The Easiest Baked Cinnamon Apple Dumplings Recipe

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. You'll also love this apple crumble recipe and crescent roll cherry cobbler. 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!

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!

1. 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.

2. Next, mix sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl.

3. 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.

4. 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.

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.

Frequently asked questions

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

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.