening. This helps avoid losing any butter when cutting it up.
- When stirring the dough, I highly recommend using an actual Danish dough whisk. I find it works the best and yields the best results. It also prevents a sticky mess.
Other blueberry recipes you will love
A blueberry dumpling skillet makes a great spring and summer dessert to serve your friends and family.
Make it the next time you have fresh summer blueberries on hand.
If you love blueberries, check out some of these other great recipe ideas.
- Blueberry Muffin Ice Cream
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Danish
- Blueberry Cheesecake Snack Bites
- Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Cake
If you’ve tried this BLUEBERRY DUMPLINGS SKILLET, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Blueberry Dumplings Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 18 oz clamshell fresh blueberries
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 stick butter softened & cut into rough chunks
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup flour
- pinch salt
- vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- To a medium sized mixing bowl, add the tablespoon of sugar, baking powder, flour, and salt. Whisk together until evenly combined.
- Add the butter to the bowl, and cut in using a pastry cutter or a fork.
- Once th butter's completely incorporated and the mixture's crumbly, add the milk and stir to form the dough. Don't overmix.
- In a large skillet set over medium heat, stir together the berries, remaining sugar, and water until evenly mixed.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Using a tablespoon and working quickly, drop spoonful's of the dumpling batter evenly out into the bubbling berry mixture. It will get crowded by the end, that's ok.
- Once all the dumplings have been dropped into the skillet reduce the heat to a low simmer.
- Cover and let the dumplings cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the dough's cooked through. Do not stir.
- Take a large dumpling out, cut it open and check the center to be sure. Remove the skillet from heat.
- Serve warm over vanilla ice cream or with vanilla extract infused, freshly whipped cream.
Notes
- When the dumplings are cooking, don't stir them. Also, you can crowd the pan, which is often a no-no when cooking using a skillet and liquid to cook foods.
- Make sure you chunk the butter BEFORE softening. This helps avoid losing any butter when cutting it up.
- When stirring the dough, I highly recommend using an actual dough whisk. I find it works the best and yields the best results. It also prevents a sticky mess.
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details. As always, all opinions are my own.
