The BEST Chicken and Dumplings Recipe to Welcome Fall! 🎃🍂
When temperatures begin to drop in Minnesota, it means one thing & one thing only here at the PWWB House…soup, stew, & chili! While I hate saying goodbye to summer, I love saying hello to a big bowl of soup. 🥰😋 So, I began to hunt for some inspiration to welcome this year’s soup season & the result is the most festive fall-inspired recipe I could dream up…Chicken and Pumpkin Dumplings!
While I’m not a pumpkin-spiced super fan like many people out there, over the years I’ve grown to really enjoy making savory dishes with pumpkin. They’re naturally creamy, cozy, & totally taste like fall. And this particular pumpkin chicken and dumplings recipe is just that!
It has everything you already love about classic chicken & dumplings, plus cozier fall ingredients like hearty squash, just the right amount of pumpkin, & warm spices like cumin & nutmeg. The result is a well-balanced & satisfying one-pot meal with perfect pillowy-soft pumpkin dumplings.
There’s nothing more satisfying than a rich & creamy bowl of warm pumpkin chicken and dumplings on a chilly fall day. The ultimate comfort food!
Key Ingredients
Note: Full ingredients list & measurements provided in the Recipe Card, below.
Seasonal ingredients like pumpkin and other fall squash give this chicken and dumplings recipe an autumnal twist. Here’s what you need:
- Butter – The Countryside Creamery Pure Irish Butter is one of my favorite ingredients in this recipe. It’s rich Irish butter with next-level flavor, & ALDI offers it at such an incredible price. It’s one of my all-time favorite things to buy at ALDI – you’ll always find it in my fridge!
- Chicken – I prefer using boneless, skinless breasts for pumpkin chicken and dumplings. The Simply Nature Organic Chicken Breasts at ALDI are my go-to. Amazing quality at a great price!
- Fall squash – Your choice, butternut or sweet potato! Check the ALDI produce section for an amazing selection of seasonal squash this time of year, or head over to the freezer section for Simply Nature Organic Butternut Squash or Sweet Potatoes, which are already peeled & cubed – a great soup season shortcut!
- Aromatic veggies – Namely carrots, celery, & onion, & a whole head of garlic for even more flavor.
- Pumpkin purée – Canned is perfect!
- Spices – A bit of warm cumin & pumpkin pie spice create the perfect blend that tastes like fall without being too much like a latte. Trust me, it works!
- Pumpkin drop dumpling dough – The homemade pumpkin dumplings use similar ingredients as the soup, plus a few pantry staples: all-purpose flour, baking powder, butter, eggs, pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, & milk.
Meal Prep Tips!
Most of the active prep time in this recipe comes from chopping the veggies. Feel free to take care of this in advance to get dinner on the table even faster. Dice the carrots, celery, and onion and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Check the Recipe Notes, below, for more guidance.
How to Make Chicken and Pumpkin Dumplings
Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.
Cook the aromatics. In a little melted butter, sauté carrots, celery, and onion – this blend is known as mirepoix and is the base of flavor for most soups – until the veggies soften and their flavors start to develop.
Build the soup and simmer. Dust the veggies with a little flour to help build a creamy base, then pour in the chicken broth. Add garlic, pumpkin purée, cumin, pumpkin pie spice, and chicken breasts, then let everything gently simmer. Why? ⇢ Gently poaching the chicken in the broth helps ensure the meat stays nice and tender, all while infusing the soup with even more flavor.
Shred the chicken and finish the soup. Shred the poached chicken using a fork or the paddle attachment of your stand mixer (I swear this works!). Add the shredded chicken back to the pot along with diced squash and a little milk for creaminess, then bring the soup back up to a simmer to give all the flavors time to meld together.
Perfect, Pillowy Pumpkin Dumplings
The finishing touch for this soup is a batch of fall-inspired pumpkin drop dumplings. I can’t resist their pillowy-soft texture & perfect amount of pumpkin flavor – they’re seriously the BEST part of this chicken and dumplings recipe!
The dumpling dough is easy to prepare in the 15-20 minutes that the soup needs to simmer. In fact, you want to avoid preparing from-scratch drop dumpling dough too far in advance. Over time, it loses the airiness needed to create soft & tender homemade drop dumplings.
Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.
Preparing Pumpkin Drop Dumpling Dough
Mix the dry ingredients. Add flour, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice to a bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper, then whisk to combine well.
Grate the butter. Run cold butter along the side of a box grater and toss the grated butter into the dry ingredients. Use your hands to gently work the butter into the flour mixture without overworking the butter. Why? ⇢ Keeping the butter cold is key to light and pillowy dumplings. Work quickly with your hands to avoid warming it up too much.
Mix the drop dumpling dough. Form a well in the middle of the flour and add a mixture of beaten egg, pumpkin purée, and milk. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Why? ⇢ Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and creates tough dumplings – the opposite of what we’re aiming for here. Once it’s thick and spongy, it’s good to go!
Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.
How to Cook Drop-Style Pumpkin Dumplings
Once you add the shredded chicken & squash back into the soup, spoon the pumpkin dumplings into the pot one by one. Cover the pot & let the dough puff up & cook through – it only takes about 10 minutes.
A few tips…
- Use two small spoons to drop each portion of dumpling dough into the pot. A tablespoon or small cookie scoop also works well!
- The dumplings don’t have to be perfect! Free-forming the shape is totally fine. A kind of rustic look is totally charming!
- Avoid overworking the dough. Try not to handle the dumpling dough too much as you scoop to keep the pumpkin dumplings light & airy.
Tips for Serving & Storing
Once the pumpkin dumplings are cooked through, squeeze in a little lemon juice to brighten up all the flavors, then the soup is ready to enjoy!
While a pot of chicken and pumpkin dumplings is a hearty meal all on its own, you can always serve it with a seasonal salad for a bit of fall-inspired freshness. Roasted seasonal vegetables like Maple Mustard Brussel Sprouts also work well, but you truly don’t need much else!
This recipe makes a big pot which is also great for built-in meal prep. I love to make it for a cozy Sunday supper at home, then enjoy the leftovers for quick & easy meals throughout the week. Since all the ingredients really meld together over time, leftover pumpkin chicken and dumplings are even more flavorful a day or two after you simmer it up!
Storage and Reheating Leftovers
Leftover chicken and pumpkin dumplings keeps for up to 4 days stored in the fridge. If needed, splash in a bit of chicken broth to loosen the soup up as you reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. I don’t recommend freezing leftovers, as it impacts the texture of the pumpkin dumplings. They simply won’t have that same light and pillow texture (and that’s the best part!). Check the Recipe Notes, below, for more leftovers guidance.
I can’t wait for you to try this Chicken and Pumpkin Dumplings recipe! It’s total fall-inspired goodness & I think you’ll love it as much as we do!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
Print
Chicken and Pumpkin Dumplings
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Soup, Stew & Chili Recipes, Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Whether you’re obsessed with all things pumpkin spiced or you just love playing with warm fall flavors in savory dishes, this Chicken and Pumpkin Dumplings recipe is a must-try fall dinner, perfect for welcoming in another delicious soup season!
The soup itself is a pretty classic homemade chicken soup. It starts with a base of mirepoix & the chicken breasts are gently poached right in the soup for meltingly tender flavor, but it’s also made with hearty fall squash or sweet potatoes (your choice!) & canned pumpkin for creamy texture. It’s decidedly savory, with a little bit of spice for the kind of warmth you crave on a cool day – absolutely delicious!
The pumpkin dumplings are totally the star of the show here, though. They are insanely light & airy, just the right amount of pumpkin & spice. Be sure to refer to the blog post, above, for plenty of tips & tricks to ensure pillowy-soft results!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Countryside Creamery Pure Irish Butter
- 2 large carrots, peeled as desired & diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons Baker’s Corner All-Purpose Flour
- 32 ounces Simply Nature Organic Chicken Broth
- 1 cup Baker’s Corner 100% Pure Pumpkin
- heaping 1/2 teaspoon Stonemill Ground Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Stonemill Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise & excess paper removed
- 1 1/2 pounds Simply Nature Organic Chicken Breasts
- one 10-ounce bag frozen Simply Nature Organic Butternut Squash or Sweet Potatoes
- 1/2 cup Simply Nature Organic Whole Milk
- pumpkin dumplings (below)
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
for the pumpkin dumplings:
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) cold Countryside Creamery Pure Irish Butter, grated
- 1 cup Baker’s Corner All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Stonemill Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 large egg, lightly whisked
- 1/3 cup Baker’s Corner 100% Pure Pumpkin
- 1/4 cup Simply Nature Organic Whole Milk
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Cook the aromatics: Add the butter to a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a lid over medium heat. Once melted, add the carrots, celery, & onion, seasoning with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Build the soup & simmer: Dust the flour over the softened veggies, stirring to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until deeply browned. While scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, slowly pour in the chicken broth. Be sure to scrape up any brown bits that may have formed at the bottom of the pot – that’s where the flavor is! Add the garlic to the pot & stir in the pumpkin purée, cumin, & pumpkin pie spice. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to maintain a gentle simmer. Add the chicken to the pot. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Cover & simmer 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Prepare the dumpling dough: Meanwhile, as the soup simmers, prepare the dumpling dough. Add the flour, baking powder, & pumpkin spice to a medium bowl, seasoning with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Whisk to combine. Add the grated butter & use your hands to quickly mix, coating the butter pieces with the flour mixture. Set aside. To a second bowl, add the egg, pumpkin purée, & whole milk, & whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, using a spatula to gently fold the mixture together, just until a thick, spongy dough forms. Do not overmix. Set aside.
- Shred the chicken: Once it’s cooked through, remove the chicken from the pot & carefully shred. You can do so using 2 forks, or my favorite trick: pop them in a stand mixer & let the paddle attachment do the work for you (I swear this works!). Add the shredded chicken back into the pot along with the butternut squash or sweet potatoes & whole milk. Stir to combine. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer the dumplings: Using 2 small spoons, freeform the prepared pumpkin dumpling dough into tablespoon-sized dumplings, dropping the dumplings into the pot one by one (you could also use a tablespoon measure or small cookie scoop, just take care not to overwork the dough). Once all the dumplings have been added to the pot, cover & simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the dumplings are puffy & cooked through.
- Serve: Finish the pot by squeezing in the fresh lemon juice, then taste and season with additional salt or ground black pepper as desired. Ladle the soup into individual bowls & serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage & Freezing:
- Storage & Reheating: Leftover chicken and dumplings will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a little extra chicken broth if the soup needs to loosen up a little.
- Freezing: I don’t suggest freezing leftover chicken and dumplings, as the texture of the dumplings changes as they freeze & thaw.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: The majority of the active time involved in this recipe comes from chopping veggies. Chop all the veggies in advance to get a head start on your chicken & pumpkin dumplings at dinnertime – you can jump right into cooking, easy!
- Dice 2 large carrots, 1 stalk of celery, & 1 yellow onion. Transfer to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active prep)
Follow along with Plays Well With Butter on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more unfussy recipes that pack a big punch of flavor!
I love this recipe. I made it last fall. Thank you for the inspiration. Can you can this recipe if you do not add the dumpling?
Hi Lola, happy to hear you love this recipe! You can definitely make it without the dumplings if you prefer!
Can I premake the dumpling dough an hour or two ahead of time and leave in the fridge until I’m ready to use it? Or will it change the dough texture?
Hi there, the dumpling dough is best prepared right before using, to keep the dumplings nice and airy. You can definitely chop the veggies ahead of time for a quicker dinner, though! Make sure to let us know what you think if you try it out!
sooooooooooooooooo amazing! i’m addicted
We love to hear that, Georgia! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
This is delicious. We made it as the recipe calls for & my family loved it. We’ll be making again!
We love to hear that, Heather! Thanks for leaving a review! 🙂
I love this soup! I sometimes make it without the dumplings and instead garnish with lime, cilantro, radishes, avocados, and tortilla chips when serving. Plus side is the soup freezes well when made without the dumplings. As noted in the recipe the dumplings won’t thaw well once frozen.
So happy that you love this soup, Amanda! Thanks for sharing the variation ideas, too! 🙂
I made this for the first time tonight and it’s a raving success. Will be a cold weather fixture, for sure! I never cared for my mom’s chicken & dumplings growing up, and I worried the pumpkin spice element here might not work, but the flavoring is perfectly balanced – it’s like eating stuffing with a holiday meal. So good! I used fresh sweet potato instead of frozen, and added green beans and peas, and might add some spinach next time just to up the nutritional value. Thanks so much for the recipe!
So glad to hear that, Sarah, and the extra veggies sound delicious, too! Thank you so much for the review!
This soup was amazing! My new favorite soup!!….. And I love soups- so that says a lot!
We love soup, too! Thrilled to hear that this one is your new favorite, Cassie! 🙂
Wow, wow, wow! At first, I struggled with the flavor profile, thought it was going to be bland. However, as the spices melded with the chicken broth, I was sold and this is most definitely a taste of comfort yummy:) Thank you for sharing this recipe. The dumplings were flavorful and light. Did not add the lemon juice to the final product, but did serve with lemons wedge on the side so that my spouse could try on his own terms; he is funny like that. Oh…I learned that the shredded chicken method using the paddle and the kitchen aid is an excellent way to obtain shredded chicken without burning the fingers. Definitely recommend and did I say WOW?
Hi Sherri! We’re thrilled to hear how much you loved this soup! We couldn’t agree more – it’s such a comforting dish. Also glad you tried the KitchenAid mixer trick for shredding the chicken, it’s seriously the best!
Honestly I was a little hesitant to try this recipe out at first because I’ve never made a savory pumpkin dish before. But PWWB recipes ever disappoint. And this one is. So. Good. Highly recommend for a cold fall evening!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it & couldn’t agree more!!
SO good and so easy to make! The perfect cozy dinner for fall!
Thanks so much, Jenna! We couldn’t agree more & are so glad you loved it!
Love this. I used pumpkin purée a lot when my kids were little to make everything healthier!
Thank you! Got to love savory pumpkin dishes! 🙂