Jamaican Festival (Sweet Dumpling) Recipe
This Jamaican Festival recipe is a homemade version of the popular Jamaican snack. Made with a few simple ingredients, this delicious fried sweet dough is the perfect side dish for your favorite Jamaican recipes.
Servings 12 dumplings
Calories 117kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup fine cornmeal
- 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk a little less or more may be needed, see notes
- Oil for deep frying*
Instructions
- Heat a heavy bottom pot of oil that has at least 3 inches of oil in it or use a deep fryer if you have one. Turn the heat over medium heat until the temperature reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the vanilla extract and milk and stir until the dough comes together. Then use your hands to lightly form the mixture into a ball.
- Pinch off pieces of dough and roll them into long oval shapes. Make about 12 dumplings.
- Once the oil has reached the temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit, fry the dough on all sides, until golden brown. This should take about 4-6 minutes.
- Remove dough and drain off any excess grease. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Make sure your oil is set to the proper temperature for deep frying. I use a thermometer to ensure my oil is at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Festival is best eaten when it's made. The dough can be made a day ahead.
- The amount of milk added may depend on the brand of flour used. You may need a little more or a little less. Slowly stir in the milk until the flour is moistened and can easily form into a ball of dough.
- I don't recommend making festival in an air fryer. I tried and it was not as good.
Nutrition
Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg
