I have been eating egg dumplings since I was just a small child. My mom would usually make the dumplings with chicken stock for a chicken and dumpling soup. But once in a while she would cook up pork ribs and serve them with the dumplings for a pork and dumpling soup.
And my grandmother made these for my mom and her siblings, so you can see this recipe has been passed down from generation to generation. That is a true testimony to how good they are.
This is a simple recipe that goes perfectly on cold-weather days. And, as much as I loved these as a kid my family loves them as much as I did and still do.
Helpful Tips:
- All-purpose flour works well for this recipe.
- I don’t use salt in this recipe. I let the chicken broth season the dumplings. If you prefer you can add about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the batter.
- I know that most egg dumplings use baking powder in their recipes. I like to leave the baking powder out of the dumplings. These dumplings are denser than some dumplings, which my family enjoys.
- These dumplings are delicious in chicken broth. Use 4 to 6 cups of chicken broth for this recipe. Add onion, carrots, celery, and cooked chicken to the broth for a delicious and hearty soup.
- If adding the vegetables saute them in a separate skillet before adding them to the soup.
- When cooking the dumplings add them to the boiling broth by rounded teaspoons. Before added the dumplings dip the teaspoon in the broth, this will prevent the dumplings from sticking to the spoon.
- Leftover can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- To reheat the dumpling simply heat in the microwave or on the stovetop to the desired temperature.
Steps for Making Egg Dumplings
Step one
In a medium bowl beat the eggs and milk together
Step two
Gradually beat in the flour. You will want a beat in flour until the batter is thick but still moist.
Step three
Drop the dumplings in boiling broth.
Step four
Once all of the dumplings are added to the broth bring to a boil. Then reduce the temperature and cook for 15 to 30 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked through.
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Egg Dumplings
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In a medium bowl beat the eggs and milk together.
- Gradually beat in the flour. Beat in enough flour to make a thick but moist batter.
- Drop the dumplings into boiling broth by small teaspoons. For larger dumplings have the teaspoons rounded.
- Once all of the dumplings bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 15 to 30 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked through. Time will vary depending on the size of the dumpling.
- For soup add onions, carrots, and celery that have been sauteed and tender. Add pieces of cooked chicken.
Notes
- Use enough all-purpose flour to make a batter that is stiff, but still moist.
- If you desire you can add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the batter.
- Drop dumplings into a boiling broth by small teaspoons. For larger dumplings add by rounded tablespoons.
- Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the dumplings.
- These dumplings are delicious in chicken broth. Add carrots, celery, and onions that have been sauteed for added flavor. Cooked diced chicken can be added to the soup also.
- Reheat leftover soup in the microwave or on the stovetop to the desired temperature.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on December 31, 2013. It has been updated with new content and pictures on January 11, 2021.
Ooo I’ve never heard of these before…but I wouldn’t complain if a big bowl of them was set in front of me!
These sound amazing. I have always loved egg dumplings….I grew up with them too!
I’ve never had these before. They sound simple and delicious.
I love dumplings! And don’t make them enough. Thanks for these. And Happy New Year!
My mom use to make these in a pot of navy beans
We still do!!!!
Best dumpling ever!! My mom in-law taught me this recipe- as German dumplings by her grandmother, And of course for a family of dumpling eaters her recipe was doubled and no milk, unlike Spaetzle it has no nutmeg, just salt and pepper, sometimes I add garlic and parsley to mind. But what we also did was substitute Chicken and Potatoes for Ground Beef and Potatoes with onions! Ground the beef and onions with small amount of water and seasonings, gradually adding more Add beef broth or water and beef bouillons. (note hard times: Powder Beef, mushrooms Gravy package can be used to flavor the soup broth) Make the dumplings dropped by table spoon into boiling water then Add cubed potatoes. Add mushrooms is good too in this Poor Man Beef n Tater Dumpling Soup!
These are wonderful! Did you know they also go by the name spatzele?! I grew up with them. Same batter, but my mother used water instead of broth. Spellings can vary. I love to add pumpkin and sometimes crushed nuts to them, and toss in browned butter. They’re a wonderful side dish, but I’ve never made them for a soup! Live and learn. Oh, one traditional way to make spatzele is to run the batter through a cheese grater of sorts, and that makes little squiggles, that cook much faster. I prefer the big meaty ones like yours!
I have been looking for this recipe for years. While some might call them spaetzli the Germans/Austrians Bavarians make them much much smaller, but us Polish and Slavic heritage grew up with these. I always had to distinguish them as “Polish Spaetzli” as they were sooooo much bigger but soooooooo much tastier.
I too grew up with mom making this on Wednesday (the day she made homemade zuppe) some times chicken, duck, beef, pork or what ever we had over the weekend mom would cook down the bones to make her base. It was oooooohhhhhh!!!!! so good. Mom would make a “Favorite Son” batch of dumplings that I got to eat once I came home from elementary school Just warm dumplings and milk (3.8% butterfat no less) Oh those where the days.
Needless to say I have some cancer fog and chemo fog and simply lost the recipe and mom has been gone 3 years so its been tough finding just the perfect recipe. This is the one. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.
Hi Christopher, I am happy that you found this recipe. I hope that you are able to enjoy these dumplings for a long time. Take care!
Hey, Christopher
I was looking for an egg dumpling recipe like my mom learned to make from our relatives. Your post is exactly what I meant and remembered. My mother just uses egg and flour. She will make them separately now adding to boiling salted water, but before always a rich chicken stock base. She would make a huge batch once dumplings were cooled enough she would thicken with a little corn starch roux and sour cream..! Soo good, childhood memories. Hope all is well Christopher. Thanks. I’m glad I read this recipe and posts 👍
I also use just egg and flour (my mother’s recipe). I’ve been making these dumplings for over 40 years and I never have to measure anything just eggs and flour. I don’t think you could possibly screw these up
Hi Jill, this is a simple recipe. When making the dumpling I usually don’t measure ingredients, I eyeball it. I add some milk to my dumplings as well. Thank you for stopping by.
These are so easy and a favorite. A hard dumpling.
Hi Nancy, I am glad the you liked the recipe. I like the denseness of this dumpling too.
My Grandma called her concoction Milk Soup. We all loved it. I just made these dumplings and added them to Potato Soup. I cook the dumplings in salted water and add to the hot potato soup.
Hi Barbara, I never thought about putting dumplings into potato soup, it sound delicious! Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Hi Barbara and Dawn! My mother and now I always made these as part of her potato soup recipe. Cook up the peeled (large cubes) potatoes in chicken broth seasoned with chopped onions (sautéed in a bit of butter in the bottom of the pan first) then add the dumplings, and when they are cooked, add whole milk (sometimes with a splash of half n half or even cream), a half a stick of butter, and serve. Each person salts and peppers to their own taste. Of course, this is a always done in a huge soup pot. My kids loved it and my grandkids do, too.
Hi Pam, I have never had dumplings made this way. Sounds yummy. Thank you for stopping by.
My family has German blood in it, and we are getting together to have a German food lunch, and go thru family pictures… Hope it’s as good as you say… Wish me luck!!
Hi Lynn, The dumplings are pretty easy to make. Good luck! I hope that you enjoy the recipe.
I love dumplings! Laura makes dumplings all the time for her “pot pie” – an Amish recipe that is nothing like pot pie. It’s really a soup. But the dumplings are the best part because they absorb all of the flavor from the soup. Great tips for making these, Dawn!
We all love dumplings here and yours look the best, Dawn! For whatever reason, I generally use Bisquick, but will try your recipe the next time. I like that these are more dense! We usually enjoy dumplings with chicken, etc but I love them on top of homemade navy bean soup. Can’t wait to try these sometime this winter! Thanks for the recipe!
My grandmother made egg dumplings, and added cream to the soup at the end.
Bruce, That is interesting. I have never had cream with dumplings. Sounds like it would be delicious. I will have to give it a try. Thank you for stopping by!!
My favorite style of dumpling. Not a fan of the pastry variety. Just made these tonight. Very easy and quite tasty with my veggies and chicken. Glad I didn’t add salt to the dumplings. Will be making this again. 👍
Hi Audrey, I am glad that you like them. It is one of my family’s favorite meals.
I grew up on egg dumplings from my grandma. These are delicious but I remember my grandma’s recipe and I truly loved hers. I make these as a comfort food and nothing else.
Hi Dianne, I grew up on dumplings that my mom made, it was my grandma’s recipe. These are the perfect comfort food and one of my all-time favorite dishes. Thank you for stopping by!!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! My mom made a version without the milk for us growing up and we loved it but this one is my new favorite. The dumplings were so tender!
Thank you for the nice comment April. You can make these dumplings with water as well, but I think the milk makes them more tender. I am so glad that you enjoyed them!!
so good
Thank you!
I love this recipe! Is the calories for each serving or for the entire recipe?
Thanks!
I am so happy that you liked this recipe. It is one of my favorites as well. The calorie is only approximate for a serving size. It will depend on the size of helping that you have and the ingredients that you use compared to mine.
My Mom used to make these was I was young. She’d use them as a potato substitute. She’s melt butter and pour over them. I did that tonight for dinner. My dumplings came out smaller than what I recall but she had some the size of UFOs. I’m going to make these next Mon as I’m cooking at the fire station for 12 guys. My variation is I’m going to incorporate them into chicken & dumplings. Cracker Barrel will have nothing on me.
I’ll sauté onions, carrots, celery, make a roux, add chicken broth, debone a Costco rotisserie chicken & toss it in and lastly add the dumplings. Pair it with a salad and pray we don’t catch a structure fire afterwards.
This recipe is money, although I added more milk than 3 Tbsp: 1.5 cups flour.
Thank you!
Thanks Mike. My favorite way to serve these dumplings is with chicken and chicken broth. I always saute onion, carrots, and celery too.
I make homemade soup ALL of the time; but just have notes of “make dumplings with eggs, flour and salt” thinking I would remember the amounts. So no water or milk was ever used before. Then, Mom would simply take a fork of the batter (first place in the broth so no sticking) and then just swirl the batter around in the soup. The little dumplings were about 1/4 to 1/2 inches and no consistency (for a purpose =). THANK YOU for posting this, since I will make my next “batch” of chicken noodle soup using this recipe. One question, I usually use about a 12 ounce bag of noodles. Would this be equal to this recipe, or should I double it? I enjoy cooking so much and appreciate others sharing =)
Hi Cynthia, thank you for the comment. It is a little hard to compare this recipe to 12 ounces of noodles. But if I was making a batch of soup like you I would probably double the batch. You can never have too many dumplings.
I found the answer within your NOTES after reviewing. Again THANK YOU SO MUCH for the amounts to use for the dumplings. YUM
I make about 500 at a time (×10 recipe). I flash freeze and bag them about 80 per bag. Pull out and defrost when needed. We have dumplings for months.
I am a “gourmet chef” retired
And chicken dumpling soup is the first thing my 2 oldest grandchildren learned to cook. Completely from scratch! They started with a trip to my herb garden to get the fresh thyme, rosemary and sage. From there the only thing that they didn’t do was deal with the raw whole chicken. But everything else was done by them under very close supervision. My granddaughter did get a little bit afraid of dropping in the dumplings directly into the pot of simmering chicken stock, so she let her little brother do that part. Granddaughter was 5 and a half grandson was 4.
We made 32 gallons of soup and wasn’t a bite left over! There were 4 adults and the 2 little ones that made it. And the 2 little ones probably ate the most.
I have always seasoned the dumplings with thyme, rosemary,sage and a pinch of garlic powder and onion powder. The salt would depend upon if I added any kind of bullion to the chicken stock.
We have made this soup since my children were old enough to eat it. And having lived the last 30 plus years in nw Wisconsin, it’s our first choice in any restaurant that makes their soup from scratch.
It’s a staple in this neck of the woods!
Hi Diane, Thank you for stopping by my blog. Your dumplings sound good. I grew up on simpler taste. We always enjoy the dumplings from this recipe. It is the way my mom made them and the way my grandma made them. I also have a granddaughter who loves helping make soup with me.
I don’t think she meant 32 gallons, maybe 3 gallons???
That’s 2 gallons of soup, not 32!
My dad made potato soup with egg dumplings. I was raised on it and now I make it for my family. My husband ALWAYS bugs me to make it. He LOVES it and he can’t make it like I do. HeHeHe!
Thank you for stopping by Cynthia.
Such an easy recipe! I have a different recipe that I have made from my mother… Similar, but a lot more work than this! Hers started with melting butter and mixing the flour in a pan to thicken. Then we would add just the egg whites and let it form into a ball then you have to let that cool down a bit. Once cooled you stirred in the egg yolks. ( I have found that I didn’t need all the yolks!) . And then she’d drop into her chicken noodle soup!
This recipe is right up there with hers, but much easier! I also found this was very easy to make a single serving! Thank you so much for sharing this!
I am happy that you like the recipe Jeanie. My mom and grandma used this recipe to make dumplings. It has always been one of my favorites. Your mother’s recipe sound great too.
Hi! Was looking for a dumpling recipe that wouldn’t disintegrate in my soup and make it cloudy; these were perfect! I used about 1/2 c of parm as a replacement for an equal amount of flour & added a squeeze of lemon to the soup. yummmm
Hi Nichole, I am glad that you like the recipe. I bet the parm and lemon gave a great taste to the soup and the dumplings.
A friend sent me the recipe because he wanted to know if mine was the same. It is, except I’m a lover of celery, so I always add a dash of celery salt to the mix. We love it with tips of beef that gets boiled then medium heat to a broth for 3 hours then add the onions, carrots, celery and 1/2 cup of rice that has been soaking for 2 hours or so to the beef broth. We also love adding the dumpling mix with out homemade tomato juice once it comes to a boil. Our favorites are with chicken, beef tips, and tomato juice.
Hi John, the celery salt sounds like a good addition. These were one of my childhood favorites.
These are the dumplings my mother made for her chicken soup unless she had my cousins and I make homemade egg noodles that my aunt and her rolled out on the kitchen table and had us girls cut with little paring knives. She also made her potato dumplings with this base recipe and added grated raw potatoes All were delicious. I passed these recipes down to my son and grandsons who make them for friends and they are pronounced delicious by them too. They are a comfort food for sure.
Thank you for stopping by Jewel. My mother made these for us when I was a kid too. We all loved them. My granddaughter loves to make these dumplings with me now.
I put the soft doight in a ziploc bag snipped the corner off then used the squeeze and snip (with scissors) method to make small dumplings in our soup.
Hi Bernie, sounds like a good idea, I would have never thought of that. Thank you for stopping by.
I’m one of the many posters for whom this kind of dumpling brings back sweet childhood memories of a loving mom and grandma, and their wonderful food! And your simple recipe is perfect for dividing by 3 to make one serving to add to a quick lunch soup. It’s a generous serving, but that’s good. LOL
I found the recipe when I was experimenting with homemade noodles. The dough for those is of course very similar to these dumplings in some ways. It reminded me of the old fashioned egg dumplings, without baking powder, that I loved in childhood… a quick search, and I found your website. Thanks for the recipe, the hints and tips, everyone’s comments, and the warm memories.
Hi Lorry, I am happy that you found my blog. I also have fond of memories of these egg dumplings. Thank you for the nice comment!
The dumplings of my childhood… Straight up comfort food…
Hi Eric, Thanks for the comment. It was always a treat when my mom made these for a meal. Now I make them for my grandchildren and they love them too.
The easiest and always turn out amazing!
I am so happy to hear that!
Grew up eating these….after cooking we would cool in the fridge then fry about a 1/2 # of diced bacon till crispy add diced onion til soft then add cooled dumplings , salt an d lots of pepper and fry til golden. wonderful!
Hi Linda, I would have never thought about making the dumplings like that. Sounds delicious.
These are just what I was looking for! I have already made them twice in two days since I found your recipe! Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Arlys, I am happy that you found this recipe and that you like them. I hope you continue to make them!
I’ve been wanting to make the denser, more eggy dumplings my auntie used to make, so very happy to run into your recipe. But, is there not even a pinch of salt in it?
Hi Judy, I don’t add any salt to my dumplings. I cook them in a salted broth and that seasons the dumplings. If you prefer you could add some salt if you like.
This is exactly how my mother made them. My family also prefers them dense without baking powder and somewhat chewy. Al dente!
That is how my mom made them and I loved them that way. That is why I make it dense as well.
Thank You so much for sharing your recipe!
I have very fond memories of my grandmother’s chicken soup with dumplings ~ sometimes with Czech Liver Dumplings. NONE of the flour-based recipes looked or tasted like hers. Most just clouded the soup and tasted very ‘gummy’.
YOUR recipe was SPOT ON for color, texture, and taste!
Thank You! 😀
Thank you for letting me know you liked the recipe. My mother and grandmother made this type of dumplings. These dumplings are what I grew up on.
My family is of Eastern European descent and have been making this recipe for generations. IT IS FANTASTIC. We do add a bit of the baking powder but it is delicious with or without! Thank you for sharing!!
Hi Lex, it is the same way with my family. This recipe has been passed down from generation to generation.
I have gotten the same recipe from my mom, who got it from hers. The only change in mine is one less egg. I also just “rip” small pieces off from the dough mass, which gives all bite size.
Hi Tom, just like me. My mom and grandma made this recipe.
yum
Thank you!
These are the dumplings I grew up with. We make them all the time. I also don’t measure, I guess we just know. Also, these dumplings are great with leftover beef, chicken or pork gravy. After the huge Sunday supper, we always had a lot of gravy left. For leftovers my Mom would make dumplings and serve in the gravy. It was wonderful.
Hi Van,I never thought about serving these dumplings with gravy. Sounds like a great way to serve them.
I grew up with my grandma making these dumplings I really don’t think she ever measured it just with her heart haha. They are so good in a chicken or turkey soup, she would use the carcass to make the broth after the holidays.
Hi Alyssa, I learn to make the these dumplings from my mom, and my mom learned from my grandma. When I make them for my family I don’t measure anything either, I do it by what it looks like. Thank you for the comment!
No seasonings? I’ve been making these for over 60 years and it surprises that people believe they need a recipe for them. I only came here to see if you made them with seasonings which you do not. If they will be used for chicken soup I add Thyme, Marjoram, salt and pepper so they have taste, not only texture because flour and water is so bland.
Hi! Thank you for stopping my blog. I don’t make these with flour and water. I make them with eggs, flour, and milk. I add them to well seasoning chicken broth and my family loves them like that. That is how my mom made them also. I have been eating these dumplings for over 60 years and have been making them for over 40 years. My granddaughter told me that she would love to have these dumpling every week, so they can’t be all that bad.
I’m a grandmother as well, this is the closest recipe I’ve found to my great grandmothers except we use water in place of milk. I’m going be making them this Easter, but I’m going to use milk this time to see if there’s a difference. So glad I came across your site, will be looking at all your recipes and trying them!
Thank you, Gayle
Hi Gayle, I hope that you like these dumplings. My mom always made them with milk, she thought they more tender using the milk. I have made them with milk and water, either way my family has always loved them. I hope you find some other recipes that you would like to try.
I am so glad I found this recipe! My grandma and mom made these for us when we were growing up. They would make these dumplings and then put sour cream on them with salt and pepper. Simply called sour cream and dumplings lol. I made these tonight and they are identical to the dumplings I remember!
Hi Katee, I am glad that you found the recipe too. I have never had sour cream with dumplings, I will have to give it a try!
I have bee making these dumpling for years, just like my mom always made but never had a recipe just kind of threw together! So googled for a recipe & this is exactly it! made today in turkey soup
thnx
Hi Nancy, I am glad you found the recipe. I have been making these dumplings for many years, just like my mom did.