Sweet Jamaican Festival Dumplings
These sweet-tasting Jamaican festival dumplings are one of Jamaican’s favourites and will be yours once you try this recipe. Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and this sweet side dish is a treat for the whole family. You will love the sweet taste of festival dumplings once you try them.
What’s the difference between fried dumplings and festival?
The main thing that distinguishes Jamaican festival dumplings from fried dumplings is cornmeal. Whilst fried dumpling is plain flour mixed with salt and water, festival dumpling mix flour and yellow cornmeal. The cornmeal makes the festival dumplings crispy on the outside, unlike the softer outsider of fried dumplings. Cornmeal also gives the festival dumplings a denser texture than fried dumplings. Sugar is a must in festival dumplings for the sweet taste. However, sugar is optional in the fried dumpling.
Jamaican festival dumplings are made from plain flour, fine yellow cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt. Traditionally water was used to mix the dough. In recent years milk replaced water, which gives the dumplings a softer texture. I usually use unsweetened plant-based milk such as cashew or almond milk, but my favourite to use these days is oat milk.
You can’t make festival dumplings without cornmeal unless there is a cornmeal alternative. Cornmeal is what differentiates festival dumplings from other dumplings.
What you need to make festival dumplings
You don’t need much, just seven simply ingredients most you already have in your kitchen cupboard.
- Plain flour: I’m sure you have plain flour in your cupboard right this moment. Don’t use self-raising flour.
- Fine cornmeal: Refined and fine yellow cornmeal is the same, just make sure you are not using coarse cornmeal.
- Brown sugar: The recipe calls for brown sugar. I’m sure you may get away with using granulated sugar, but I grew up using brown sugar to make festival dumplings, so it is what I use here.
- Baking powder: We all know the importance of using baking powder, so don’t forget to use it.
- Salt: For flavour.
- Milk: mix the water and milk together before pouring it into the dry mixture.
Make Jamaican festival dumplings from scratch
You can have festival dumplings with a few straightforward steps in very little time.
- Dry ingredients: Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. It’s better to combine the dry ingredients before adding the liquid.
- Add milk: Gradually pour the milk into the dry ingredient mixture and knead to form a soft dough. Only add some of the milk at a time because the amount of liquid needed varies with each brand of flour. Knead into a soft but not sticky dough.
- Heat oil: Use a good amount of cooking oil so that the festival dumplings are swimming in the oil.
- Fry: Fry until the dough turns golden brown on all sides. Quick tip, constantly moves the festival dumplings around in the oil so that they cook on all sides.
What to serving it with
Jamaican festival dumplings are best served warm, so have it straight after cooking or the same day you cooked it. After a day, the festival dumplings are a bit dry and chewy. These sweet festival dumplings are usually served with escovitch fish, any saltfish dish or jerk chicken.
Jamaican Festival Dumplings
Ingredients
Method
- Add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and sugar to a mixing bowl and combine these dry ingredients well.
- Gradually pour the milk into the dry ingredients and knead until you form a soft dough. (A soft dough but not paste-like).
- Add enough oil to a deep frying pan and heat on medium to low fire.
- Divide the dough into smaller portions (about 10-12 pieces) and roll it in the palm of your hands to form it into an oval-like shape.
- Place the dough one at a time into the heated oil. Constantly turn dumplings so that it cooks on all sides.
- Once the dumplings get golden brown, remove from the oil.
Nutrition
Notes
- You can use whatever milk you like for the recipe. I used unsweetened oat milk.
- Not all flour is made equal, and the amount of milk you need will change with each brand of flour. You may need more or less milk than given in the recipe.
Tried this recipe?
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I would LOVE to hear about your experience and your comments just make my day!
I tried your version of the festival recipe yesterday. Came out great, thanks so much, my son loved it.
Delicious but I think I undercooked them, they was still doughy. Taste it sublime though.
I cannot find a corn meal that indicates fine? will quaker yellow corn meal work?
Hi Kim, yes it can
Tried your recipe came out nicely , but is not as sweet as I would like it to be do I add more sugar?
Can you use cornflour instead of cornmeal
The cornmeal is there to give the festival the gritty texture. Cornflour is smooth
I followed recipe but it didn’t turn out fluffy, could that be if i overcooked it? Or does it depend on flour I used?
How much milk or water should go in it
Please what is the measurement in grams as I live in the UK. Cups are different when trying to convert. Thank you
Google would be useful.
Why are the festivals in your video thin and long, but, the ones in your photos short and thick?
Because I roll the ones in the video longer when I was making it.
Tried this and put jerk chicken breast fillet inside. Absolutely delicious
not sure what i did wrong but they came put really hard i followed instructions but i used water didnt have any milk.
How much milk should I use?
I would love to try it but there is no indication of how much milk or water to use.
I used about 3/4 – 1 cup of water to make the dough. Hope that helped
Delicious and so easy/quick to make!
Thanks for sharing these ideas, Ms. Lesa. Your doing a great job. God bless you.
Hi Crystal, thanks for stopping by and for your kind words
Would mark it more but it’s so confusing as to why there is no measurement for the milk / water but measurement for the oil!!!
Hi Sapphire, thanks for sharing your thoughts. You’d be please to know the recipe is updated with better measurements
Thanks for sharing the recipe! It was easy to follow and my festival dumplings were a great addition to the Jamaican curry ( I found the recipe on your site too) . Very delicious!
Hi Monica, thanks for stopping by the website, trying the recipes and sharing your outcome, very please to hear it turned out well.
Thank you for your recipe
Always wanted to try making festival dumplings and finally did it following your recipe. Turn out great, just like the ones I add on my holiday in Jamaica. Thanks for sharing!
This is the best festival recipe I’ve tried yet. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing. Come out perfect! Been wanting to make these for the longest time.
Ashley D is right, this is the best festival dumpling recipe I’ve tried!
Was making Jerk pork for dinner and my husband asked if we should make festivals too and then came across this recipe, which was super delicious 😊
Hi Camilla, glad to hear that. Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your experience
Thanks for your recipe,came out very nice.
Hi, I have a question. This recipe makes 10 festivals but how many people does it serve? For example; 2 per person so it serves 5 people? Or do you have another rubric?
Tasted OK but dense. I used wholemeal flour. Maybe stick to white.