Apple Dumplings are Granny Smith apples wrapped in a flaky pie crust, filled with a spiced butter and brown sugar mixture, topped with a sweet apple cider sauce. It’s a dessert similar to a classic apple pie but in your own individual-sized portion! I love to add a scoop of my no-churn vanilla ice cream to my apple dumpling. Enjoy it after a meal for dessert or as a sweet treat on its own!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sauce: Apple cider in the sauce makes the dessert taste even more like apples. It adds a bit of tanginess and extra sweetness that works really well with the spices and sugar inside the dumplings. As the dumplings bake, the cider helps make a yummy, caramel-like sauce that makes the apples taste even better. I have a wonderful homemade apple cider you could try! If using apple juice, the sauce will not have quite as much depth in flavor.
- Pie Crust: I have a no-fail pie crust that is perfect for these apple dumplings. Once you try it, you will want to use it for all of your pies, both hot and cold! I also have an all-butter pie crust you could use, too. Or, use a store-bought crust.
- Apples: I prefer Granny Smith apples for desserts like this because they hold their shape when baked. I don’t want apples that will get mushy. Braeburn and Honeycrisp apples would also be good choices.
- Spiced Sugar Mixture: To add more warmth to the apples, I sprinkled a blend of light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg over the apples before they were wrapped in the pie crust. You could also use apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg.
How To Tell When Apple Dumplings Are Done Baking
To tell when apple dumplings are done baking, look for a golden brown crust and check that the apples inside are tender. (To check the apples, I like to insert a knife or fork into the apple; it should slide in with little resistance.) The sauce should be bubbling around the dumplings. You can also use a food thermometer; the inside should be around 200°F.
How To Assemble Apple Dumplings Ahead Of Time
If you want to get a head start on these apple dumplings, get them assembled a day in advance. Here is how:
- Wrap the apples in the pie crust and place them into the baking dish.
- Cover the assembled dumplings tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. (Or, freeze for longer storage.)
- When ready to bake, let the dumplings sit at room temperature as you make the sauce and the oven preheats. You may have to add a couple of minutes to the baking time. If baking from frozen, add 10-15 extra minutes.
Storing & Reheating Apple Dumplings
To Store: To store apple dumplings, first, let them cool to room temperature. Next, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Reheating Apple Dumplings: To reheat the dumplings, I like to put them in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350°F. This helps to crisp up the crust. You can use the microwave, but the crust will not get as crispy.
Can I Freeze Apple Dumplings?
Sure! For longer storage, freeze leftover apple dumplings. To freeze, first, let the dumplings cool to room temperature. Next, wrap each dumpling individually in plastic wrap. Then, store them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Label and date the packaging–they will last up to 2-3 months. Before reheating, let the dumplings thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Apple Dumplings
Equipment
- Medium saucepan I like this one from Kitchenaid!
- 9×13-Inch baking dish I recommend this affordable set (The largest one works for this recipe)
- Kitchen scale (optional)
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Apples
- 1 recipe homemade pie crust, or 1 box (14.1 ounces) store-bought
- 6 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
Sauce
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple cider, granulated sugar, and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After simmering, remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. Set aside.
Apple Dumplings
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out pie dough into a large rectangle, approximately 24×16 inches and about ¼-inch thick. Cut the dough into six even squares, about 8×8 inches each.
- Place a peeled and cored apple in the center of each dough square.
- Fill the hollow core of each apple with 1 tablespoon of softened butter.
- In a small bowl, mix together the light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Evenly sprinkle this mixture over the apples.
- Lightly moisten the edges of each dough square with water. Then, carefully fold the dough around the apples, pinching the edges to seal them completely.
- Place the wrapped apples into the prepared baking dish.
- Pour the prepared sauce over the dumplings in the baking dish.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, or until the dumplings are golden brown and crisp on top.
- Serve the dumplings warm with ice cream and extra sauce from the baking dish.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
These are a fantastic treat! I love the individual-sized presentation, too.
Elizabeth
To be honest, I have never had an apple dumpling before! They are so good! I love crust, so having it around the entire apple is genius!
Bella
I liked these! The apple filling is perfectly spiced, and the cider sauce makes it extra special.
Annabelle
They were okay. But, I will stick to a regular apple pie.
Selena
Absolutely delicious! The spiced apples and sweet cider sauce make these dumplings a perfect dessert. Ice cream is a great addition.
I am going to try the apple dumplings . Are the apples peeled ?
Hi Dave! Yes, this is what it says in the ingredient list:
6 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored
So they would need to be peeled and cored
Sounds delicious. What is the recipe for your pie crust?
https://iambaker.net/homemade-pie-crust/
I would love to see a video of this recipe
These are awesome!! The best thing about our county fair has always been that I can get apple dumplings. It’s my once-a-year treat. This year the cost had really increased and the quality has seemed to suffer a bit. So I decided to try making my own. This is one of my favorite blogs for baked goods so I decide to try this recipe. It was very simple. I made my own pie crust and followed Amanda’s very clear instructions and they came out fabulous!! They are a perfect blend of sweet and spicy and make the perfect transition dessert from late summer into fall. Now I can have apple dumplings all year long!!