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These Apple Dumplings are like individual apple pies, but much easier to make. We have a simple shortcut for the dough, which comes out flaky and buttery every time. Best when served hot and bubbly out of the oven.
Featured with this recipe
I have tried many recipes for Apple Dumplings, and this is definitely my favorite! The combination of flaky pastry , fresh apples, and the syrupy glaze combine for warm, comfort-filled, satisfaction in every bite. I like using regular white sugar as opposed to brown sugar. The texture and taste are lighter and more like an apple pie.
The added bonus to this recipe is just how easy it is to throw together. Another bonus is how amazing your house smells while these are baking in the oven. Trust me, everyone will come running!
Ingredients in Apple Dumplings
Once you pick your favorite apples, peel them, making sure to remove the stems and any leaves, and slice them into thin slices. After that, you only need a few other ingredients to make these delightful little pies.
- Crescent roll dough – this is such a simple hack and tastes delicious! So much easier than messing with pie crust with its shortening, flour and pastry cutters. Plus they turn out just as yummy.
- Butter – melted in a bowl
- Sugar – white sugar works great in this recipe
- Vanilla extract –
- Cinnamon – about a teaspoon. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
- 7-Up, Sprite, or Mountain Dew – trust us, this is a necessary ingredient that takes this recipe to a whole new level. You pour it around the edges of the baking dish before baking.
Best Apples for Apple Dumplings
My preference is to use Granny Smith apples in this recipe, but there are other apples that are just as good. When baking with apples, you want to make sure the apple variety you are using is firm. Some apples break down when baked and become mushy and mealy — not good!
I like Granny Smith apples because they are firm and tart, especially in desserts that use sugar. This dessert is not overly sweet, so a firm and sweet apple will also work. Jonagold, Honey Crisp, Fuji, gala, Jonathans or Golden Delicious apples would all taste great in this recipe.
Recipe Variations
This is a classic Apple Dumplings recipe, but with a little less sugar. Our sister-in-law, Amber, made these for us. My brother is crazy about them because she made the recipe with Mountain Dew (his favorite thing ever), instead of Sprite. You can also substitute 7-Up, Sierra Mist, Squirt or any other lemon-lime or citrus flavored soda, however do not use diet soda.
How to Serve Apple Dumplings
These dumplings are the best when they are nice and warm out of the oven. The top crust is crispy, but the filling will be hot and bubbly, so you will definitely want to serve them on a plate with a fork. Spoon some of the sweet , syrupy, sauce over the top of the dumplings when serving.
Although the dumplings are fabulous on their own, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream on top is also delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions about Apple Dumplings
Apple dumplings are basically a mini apple pie. Sliced apples, sugar, butter, vanilla, inside pie dough. In this easy apple dumpling recipe, the pie dough is replaced by crescent rolls.
Apple dumplings are best served warm from the oven. If you are eating leftovers, it is best to reheat them in the oven, microwave, toaster oven, or air fryer.
Apple dumplings need to be refrigerated or frozen in an airtight container or resealable plastic bags for later use. If frozen, let them thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Read Next: 33+ Easy Dessert Ideas
More Apple Recipes
If you have an abundance of apples this year or are just looking to try some new apple recipes, we have more to share with you!
- Dutch Apple Pie: This is our favorite fall pie. It is filled with tart apples and baked with a sweet and buttery crumb topping.
- Disneyland Apple Pie Caramel Apples: These Apple Pie Caramel Apples from Disneyland are my new favorite treat! Can’t make it to Disney? Bring the magic to your kitchen with this easy recipe!
- Traditional Apple Crisp: This is a no-frills, easy, traditional apple crisp recipe that can’t be beat. Just like the apple crisp the lunch lady used to make back in the good ol’ days (but better)!
- Copycat Bluebird Turkey and Brie Sandwich: Our Bluebird’s Turkey and Brie Sandwich Copycat is the best sandwich ever. It’s unique flavors are so good, like deli turkey, crisp apples, and brie cheese.
- Apple, Ham, and Cheddar Melts: Apple, Ham, and Cheddar Melts are my favorite lunch in the fall. It takes grilled cheese to a whole new level.
The Best Apple Dumplings
Video
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and core apples and cut into 8 slices each.
- Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll.
- Place in a 9 x 13 pan lined with cooking spray.
- Melt butter in a large bowl. Stir in sugar, then vanilla.
- Pour the entire mixture over the wrapped apples.
- Pour 7-Up (or preferred soda) around the edges of the pan.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Spoon sauce from the pan over the dumplings when serving.
- Optional: Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
Reheating tips:
- OVEN: Place the leftover apple dumplings in an oven safe dish and cover with foil. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
- MICROWAVE: Place one or two apple dumplings on a plate in the microwave for about a minute or until they’re warmed through.
- AIR FRYER: Evenly space dumplings in the air fryer basket so air can circulate around them. Using the reheat setting or air fryer setting, cook at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.
Nutrition Information
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I’m planning to make this for Thanksgiving next week. My husband loves any apple dessert, but especially with caramel. Other than to drizzle caramel ice cream sauce all over the top after it’s baked and cooled, what would be the best way to incorporate a caramel flavor in with this recipe? Thank you for any suggestions.
Ooh I love creative questions like this! If I were to add caramel to this recipe, I might try brushing some caramel sauce on each crescent roll before rolling up the apple slice. I might also try getting the little individually wrapped caramel squares and rolling one up with each apple. Let us know how it goes if you try something!
everyone who ate this loved it!
YUM! So so good. The step by step photos were helpful too, thank you!!
Yum! These apple dumplings are delicious. I loved the texture and sweet flavors. Paired with vanilla ice cream made for the perfect dessert! I can’t wait to make the dumplings again, they were gone too fast!
These are so delicious! Such a fantastic recipe that everyone enjoyed.
This recipe sounds and looks so so flavorful and delicious! I am going to make them!
I’ve never done these before. The recipe doesn’t say what to do with the soda?
The instructions just got separated, in the 2nd section of the instructions it says to pour Sprite around the edges of the pan. I will try to fix it so it is more clear. Thanks for pointing this out!
Wondering if I could make the day before Thanksgiving then reheat in the over. 😊
I haven’t tried that before, but I would worry about the consistency since it is such a moist dessert. Plus the apples might brown a bit. Let me know how it goes if you do try it!
These look amazing! Do you think it would be okay to prep everything, cover with foil, and bake later? I was thinking about trying this as dessert for a Friendsgiving where I could prep at home then bake during dinner. Alternatively, I could reheat in the oven. I just worry about it getting mushy or the texture being off. Any suggestions are appreciated!
You could prep the apples rolled in the crescent rolls beforehand, but I would bring the liquid parts (like the melted butter mixture and the sprite) and pour those on right before you bake it. Otherwise I think it would get too mushy. The apples also might brown a little, but it probably wouldn’t alter the texture too much. Hope this helps!
Made them. 40 min. they were doughy, 60 min. they were perfect. Ate first serving warm without ice cream, ate second cold with ice cream. Liked them both ways. Used Fuji apples. Next time will try Granny Smiths. 🙂
Ooh yes, ice cream is our favorite way to top these babies! Thank you for sharing your time adjustments, I know our readers will find this very helpful.
I used half white sugar and half brown sugar and added cinnamon. I also mixes the sliced apples in 1/4 cup of the sugar/cinnamon mixture before I rolled them in the crescent rolls. SO GOOD !
Could you use pie crust instead of crescent rolls?
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see any reason why not. I would roll the dough out thin, and it may need to cook a little longer. Thanks for asking!
What a delicious and easy recipe. The addition of soda was quite interesting but really worked well.
What is Crescent roll dough? Is it puff pastry? We don’t. Have your dough in Australia.
It is very similar to puff pastry dough.
What would the recipe be if you was making about 80 apple dumplings for a get together
Each recipe makes 16 dumplings. At a minimum you would need to 5 times the recipe – 10 Granny Smith apples, 10 cans of crescent rolls, 10 sticks of butter, 5 cups sugar, 5 tsp vanilla and 5 cans of Sprite. Good luck! Everyone will love them!
Sorry to ask, but I have never heard of crescent rolls before, I am in Australia, is this the same as puff pastry here??
Cheers
They are really similar, you can definitely do puff pastry as a substitute.
Found you on Facebook,
Great! We are happy to have you join us!
Little confused,,, Do you use the whole can of sprite???
Yes, the whole thing 🙂
Would love to try this, but since there are only two of us I’m wondering if they can be reheated. I’m guessing the best way to reheat would be in the oven and not the microwave? Reasonably sure they would be good cold also, just like apple pie.
They are so good cold! I’ve also reheated them in the microwave for just 15-20 seconds and they are almost as good as right out of the oven. I seriously have to limit how often I make these because I could eat them right out of the fridge for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Enjoy!
This recipe should be perfectly easy to halve since all of the ingredients are in equal portions easily divisible by 2.