Gluten-Free Kreplach (Jewish Dumplings)

My gluten-challenged Jewish friends will rejoice when they try my tasty and easy gluten-free kreplach recipe. This gluten-free kreplach recipe uses my simple two-ingredient pasta dough and a delicious palate-pleasing meat filling. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

Kreplach is a Yiddish name for a piece of triangular dough filled with a savory mixture of ground meat, onion, and spices. Some people call it a Jewish dumpling, wonton, or ravioli.

These delectable dumplings are a beloved dish in Jewish cuisine, traditionally served on Yom Kippur Eve (the day of atonement following the Jewish New Year), Hoshana Rabbah (the seventh day of Sukkot), and Purim.

To be Jewish is to eat symbolic food, and the kreplach is oozing with symbolism.

Some say the Jewish dumpling celebrates “hidden” holidays, but there is much back-and-forth from rabbis and Jewish scholars about why we eat this token food.

Regardless, kreplach is a delicious and festive food worthy of eating on important Jewish holidays and any day of the year, except for maybe Passover.

While kreplach is a popular Jewish food, it’s not gluten-free. In fact, Jews following a gluten-free diet free from wheat, rye, and barley know that making kreplach is a challenge.

Many home cooks rely upon store-bought wonton wrappers for their kreplach dough, but good luck finding gluten-free wonton wrappers. Instead, gluten-challenged Jews are left to fend for themselves.

If you’re following a gluten-free diet and want to enjoy a gluten-free kreplach this year, I’ll show you how to do it in a few easy steps using my famous two-ingredient gluten-free dough and a little ingenuity.

Prepare the Gluten-Free Dough

To make gluten-free kreplach, you must first prepare a batch of gluten-free pasta dough. My two-ingredient gluten-free pasta dough works beautifully in this recipe, and I highly recommend using it.

One batch of my two-ingredient pasta dough will make about 22 kreplach. Feel free to double the recipe when feeding a crowd or if you desire leftovers.

To make one batch of kreplach, you’ll need three (3) large eggs plus 200 grams of Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour + extra flour for rolling out the dough.

I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh the flour to ensure you don’t use too much. Too much flour will result in a dry dough. You want the dough to be a bit sticky and wet.

If you don’t have a kitchen scale, please note that 200 grams of flour equals approximately 1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons.

Add the flour to a clean, well-floured surface (I use a large Silpat mat). Create a small well in the center of the flour, then add the eggs to the center of the well.

Use your fork to scramble the eggs and incorporate a little bit of flour at a time. Once the dough becomes too stiff to mix with the fork, use your hands to work the dough together into a sticky ball.

Remember, gluten-free dough doesn’t require kneading since there’s no gluten to develop, so once the flour is fully incorporated into the eggs, it’s done.

If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour. If it’s too dry, add a few drops of water to the dough. The dough should be malleable.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Allow the dough to rest. Resting will give the flour time to absorb the eggs.

Prepare the Kreplach Filling

While your pasta dough rests, prepare the kreplach filling.

Traditionally, kreplach filling is made of ground fresh or leftover meat, onions, salt, and spices. You can use chopped portobello mushrooms, seasoned mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, sauteed root vegetables, or whatever you like. The possibilities are endless.

Below are some suggested ways to make the kreplach filling. I’ve tried them all, and each filling is delicious in its own right.

(1) Fresh Ground Meat: Add 1 tbsp of avocado oil to a large, non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 lb of fresh ground beef and one chopped yellow onion. Sauté until the meat is cooked and the onion is soft and lightly browned. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and other spices to taste. Set aside to cool.

(2) Leftover Meat: Making kreplach is the perfect way to use leftover meat. You can use leftover meat from chicken soup or brisket. Mash the meat into small pieces with a fork or use your food processor to pulse the meat into smaller bits. Sauté an onion in a hot pan with a little oil, then add the leftover meat and additional seasonings to taste, and cook for a minute to bring all the flavors together. Set aside to cool.

(3) Vegetarian: As mentioned previously, you can make your kreplach without meat but still savory. You could combine sautéed onions, mushrooms, and/or other vegetables or use seasoned mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes instead.

Regardless of what you do, ensure the filling is fully cool before assembling the dumplings.

Assembling the Kreplach

You can assemble the kreplach dumplings once the filling has cooled and the dough has rested.

I recommend cutting the dough into two sections to make it easier to work with.

Roll out one section of the dough on a floured surface (I use a floured Silpmat mat) to be .25″ thick or as thin as possible while still being able to handle the dough without it cracking.

Use a 7 1/2″ cookie cutter (or the mouth of a wide glass) to cut out even circles in the dough. Place each circle on a tray and repeat the process with the other section of the dough.

Add one packed tablespoon of the cooled filling to the center of each dough circle.

Lightly brush the edges of the dough with an egg wash or water to ensure the folded dough stays together.

Gently fold one side of the dough over the other so that the edges meet. Apply gentle pressure to secure each folded piece of dough in place.

Next, use a fork to gently secure the edges of each dumpling together (see image below). This will ensure the meat filling won’t “leak” out.

Cooking the Kreplach

Bring a pot of salted water or broth to a boil. Add the kreplach and cook at a rolling boil for 4-5 minutes or until the pasta is soft.

Do not overcook the kreplach or the pasta will become mushy. The dough should still have a “bite” to it. Remove the kreplach from the water with a slotted spatula and set it aside.

Serve the kreplach immediately inside your soup or refrigerate the cooked kreplach to use later.

To warm the kreplach, take them out of the fridge and bring them to room temperature (or near room temperature). Place the kreplach in the hot soup broth for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

FAQs and Notes

Flour: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the flour by weight vs. volume. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, please note that 200 grams of Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour equals approximately 1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons. 

Dough: See my article, How to Make Gluten-Free Pasta With Two Ingredients!, for tips (and troubleshooting) on making the perfect gluten-free pasta dough.

Kosher: Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour is kosher parve. Use kosher ingredients to make this recipe kosher.

A word about other flours: I have not tested this recipe with other gluten-free flours, but feel free to try. Just make sure you’re using a gluten-free flour blend that contains a combination of flours, starches, and xanthan gum. If your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t have xanthan gum, add 1/2 tsp of it.

Filling:  You’ll likely have leftover meat filling. You can either make extra kreplach or enjoy the filling over rice or pasta for lunch.

Kreplach is a Labor of Love

Creating gluten-free kreplach is a Jewish labor of love that is well worth the smiles and rave reviews from all who eat it. Whether your guests eat gluten-free or loads of gluten, all will be in awe of the beautiful kreplach you created from scratch.

With a bit of patience – and my secret two-ingredient gluten-free dough – you’ll be making kreplach in no time, and you’ll never have to miss out on this delicious and symbolic Jewish food.

How will you be enjoying kreplach this year? Please a comment to share.

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Additional Recipes

For more recipes to serve on Yom Kippur Eve or Yom Kippur break-the-fast, read 18+ Gluten-Free Foods For Yom Kippur Break-the-Fast & More.

You might enjoy these recipes, too:

• How to Make Gluten-Free Pasta With Two Ingredients!
• Easy Beef Brisket Recipe (Perfect for Jewish Holidays)
• Carrot and Cauliflower Soup Recipe
• Easy Gluten-Free Matzo Ball Soup Recipe
• Homemade Gluten-Free Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce