During my visit to the charming town of Spitz in Austria’s Wachau Valley, I had the pleasure of tasting Marillenknödel, or Apricot Dumplings, at the Mariandl Hotel and Restaurant. These golden dumplings were filled with sun-ripened Marillen—an aromatic apricot unique to this region with a protected designation of origin.
The experience was unforgettable, and I knew I had to bring a taste of it home.
Between mid-March and mid-April, the Wachau transforms into a pastel dreamscape as over 100,000 Marillen trees burst into bloom. The Marillenblüte is a fleeting spectacle, lasting just a few weeks, but its beauty lingers in memory. Alongside the dumplings, I also discovered
Marillenschnaps, a fragrant apricot brandy that quickly became one of my favorite spirits. I always make sure to bring a few bottles back with me.
🥣 Making Marillenknödel at Home
To recreate this Austrian classic, I start by mixing ricotta cheese with the remaining dough ingredients in a bowl using a fork until the mixture is smooth and cohesive. The dough is low in sugar and contains no butter, staying true to tradition. Once mixed, I refrigerate it for at least half an hour—preferably longer—as chilled dough is much easier to shape.
Assemble Marillen, small Apricots and core the stone 
Prepare the batter 
Stir batter with whisk or fork 
Flatten sliced dough and fill with Apricot jam. Close and roll into a ball 
From Marillenknödel, Apricot dumplings 
Boil dumplings in water 
Roll Marillenknödel in breadcrumbs 
Marillenknödel, Apricot dumplings
While the dough rests, I prepare the apricots. Keeping them whole helps the dumplings hold together better, so I gently remove the pits using the handle of a wooden spoon, pressing through the stem end until the kernel slides out.
Alternatively, I sometimes slit the top or side with a knife, which makes it easier to tuck in a sugar cube—a small touch that melts during cooking and creates a fruity-sweet syrup inside. If I don’t have sugar cubes, a teaspoon of granulated sugar works just as well, though I occasionally skip this step when I’m feeling calorie-conscious.
Once the Apricots are ready, I shape the dough into a roll on a floured surface and divide it into 7 to 8 equal pieces. Each piece is pressed flat and wrapped around an apricot, sealing the seam carefully. I make sure the edges aren’t too floury—moistening them slightly helps the dough stick better. It’s important to avoid trapping air inside, as this can cause the dumplings to burst during cooking.
In a large saucepan, I bring lightly salted water to a gentle boil and simmer the dumplings for about 13 to 15 minutes. They sink at first, then rise toward the end of the cooking time—a sign they’re nearly done. While they cook, I prepare the butter crumbs by melting butter in a pan and browning breadcrumbs with a bit of sugar until golden and fragrant.
Once the dumplings are ready, I lift them out with a slotted scoop, drain them well, and roll them in the warm, sweet breadcrumbs. The result is a plate of tender, golden dumplings with a surprise of syrupy apricot at the center—a taste of Wachau sunshine, right in my kitchen.
Below: At the Mariandl Hotel and Restaurant in Spitz. Here I had these famous Austrian Marillenknödel
Austrian Marillenknödel or Apricot dumplings
Ingredients
- For the Dough:
- 1 cup Ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 4 tbsp white flour
- 4 tbsp Semolina flour (Griess)
- 2 tbsp fine breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- Dash salt
- For the Filling:
- 8 Marillen or small Apricots
- 8 Sugar cubes, or plain sugar
- Breadcrumb mixture:
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Mix the Ricotta cheese with all the remaining dough ingredients in a bowl with a fork until smooth.
- Put the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour (preferably 1 hour or longer) because the cold dough is easier to shape.
- In the meantime, core the apricots, keep them as whole as possible and use a wooden spoon handle to press the side with the handle until the core pushes out on the other side.
- Alternatively, slit open the top or the side with a knife and remove the core.
- Optional, but recommended: Fill the pitted apricots with a sugar cube (or a sugar cube cut in half for small apricots).
- If you don’t have sugar cubes at home, you can fill the apricots with a teaspoon of granulated sugar, or leave unsweetened.
- Shape a dough into a roll on a floured work surface and divide it into 7 to 8 equal pieces.
- Press each dough piece flat, cover the apricots with it, and close the seam well.
- The edges should not be too floury, otherwise the dough will not hold up well, moisten the edges instead
- When shaping the dumplings, be careful not to trap any air. o the surface right from the start and will burst more easily.
- Bring lightly salted water to the boil in a large saucepan and simmer the dumplings in gently cooking water for about 13-15 minutes.
- At the beginning the dumplings sink in and then rise towards the end of the cooking time.
- While the dumplings are cooking, prepare the butter crumbs.
- Melt the butter in a large pan and brown the breadcrumbs and sugar until golden.
- Lift the dumplings out of the water with a scoop that has holes, drain well and place in the pan with the breadcrumbs.
- Roll the dumplings in it.
Notes
The Marillenknödel be easily to frozen before the cooking process. You can also sprinkle the finished dumplings with confectioner sugar.
Order sugar cubes here on Amazon
You will need Semolina (Griess) flour and can be bought on Amazon here
