Cracker Barrel Dumplings Recipe

Cracker Barrel Dumplings Recipe brings Southern comfort home with a thick buttermilk sauce and tender dough strips. These rustic dumplings use pantry staples like plain flour, buttermilk, and chicken bouillon to create a filling, warm meal.

I’ve tried a few versions of chicken and dumplings and this one from the Cracker Barrel style is the one I keep going back to because the dough stays chewy rather than turning into mush. The first time I made this, I rolled the dough too thick and ended up with heavy lumps. Now I always roll it much thinner than I think I need to since the baking powder makes them puff up significantly in the pot.

If you do nothing else, make sure you don’t overwork the dough once you add the liquid. That’s the difference between a light, tender dumpling and one that feels like a rubber ball. The vegetable oil in the mix keeps the texture supple, while the buttermilk in the sauce adds a tangy depth that cuts through the richness of the chicken stock.

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Cracker Barrel Dumplings Recipe Ingredients

For the Dumplings

• 250g (9oz) plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 250ml (9fl oz) full-fat milk
• 60ml (2fl oz) vegetable oil
• 2 litres (3.5 pints) water
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes

For the Sauce

• 45g (1.5oz) butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 30g (1oz) plain flour
• ½ tsp caster sugar
• 250ml (9fl oz) buttermilk
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes, crumbled
• 180ml (6fl oz) reserved dumpling cooking water

How To Make Cracker Barrel Dumplings Recipe

1. Make the dough: Whisk the plain flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl before pouring in the milk and vegetable oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until a soft, sticky dough forms, stopping the second the flour disappears.
2. Roll and cut: Turn the dough onto a surface dusted heavily with plain flour and roll it out until it is about 3mm (1/8 inch) thick. Use a knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough into strips measuring roughly 2.5cm by 4cm (1 inch by 1.5 inches).
3. Boil the dumplings: Bring the water and three bouillon cubes to a rolling boil in a large pot and drop the dough strips in one by one. Cook them for 3 to 4 minutes until they rise to the surface, then lift them out with a slotted spoon and save 180ml (6fl oz) of the salty cooking water.
4. Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a separate saucepan over a medium heat and whisk in the flour and salt to create a smooth paste. Whisk the sugar into the buttermilk and pour it into the pan gradually, stirring constantly until the mixture starts to thicken.
5. Add the flavour: Stir the crumbled bouillon cubes into your reserved cooking water until dissolved and pour this liquid into the white sauce. Slide the cooked dumplings back into the pan and let them simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
6. Serve hot: Ladle the dumplings and plenty of the creamy sauce into deep warmed bowls. Eat them immediately while the sauce is at its thickest and most velvety.

Recipe Tips

• Keep the dough thin. Roll your dough out until it looks almost too thin to handle because it doubles in thickness the moment it hits the boiling water. If you start with thick strips, you’ll end up with doughy centres that don’t cook through properly.
• Work in small batches. Drop the dumplings into the boiling water a few at a time rather than dumping the whole pile in at once. This prevents them from sticking together into one giant mass and ensures each strip has enough room to expand.
• Use real buttermilk. Avoid the temptation to swap the buttermilk for regular milk in the sauce section if you want that authentic Southern tang. If you can’t find it, add a squeeze of lemon juice to full-fat milk and let it sit for five minutes before using.
• Save the pasta water. The starchy water used to boil the dumplings is liquid gold for the final sauce. It contains leftover flour from the dough that helps the buttermilk and butter emulsify into a silky coating that won’t separate.
• Prep ahead of time. You can cut the dough strips up to two hours before you plan to cook them if you keep them on a tray lined with greaseproof paper. Dust them with a little extra flour so they stay separate and don’t lose their shape before boiling.
• Store leftovers carefully. These dumplings soak up sauce like a sponge as they sit in the fridge. When you go to use them the next day, add a splash of chicken stock or water to loosen the mixture back to its original consistency.

What To Serve With Cracker Barrel Dumplings

This is a heavy, starch-led dish that needs something bright or green to balance the plate. Serve it alongside some steamed green beans or a pile of roasted carrots glazed with honey.

If you want a full Southern spread, a side of creamy mashed potatoes or a simple garden salad works well. A bit of crusty bread is great for mopping up the extra buttermilk sauce, though the dumplings usually provide enough carbs on their own.

How To Store Cracker Barrel Dumplings

• Fridge: Place any leftover dumplings and sauce into an airtight container once they have cooled to room temperature. They will stay fresh in the fridge for up to three days. Note that the sauce will thicken significantly as it chills.
• Reheat: Place the dumplings in a saucepan over a low heat and add two tablespoons of milk or water to thin the sauce. Stir very gently so you don’t break the tender dough strips. You can use a microwave for two minutes, but the dumplings may become slightly rubbery.
• Freeze: You can freeze the cooked dumplings in their sauce for up to two months in a sealed freezer bag. Thaw them completely in the fridge overnight before reheating on the hob. The sauce might look slightly grainy after freezing, but a vigorous stir while heating usually fixes the texture.

Cracker Barrel Dumplings Recipe Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 485
• Protein: 12g
• Fat: 22g
• Carbohydrates: 58g
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 1450mg

Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.

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Try More Recipes:

• Cracker Barrel Cucumber Tomato and Onion Salad Recipe
• Cracker Barrel Country Fried Steak Recipe
• Cracker Barrel Baby Carrots Recipe