This apple dumplings recipe is the perfect way to welcome fall and celebrate apple season. You'll be amazed at how easy these homemade apple dumplings are. Tart, fresh apples are wrapped up in flaky cinnamon sugar crusted crescent roll dough and baked in a secret ingredient: Sprite. When served warm, they're spectacular served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. As the dumplings bake, a delicious syrupy sauce is created to spoon on top after baking. This really is the ultimate comfort food dessert.
When I lived in Birmingham, Alabama, our group of friends would get together for Sunday dinner every week. None of us were originally from Birmingham and many, in fact, were from other countries. We were like a mini United Nations--friends from Spain, Germany, Israel, Honduras, Italy...the list goes on. We created our own little family and would take turns making dinner.
Our friend Carolyn, who hosted the meal every week, would often bake a version of this apple dumplings recipe (hers were Mountain Dew apple dumplings). It was a crowd favorite, and whenever it was on the menu I would get so excited. Think fried apples or apple pie, but better. This easy recipe is inspired by hers, and I have to warn you: you may be tempted to eat more than one helping. I certainly am! Also, don't forget the vanilla ice cream to scoop on top.
Looking for other fall sweet treats and easy dessert recipe ideas? You'll love my pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls and pecan praline cookies. To satisfy your sweet tooth year-round, be sure to check out my vanilla whoopie pies and mini banana pudding jars recipes. My upside-down plum cake is another favorite recipe. And, don't forget a warm cocktail to serve with it: my bourbon black tea hot toddy is a great one!
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this simple recipe:
- Granny Smith apples
- refrigerated crescent dough
- salted butter
- granulated sugar
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- vanilla extract
- lemon-lime soda
- vanilla ice cream
(See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get baking!
- First, peel and core the apples and cut each apple into 8 wedges. Separate the crescent rolls into individual triangles and roll up each apple wedge in a piece of dumpling dough.
- Next, mix sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl.
- Then, melt butter. Dip the dumplings in the melted butter and then roll in the sugar mixture. Place in a single layer in an oven safe dish or a large skillet.
- Finally, stir together any remaining butter and sugar mixture and add the vanilla. Drizzle over the dumplings. Pour the soda in between the dumplings. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
Hint: Use a spoon to coat the butter-dipped dumplings in the sugar mixture with less mess. Place the dumpling in the bowl of sugar and then spoon the sugar over the top.
Substitutions
Out of an ingredient or need to make a substitution? Here are some alternatives:
- Granny Smith apples - Granny Smith apples are ideal for this recipe. They're tart, and they hold their shape after being baked. If you need to swap out another apple, choose a firm, tart apple, like a Crispin.
- Soda - The lemon-lime soda I use for this recipe is Sprite. Feel free to use 7-Up or Mountain Dew if you prefer.
- Butter - I find that salted butter helps mellow out the sweetness of the dessert. If all you have is unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon kosher salt to the melted butter.
Variations
Check out these other ways to change up this recipe:
- Deluxe - Serve with another flavor of ice cream besides vanilla. Butter pecan, rum raisin, and salted caramel are all great choices. Sprinkle with toasted nuts and drizzle with caramel sauce.
- Pear Dumplings - Use pear wedges instead of apples to make a pear version of this dessert.
Equipment
Here's the equipment you need for this recipe:
- dry measuring cups
- liquid measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- chef's knife
- small bowl
- cast-iron skillet or 3-quart baking pan
Storage
Store the cooked dumplings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You can freeze cooked dumplings, but they may become mushy once they're thawed.
Tasty Tip
This is the perfect dessert to get your kiddos involved. They can help roll up the apple wedges in the crescent dough and older kids can help with the butter and sugar part.
Frequently asked questions
That depends on what you're making. For this recipe, Granny Smith apples are perfect. The tartness of the apple is great for balancing out the sweetness of the other flavors. And, Granny Smiths hold there shape best when baking they won't turn to a mushy, applesauce texture.
Easy! Cut the peeled apple in half, and then in half again. Lay the flat sides of the wedges on the cutting board and slice away the core and stem.
A Crispin is the closest variety to a Granny Smith.
Per the Pillsbury website, you should always bake the crescent roll dough after it's been opened. After a couple of hours at room temperature, the dough can spoil.
For this recipe, yes. Removing the peel helps the heat penetrate to the center of the apple. (The peel would cause uneven cooking.) It's also more enjoyable to eat a dumpling without the peel.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing:
These are my favorite dishes to serve with these Crescent Roll Apple Dumplings:
🍽Get the recipe
Baked Cinnamon Apple Dumplings
Equipment
- dry measuring cups
- liquid measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- chef's knife
- small bowl
- cast-iron skillet or 3-quart baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
- 2 (8-ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
- ¾ cup salted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup lemon-lime soda (I used Sprite)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut each apple into 8 wedges. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles along the perforated edges. (You should have 16 triangles and 16 apple wedges.)
- Place one apple wedge on the widest part of a dough triangle. Tuck the edges in to cover the apple. Roll up, like you would a crescent roll and cover the apple wedge completely. Repeat with all the apples and dough.
- Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl.
- Dip the dumplings in the butter and then in the sugar mixture, turning to coat completely. Place the coated dumplings in single layer in a lightly greased cast-iron skillet or 3-quart baking dish.
- Stir together any remaining butter and sugar mixture. Stir in the vanilla. Drizzle the mixture over the dumplings in the pan. Pour the soda in between the dumplings.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and cooked through and the sauce is bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe:
- Don't leave leftovers sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Elizabeth says
These dumplings are incredible! My family loved them!
Nicole Kendrick says
OMG, these are so good! This is my new go-to sweet treat for the fall!