Butter Balls

Butter balls are an old-fashioned soup dumpling that your great-grandmother probably made without a recipe. Breadcrumbs mixed with softened butter, cream, eggs, and a pinch of allspice get rolled into walnut-sized balls and dropped into simmering chicken noodle soup to cook.

The butter and cream make these richer and more tender than standard flour-based dumplings. They hold together in the broth without falling apart, but break open at the touch of a spoon into a soft, buttery center that absorbs the soup’s flavor.

Allspice is the subtle background note that lifts these above plain bread dumplings. Just a pinch adds a warm, slightly peppery complexity that pairs naturally with chicken broth without being identifiable as a single spice.

Chilling the mixture before rolling is what makes them easy to handle. Warm butter dough sticks to everything, but a cold mixture rolls into neat, firm balls that hold their shape when they hit the hot soup.

Kitchen Tips

• Use fine, dry breadcrumbs, not fresh. Fresh crumbs are too moist and make the balls heavy and dense.
• Roll with lightly dampened hands to prevent sticking.
• Drop into gently simmering soup, not a rolling boil. Vigorous boiling can break the butter balls apart before they set.
• They need 15 to 20 minutes in the soup to cook through. Cut one open to check before serving.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley or dill to the mixture for an herby version.
• Use panko breadcrumbs for a slightly lighter, airier texture.
• Swap allspice for a pinch of nutmeg for a more traditional German-style soup dumpling.