Hungarian Plum Dumplings (Szilvás gombóc) 🍑
A beloved Hungarian dessert—soft potato dumplings with whole plums inside, rolled in buttery breadcrumbs.
What they’re like
- Tender potato dough
- Whole plum stuffed inside, usually with sugar + cinnamon
- Rolled in toasted breadcrumbs
- Cozy, not too sweet
Traditional Hungarian Plum Dumplings Recipe
Ingredients
Dough
- 500 g (about 1 lb) starchy potatoes (russet-type)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (add more if needed)
- 1 egg
- Pinch of salt
Filling
- 8–10 small Italian plums (or similar)
- Sugar cubes or 1–2 tsp sugar per plum
- Ground cinnamon
Breadcrumb coating
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 2–3 tbsp butter or oil
- Powdered sugar (optional, for serving)
How to make them
- Cook potatoes
Boil potatoes in their skins. Peel while warm and mash until smooth. Let cool. - Make dough
Mix potatoes with egg, salt, and flour until soft but not sticky. - Prepare plums
Wash, pit (leave whole), and place sugar + a pinch of cinnamon inside each plum. - Form dumplings
Roll dough out about ½ cm thick. Cut into squares.
Wrap dough around each plum and seal completely. - Cook
Drop dumplings into gently boiling salted water.
When they float, cook 2–3 more minutes, then remove. - Breadcrumb coating
Toast breadcrumbs in butter until golden.
Roll hot dumplings in crumbs. - Serve
Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you like.
Hungarian tips 🇭🇺
- Don’t overwork the dough—lighter = better
- Italian plums are traditional, but any firm plum works
- Leftovers are amazing lightly pan-fried the next day
- Some families add a little semolina to the dough
If you want, I can:
- Make a vegan version
- Adjust quantities for school cooking projects
- Compare Hungarian vs Austrian (Zwetschgenknödel) versions
- Help troubleshoot dough problems
Just tell me 🙂
