Golden syrup dumplings
Soft scone-dough dumplings simmered under a lid in a buttery golden syrup sauce. A cheap Australian winter pudding.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Golden syrup dumplings are balls of plain scone dough, self-raising flour rubbed with butter and mixed with milk, dropped into a simmering pan of golden syrup, brown sugar, butter and water. The lid goes on and stays on. Twenty minutes later the dumplings have doubled and cooked through in the steam, and the syrup has thickened into a sticky sauce that soaks into their bottoms. They are served in bowls with cream, ice cream or custard. The only rules are a wide pan with a tight lid, a gentle simmer, and no peeking.
What you'll need
10 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Syrup
- Dumplings
- To serve
Ingredients
Syrup
- Water500 ml
- Brown sugar100 g
- Golden syrup, about 6 tbsp120 g
- Butter30 g
- Lemon juice (optional)15 ml
Dumplings
- Self-raising flour225 g
- Butter, cold, cubed30 g
- Milk150 ml
- Salt1 pinch
To serve
- Cream, or ice cream or custard (optional)200 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Put the water, brown sugar, golden syrup, butter and lemon juice in a wide saucepan or deep frying pan with a lid, at least 24 cm across. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then turn it down to a steady simmer.
6 min
Step 2
Rub the cold butter into the flour and salt with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add most of the milk and mix with a knife into a soft, slightly sticky dough, adding the rest if it is dry. Do not knead it.
6 min
Step 3
With floured hands, pull the dough into 12 pieces and roll them loosely into balls.
4 min
Step 4
Drop the balls into the simmering syrup with space between them. Put the lid on and simmer gently for 20 minutes without lifting it.
20 min
Watch: Lifting the lid lets out the steam and the tops stay doughy. Keep the heat low enough that the syrup does not boil over or catch.
Step 5
Check one: it should have doubled and be fluffy all the way through. Spoon the dumplings into bowls, pour the syrup over and serve with cream, ice cream or custard.
2 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 730 kcal
- Protein
- 8.7 g
- Carbs
- 102.3 g
- Fat
- 32.3 g
- Saturated fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 1.5 g
- Sugar
- 57.4 g
- Sodium
- 386 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Milk
- Vegetarian
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Self-raising flour → Plain flour with 2 tsp baking powder per 150 g
Mix them well before rubbing in the butter.
Tips
- The sauce thickens as it cools. If it is too thin, lift out the dumplings and boil it hard for 2 minutes.
- A pinch of ground ginger or some lemon zest in the dough is a common family change.
History & culture
This is a winter pudding from grandmothers' kitchens and country households, made from what is already in the pantry. It comes out on cold nights after a roast, and at bush campsites it is cooked in a camp oven over coals. Pubs with a fireplace put it on the winter menu. Hardly anyone makes it in summer.
Golden syrup, a by-product of sugar refining, was sold in tins in Britain by the 1880s, and Australian refiners came to make their own. Dumplings in syrup suited the thrifty cooking of the Depression years, when sugar, flour and milk were what a household had. The dish is a cousin of British steamed puddings and of the damper cooked by bush travellers.
Traditional — Some families add an egg to the dough for a richer dumpling, or a spoon of golden syrup to the dough itself. The plain scone dough here is the most common form.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Golden syrup dumplings take?
40 min all in — 15 min prep, 25 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Nut-free.
8 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Mixing bowl.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 pinch.
How much brown sugar?
100 g of Brown sugar.
What can I use instead?
Self-raising flour → Plain flour with 2 tsp baking powder per 150 g. Mix them well before rubbing in the butter.
What should I watch for?
Lifting the lid lets out the steam and the tops stay doughy. Keep the heat low enough that the syrup does not boil over or catch.
Any tips from this recipe?
The sauce thickens as it cools. If it is too thin, lift out the dumplings and boil it hard for 2 minutes. A pinch of ground ginger or some lemon zest in the dough is a common family change.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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