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A comforting and easy dessert, these Apple Dumplings are one of the fastest ways to get a homemade dessert on the table. Similar to Apple Turnovers or Apple Crisp, these Apple Dumplings are in a league of their own. Covered in a cinnamon-butter-brown sugar sauce and baked in Sprite, you will DIE at how delicious these are with some vanilla ice cream. Simply heavenly. Swimming in peaches? Try my Peach Dumplings as well!
Six Main Ingredients
I love this Apple Dumpling Recipe for many reasons, but a big one right up front is it only calls for a handful of simple to find ingredients! Things like granny smith apples, crescent rolls, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and Sprite. (Yes, Sprite!)
Soda in Apple Dumplings?
Yes, I know its a little strange, but adding Sprite to the pan right before baking is the secret to creating the caramel sauce! More on that below. And if you don’t have Sprite, feel free to use 7UP or Mtn Dew.
Best Apples for Baking
I prefer a tart granny smith apple for any baked apple dessert, including apple crumble, apple crisp…and these apple dumplings aren’t any different. It holds its shape well, doesn’t get mushy after baking, is always available and relatively inexpensive. Other great options would include Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Pink Lady.
Yes, I Use Crescent Rolls.
While I love and appreciate recipes made completely from scratch, this is not one of them. If you need a fast and lovely dessert that everyone will love, these Apple Dumplings are a great option! The crescent rolls save a ton of time and taste great. Before baking, this is going to take 10-15 minutes of active prep to peel the apples, roll the slices in the crescent roll dough and then pour over the caramel sauce. It goes quickly….so much quicker than making the dough from scratch.
How to Make Apple Dumplings
Get ready to live! You are a few minutes away from cinnamon-apple-caramelly heaven. Here’s how to make this apple dumpling recipe:
Prep Apples
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Prepare the apples by peeling, coring and cutting into eight equal pieces. You should have 16 total apple wedges.
Wrap Apples in Crescent Roll Dough
Pop open crescent rolls and separate into triangles. Roll one apple wedge into one crescent roll and place into prepared pan. Continue rolling and wrapping until all sixteen are in the baking pan.
Make the Caramel Sauce
Make the caramel sauce by melting butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small saucepan. Stir until hot and sugar as melted. Remove from heat and pour over rolls. Pour Sprite in along the edges (not on top of the rolls).
Making the Caramel Sauce Thicker or Thinner
This really simple butter/brown sugar sauce gets its viscosity from the Sprite you pour into the pan. The more sprite you pour in, the thinner the sauce gets. The less you pour in, the thicker it gets. Make sense? I like a bit of a thicker sauce, so I only use 1/2 cup. Feel free to add up to 1 cup of Sprite. I would not add more than that.
Bake and Serve
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until hot, bubbly and golden brown. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. My favorite topping for homemade cobblers or warm pies is always vanilla ice cream. But of course some freshly whipped cream is a close second.
Making Ahead and Storing Directions
If you are wanting to bake these ahead of time, you totally can! Make them exactly according to recipe directions below. Then cool to room temperature, cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The caramel sauce at the bottom will solidify as it chills. This is completely normal. When you’re ready to serve, reheat in a 225 degree F oven until warmed completely through and the caramel sauce has become liquid again. I would not recommend freezing.
Other Apple Desserts You Will Love
So there you have my new favorite dessert. I hope you love these apple dumplings as much as me and my family did. They are a great recipe to have in your back pocket for company or a weeknight dessert. Have a great day, friends!
Printable recipe card below!
Apple Dumplings
Ingredients
- 2 granny smith apples
- 16 oz crescent rolls 2 cans
- 3/4 cup salted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Sprite
- vanilla ice cream, whipped cream for serving
Equipment
- 1 9×13 glass dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Prep the apples by peeling, coring and cutting into eight equal pieces. You should have 16 total apple wedges.
- Pop open crescent rolls and separate into triangles. Roll one apple wedge into one crescent roll and place into prepared pan. Continue rolling and wrapping until all sixteen are in the baking pan.
- Make the caramel sauce by melting butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small saucepan. Stir until hot and sugar as melted. Remove from heat and pour overtop rolls.
- Pour Sprite in along the edges (not on top of the rolls). Bake for 30-35 minutes or until hot, bubbly and golden brown. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.
