Apricot Marillenknödel–Style Oat Dumpling Squares with Farmer Cheese
Baked dumpling-style breakfast squares with oats, farmer cheese and summer apricots — protein-rich, wholegrain and slightly sweet.
Best for Protein-rich wholegrain summer breakfast
A riff on Austrian Marillenknödel, these baked dumpling-style squares use whole oats, spelt and farmer cheese so each piece feels pillowy and tangy rather than just cakey. Fresh apricots are pressed into individual dumpling mounds before baking so fruit juices caramelize into the edges. Serve warm for a summer breakfast that delivers real protein, wholegrain fiber and plenty of apricot flavor.
Ingredients
- 150 g rolled oats
- 80 g whole spelt flour , or whole wheat pastry flour
- 8 g Baking powder
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 200 g farmer cheese , crumbled
- 120 g Plain Greek yogurt , full-fat or 2% for creaminess
- 2 large eggs , lightly beaten
- 40 g honey , or maple syrup
- 40 ml neutral oil , sunflower or light olive oil
- 60 ml Milk , dairy or plant milk
- 5 ml Vanilla extract
- 1 lemon , zest of 1 small lemon (about 1 tsp)
- 350 g fresh apricots , halved and pitted
- 10 g coarse/turbinado sugar , for sprinkling (optional) (optional – can be omitted)
Instructions
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1
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line a 20 x 20 cm square baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang for lifting; lightly grease the parchment if desired.
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2
Put the rolled oats in a large bowl and stir in the milk and Greek yogurt; let the mixture sit 15 minutes so the oats hydrate and soften.
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3
In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, honey, oil, vanilla and lemon zest until smooth. Fold in the crumbled farmer cheese.
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4
Add the egg-and-cheese mixture to the soaked oats; stir to combine. In a small bowl mix the spelt flour, baking powder and salt, then fold into the wet mixture until you have a thick, scoopable batter—thicker than cake batter, more like thick dumpling batter. If it seems dry, add up to 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) extra milk.
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5
Using a spoon, drop the batter into the prepared pan as 12 even mounds (3 across × 4 down) — these are your dumpling centers. Leave small gaps so they puff individually. Press a halved apricot into the center of each mound, cut side down so the fruit nests in the batter. Sprinkle coarse sugar over apricots if using.
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6
Bake at 180°C for 32–35 minutes until the tops are golden, edges caramelized and a skewer inserted into the edge of a dumpling comes out with only a few moist crumbs. The apricots will release juices that caramelize at the edges.
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7
Cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes so the dumpling squares set; then lift with the parchment overhang, transfer to a board and cut into 9 squares. Serve warm or at room temperature with extra yogurt if you like.
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8
Storage: keep chilled in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat briefly to revive the dumpling texture.