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Apple Dumplings are a simple apple dessert recipe takes just a handful of easy ingredients. The soft dumplings are full of sliced apples and the sauce is gooey and sweet and tastes like fall. These are made easy by using Crescent Rolls but have a homemade sauce that is SO good.
Use Homemade Sauce
I have such fond memories of apple dumplings growing up and I couldn’t wait to share this recipe with you. While the crescent roll dough might not be homemade, the sauce is so no one will know this is a semi-homemade recipe. These simple dumplings literally melt in your mouth and are a great way to easily make the excuse to have another serving asap.
What are apple dumplings made of?
- Apples (any kind) – you can use sweet or tart apples! I’ve made this with Granny Smith apples and Gala apples.
- Crescent roll dough – you’ll need two cans for this recipe. I also use these for my peach dumplings.
- Apple cider – adds even more apple flavoring, better than just using water.
- Unsalted butter – unsalted works best but if you do have to use salted butter, omit adding in any extra salt.
How to make Apple Dumplings
- Peer and core apples and cut each into 8 pieces. Unroll crescent rolls. Place one apple slice on each crescent roll and sprinkle with a pinch of brown sugar.
- Wrap up the apple slice in the crescent roll. Place in the prepared pan.
- Heat apple cider with more brown sugar and butter until mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon, vanilla and salt.
- Pour sauce over crescent rolls in baking dish. Bake until golden and bubbly, approximately 20-30 minutes in an oven preheated to 350°F.
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Serving Suggestions
- Serve them plain – they’re delicious straight from the pan. They taste best warm or room temperature.
- Add whipped cream on top
- Serve with ice cream!
Just be sure to drizzle some of the extra sauce all over them however you serve the dumplings.
Expert Tips
- You can use any kind of apples for these, but I love using Granny Smith or Gala/Fuji.
- You know dumplings are done baking because the crescent rolls will be golden brown on top and the liquid will be bubbly.
- Once they come out of the oven, the mixture will still be wet when you remove it from the oven but will thicken as it cools.
- You can also do this same method to make peach dumplings!
Storing
How to store apple dumplings: store in refrigerator in an airtight container. I do not recommend freezing these.
FAQs
Yes, it’s important to peel the apples before adding them to the dumpling mixture. Leaving on the apple peel will make for a texture that doesn’t bode well with the rest of the ingredients.
I don’t recommend using frozen fruit. Frozen fruit may give you a lot of yummy flavors, but the frozen fruit thaws and ends up releasing a ton of extra juice and liquid into the dumplings, making them a soggy mess.
I know many recipes online use Mountain Dew but I prefer cooking the sauce with sugar and cider because I always have apple juice or cider in the fall. Plus I don’t like the taste of that soda!
Apple Dumplings Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 medium apples any kind
- 2 cans crescent rolls 8 rolls each
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 cups (400g) packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Peel apples. Core apples and cut each into 8 pieces.
- Unroll crescent rolls. Place one apple slice on each crescent roll and sprinkle with a pinch of brown sugar (rest of brown sugar will go in sauce). Wrap up the apple slice in the crescent roll. Place in prepared pan.
- Heat apple cider with remaining brown sugar and butter until butter melts and mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon, vanilla and salt.
- Pour mixture over crescent rolls in pan. Bake until golden and bubbly, approximately 20-30 minutes. Mixture will be still wet when you remove from the oven but will thicken as it cools.
- Serve warm or room temperature, plain or with ice cream. Store leftovers in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe Nutrition
Apple Dumplings are an easy fall apple recipe with crescent rolls – skip the Mountain Dew and make my homemade caramel sauce with apple cider! This classic recipe is always a hit!
Loved this recipe but I added about 1/4 cup of diced pecans at the end! I let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes on a rack, served it with vanilla ice cream! So good!!