Blackberry Slump

Blackberry Slump! Blackberries cooked on the stovetop with sugar and lemon, topped with dumplings.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated May 26, 2023
Elise Bauer
Blackberry Slump
Elise Bauer

Have you ever heard of a dessert called a slump? The Joy of Cooking defines a slump as "steamed fruit topped with dumplings".

I first encountered the idea of a slump in a cookbook about the cooking of Newport, Rhode Island, in the first chapter on colonial cooking.

Apparently, this dessert goes back to colonial days. It's synonymous with a "grunt", and which word you use, slump or grunt, depends on the locale. In Rhode Island, slump is used. In Massachusetts, grunt is more common.

Etymology aside, what's cool about slumps is that they are like cobblers, except they're made on the stove-top instead of the oven, and they have dumplings instead of biscuits.

Blackberry Slump
Elise Bauer

Yes, berries cooked with sugar, topped with dumplings. (You should have seen my dad's face when I explained the dessert I made for him. The way he lit up when the word "dumpling" was mentioned was priceless.)

Soft, fluffy dumplings, bathed in sweet, tart, ruby berries, and doused with cream.

Sigh.

Dad practically ate the whole batch!

This recipe uses blackberries because that's what I happened to have, but you could use any berry. Traditionally in New England native blueberries are used. I do recommend serving this with cream or vanilla ice cream. Blackberries can be quite tart, which the cream can help cut.

Blackberry Slump

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

This recipe uses blackberries, but you could easily use any berry you would like, such as blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries.

Ingredients

For the dumplings:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1/3 cup whole milk

For the berries:

  • 4 cups fresh or frozen (defrosted and drained) blackberries

  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar (depending on how sweet your berries and how sweet you would like your slump to be)

  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1/3 cup water

  • Whipping cream or vanilla ice cream for topping

Method

  1. Make the dumplings:

    In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

    Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your clean hands, cut the butter into the flour until the flour resembles a coarse meal.

    Add the milk all at once and stir until the flour is just moistened. Handling the dough as little as possible, form into a ball. Set aside.

  2. Heat berries with sugar, cinnamon, lemon, water until boiling:

    In a 2 quart saucepan, add the berries, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, lemon zest, and water. Heat until boiling, stirring a few times so that the berries are well coated with the sauce.

    blackberry-slump-method-1
    Elise Bauer
    blackberry-slump-method-2
    Elise Bauer
  3. Add chunks of dumpling dough:

    Once the berry mixture is boiling, tear off spoonful chunks from the dough ball and drop onto the fruit around the edges of the pot. You should have enough dough for 6 dumplings.

    blackberry-slump-method-3
    Elise Bauer
  4. Cover and simmer:

    Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 25 minutes, without peeking at the dumplings.

    blackberry-slump-method-4
    Elise Bauer

    Place dumplings in serving bowls and top with berries. Serve with cream or ice cream. Serve hot or chilled.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
273 Calories
5g Fat
55g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 273
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 12mg 4%
Sodium 337mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 55g 20%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 35g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 21mg 104%
Calcium 117mg 9%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 199mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.