Name: Buckwheat Dumplings with Walnuts
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: serves 6 people
Cuisine: Slovenian
Ingredients: 360 g (3 cups) buckwheat flour; 40 g (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour; 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) water; 200 g (1 2/3 cups) ground walnuts; 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar; ½ tsp vanilla paste; 40 g (3 tbsp) melted butter; 120 g (1/2 cup) sour cream; 2 eggs; 2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs; 1 tsp grated lemon zest

Buckwheat Dumplings with Walnuts

We're making a special sweet treat for the following recipe in our Traditional Slovenian recipes series. Buckwheat Dumplings with Walnuts or Ajdovi štruklji is a fantastic recipe to make over the weekend, and we can freeze them too. We will use buckwheat flour, water, and a pinch of salt for the dough. We can add some all-purpose flour to the dough to make it lighter or use only buckwheat flour to make the recipe gluten-free. The filling has walnuts, sour cream, breadcrumbs, and other delicious ingredients that make the filling rich, nutty, and delicious.

Sweet Buckwheat Dumplings with Walnuts

This traditional Slovenian dessert is impossible to resist. The sweet štruklji or dumplings are nutty, delicious, and simple to make in a few easy-to-follow steps. These are the top reasons why we love it and believe you will too.

the buckwheat pastry is soft and delicious and can be made 100% gluten-free
the walnut filling is tasty, nutty, not overly sweet and balances the buckwheat perfectly
a wonderful weekend dessert for the whole family
kids and adults love it
keeps well, and we can freeze them too
best served slightly warm or at room temperature

What to serve with Buckwheat Dumplings with Walnuts

Buckwheat Dumplings with Walnuts should be served with a sweet topping or sauce. We recommend:

boiled whipping cream with cinnamon powder
vanilla sauce
toasted breadcrumbs with powdered sugar

Storing and Freezing

There are two ways to store these tasty Buckwheat Dumplings with Walnuts.

Keep the chilled homemade Dumplings, in the fridge, for up to 3 days. Before serving, reheat them in a bowl placed over a pot filled with boiling water.

Feel free to freeze the Buckwheat Dumplings too. First, cook the dumplings. Instead of 35 - 40 minutes, cook them for 25 - 30 minutes, drain, and cool to room temperature. Place it in a freezer-friendly container and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Cook the frozen dumplings in boiling water for 15 minutes, then serve.

How to make Buckwheat Dumplings with Walnuts at home (video)

Check this quick video to master making Buckwheat Dumplings at home. This recipe is made in collab with slovenia.si.

Next, try these Slovenian dumplings (štruklji)

METHOD

dough

First, make the dough for buckwheat dumplings. Add buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, and a pinch of salt to a bowl. Pour in boiling water, stir with a spoon, then knead into a dough. Leave in a bowl, cover with clingfilm, and set aside for 30 minutes for the dough to cool.

Tip

Add up to 40ml more water to get a smooth dough if needed. Optionally substitute the all-purpose flour with buckwheat flour to get gluten-free dumplings.
filling

Combine ground walnuts, sugar, vanilla, melted butter, sour cream, eggs, breadcrumbs, and grated lemon zest in a bowl. Stir and set aside.
dumplings

Divide the dough in half. Dust the dough and working surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to get a 30 cm x 40 cm (12-inch x 16-inch) and 2 – 3 mm (1/8-inch) thickness. Spread half of the walnut filling over the first half of the dough. Starting at the bottom of the pastry, begin rolling the dumpling into a swiss roll shape. Make sure to tightly roll the dumpling to prevent any filling leakage. Wrap the strukelj in a kitchen towel tightly, then press the ends together and tie with a string to get a wrapped bonbon shape. Repeat the process with the rest of the pastry and filling.
cook

Pour 2 liters (8 cups) of water into a big pot. Add a teaspoon of salt and place over high heat. Bring to a boil. Carefully add the wrapped dumplings into the pot, making sure the dumplings are entirely covered by water. Simmer for 35 - 40 minutes, covered with a lid.
serve

Carefully transfer the cooked cheese dumplings from the pot to a baking sheet, set aside for 15 minutes, then carefully unwrap and cut into slices. Serve warm with your favorite topping or sauce.

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Buckwheat Dumplings with Walnuts