Austrian Sweet Semolina Dumplings with Nutella & Pistachios (Sugar-free)

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Try these Sweet Austrian Semolina Dumplings filled with Nutella and coated with pistachios. A healthy sugar-free spin on an authentic Austrian dessert. A crowd-pleasing treat that is easy to prepare ahead of time.

Sweet Semolina Dumplings with Sugar-free Nutella – a healthy spin on a traditional Austrian Dessert! 

In my home, these traditional Austrian sweet semolina dumplings are a well-loved dessert all year round. In summer, we make them with apricots, plums, or strawberries, but this time around I went for the chocolate lover’s edition. Fluffy and lightly sweetened semolina dumplings stuffed with an extravagant amount of chocolate hazelnut spread.

Don’t worry, these are actually not even that unhealthy as we use homemade sugar-free Nutella for the filling. The dumpling batter is only lightly sweetened with a bit of stevia. You could also use erythritol or xylitol. 

Mozart Dumplings – A crowd-pleasing dessert that can be made ahead of time! 

These babies are also called Mozart Dumplings. Named after popular Austrian chocolate – Mozartkugel (Mozart ball), invented more than 125 years ago. A Mozart ball is a small, spherical chocolate filled with pistachio marzipan and hazelnut chocolate (Nougat). They are delicious and so is the dumpling equivalent.

Looking at these you would never know they are sugar-free! 

In Austria and Southern Germany, we eat sweet semolina dumplings as a main dish for lunch or as a dessert. I just love to eat sweet dishes as mains every once in a while, when I just feel like a treat so these Semolina Dumplings are definitely one of my dearest recipes.

How to make Sweet Semolina Dumplings: 

These sweet Austrian dumplings are actually really easy to make. First of all, you have to make the semolina dumpling batter. The batter itself is rather soft, so it has to chill in the fridge for about 5 hours or even overnight to firm up – longer is even better. It’s easier to work with a thoroughly chilled dough.

Whether you use store-bought chocolate hazelnut spread or my homemade sugar-free Nutella, you might need to chill it until you can shape small balls using a melon baller. Chill the chocolate balls until you use them. 

What I love about this batter is, that you can make it ahead of time. The amount makes 12 Nutella stuffed dumplings. For small households, you could simply half the recipe. Or store the roll of batter in the fridge and cut off as much as you feel like eating in one sitting. The batter lasts in the fridge for up to 5 days. As they are best eaten fresh while the chocolate center is all nice and melty I recommend only preparing as much as you want to eat. 

How to shape the dumplings:

Shape the chilled batter into a roll and cut into 12 slices. 

Flatten each portion with lightly-floured hands and place the hazelnut chocolate spread in the center. Wrap the dough around the filling tightly, sealing the edges and shaping it into a ball.

I’ve also tried shaping the dumplings with wet hands, without using any flour, as many recipes suggest it but I found the flour version easier to work with.

Simmer the dumplings

You want to cook the sweet semolina dumplings for about 15 minutes in slightly simmering water. We are not looking for a rolling boil here. Just a simmer. Like gnocchi, they will start to float once cooked. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and roll them in toasted ground nuts. Dust them with confectioners’ sugar if you like.

Recipe Tips: 

• Make sure to give the dumpling batter enough time to rest. 5 hours minimum. 
• You can make this recipe dairy-free by using plant-based milk. 
• Whether you use store-bought or my homemade sugar-free Nutella, you will need to chill it until you can shape small balls using a melon baller. Chill the chocolate balls until you use them. They should be the size of a chocolate truffle. 
• As a short-cut use chocolate truffles as the filling (Lindor happen to be AMAZING in these).
• When rolling, If the edges are not sticking you might have used too much flour. Dip your finger in water and wet it to close the dough around the filling.
• When shaping, make sure you don’t trap any air inside or the dumpling will not sink to the bottom of the pot as it is supposed to but will float from the beginning.
• For this recipe, I’m using coarse wheat semolina, also called wheat farina or cream of wheat. 

If you liked these Nutella Stuffed Semolina Dumplings, you will love:

• Vegan Nutella Pistachio Mini Cheesecakes 
• Pistachio Overnight Oats – Vegan
• Instant Pot Rice Pudding with Sugar-free Nutella 

★ Did you make and love this recipe for Sweet Austrian Semolina Dumplings? Give it your review below! And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!

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Austrian Sweet Semolina Dumplings with Nutella (Sugar-free)

Try these Sweet Austrian Semolina Dumplings filled with Nutella and coated with ground pistachios. A healthy and sugar-free spin on an authentic Austrian dessert that can also be served as a main. A crowd-pleasing treat that is easy to prepare ahead of time. Fans of Nutella Desserts and lovers of all things chocolate and hazelnut will love these

Course Dessert, Main Course

Cuisine Austrian, German

Keyword nutella dumplings, semolina dumplings, sweet dumplings

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 12 Dumplings

Calories 400 kcal

Author Kiki Johnson

Ingredients

Semolina Dumplings

• 2 cups milk 500 ml
• 7 tbsps butter 7 tbsps - 100 g
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tbsp stevia
• 1 cup semolina 200 g
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 150 g sugar-free chocolate hazelnut spread recipe below or Nutella

Homemade Sugar-free Nutella

• 2 cups toasted hazelnuts I toast them at 400 F for 9 minutes
• 2/3 cups powdered erythritol
• 1/4 cup Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 tbsp
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 tbsp avocado oil or coconut oil – liquid!!
• 1 tsp vanilla

Decoration

• 1 cup ground pistachios for serving - or any other nut

Instructions

How to make Homemade Sugar-free Nutella

1. Rub the toasted hazelnuts inside a folded towel to remove the skins.  Place the skinned nuts into a high-speed blender and process for, scraping the sides as needed. The nuts will begin to release oil and then form a smooth nut butter. I use my Vitamix for this.
2. Add the powdered erythritol, cocoa powder,  salt, oil and vanilla extract. Process for an additional, until the hazelnut spread is smooth and glossy. If your sugar-free Nutella is thicker than you would like, you can add a little more avocado oil, a teaspoon at a time, and process again
3. Chill and roll into 12 balls. Chill the balls in the fridge

For the dumplings

1. Heat milk, butter, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized pot. Add stevia and semolina, stirring well. Keep on stirring over medium heat. The mix will form a ball. Keep on "cooking" the dough ball to extract some moisture, until a white layer forms at the bottom of your pot.

2. Transfer hot batter to a mixing bowl and take out a hand mixer. Let cool down a bit - about 2 to 3 minutes, then quickly separate the dough ball by mixing for about 10 seconds. Now add the egg mixture bit bit bit, stopping once it reaches a smooth consistency. You might not have to add the last yolk. Cover the batter with cling film and chill for 5 hours or over night.
3. After chilling, shape the batter into a roll and cut into 12 rounds. Fill each round with a chocolate hazelnut ball. Close well and roll to a round dumpling, making sure it is well sealed so that it does not open when boiled.

4. Bring a big wide pot of salted water to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Add dumplings and let them cook for 15 minutes. The water should be very hot but not boiling. Prepare ground nuts and put them in a shallow bowl or plate.

5. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the bowl with the ground pistachios. Roll the dumplings in toasted bread crumbs. Dust them with confectioners’ sugar if you like. Enjoy!
   

Recipe Notes

• For this recipe, I’m using coarse wheat semolina, also called wheat farina or cream of wheat. 
• Make sure to give the dumpling batter enough time to rest. 5 hours minimum. 
• You can make this recipe dairy-free by using plant-based milk. 
• When rolling, If the edges are not sticking you might have used too much flour. Dip your finger in water and wet it to close the dough around the filling.
• When shaping, make sure you don’t trap any air inside or the dumpling will not sink to the bottom of the pot as it is supposed to but will float from the beginning.