These old-fashioned apple dumplings are made with tart apples wrapped in flaky pie crust and baked in a warm cinnamon brown sugar sauce. They’re an easy fall dessert that’s even better served warm with vanilla ice cream.
Just as classic as apple pie but easier to make like my apple turnovers!
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Key Takeaways: Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings
- Easy shortcut. Refrigerated pie crust keeps the prep simple without sacrificing that flaky, homemade-style finish.
- Individual servings. Each apple is wrapped and baked on its own, making them easy to serve straight from the pan.
- Saucy and tender. The apples soften as they bake while the buttery cinnamon syrup thickens around the dumplings.
Why I Love This Recipe
There’s nothing quite like the smell of apples baking in the oven. These apple dumplings are one of those comforting desserts I look forward to making every fall, right alongside my brown bag apple pie and apple crumble.
They’re especially fun when you want something a little different from a traditional pie but still want all those classic apple dessert flavors. And if you’re on an apple baking kick, my apple crisp and apple cake are two more favorites to add to the list.
Ingredients Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Granny Smith apples: Tart and firm, these are the best apples to use as they hold up beautifully when baked. Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, or Fuji are great backups.
- Pie dough: Store-bought double-crust pie dough makes this recipe quick and convenient, but you can also use homemade pie crust if you prefer.
- Brown sugar: Used in both the apple filling and the syrup to create that rich caramel-like flavor.
- Butter: Adds richness to the filling and melts into the syrup while baking.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: Classic fall spices that warm up the flavor without overpowering the apples.
- Water: Combines with butter and sugar to form a bubbling brown sugar syrup as the dumplings bake. If you like it a bit sweeter, you can use 1/2 apple juice or cider.
How to Make Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings
Step 1: Peel and core the apples, then cut them in half across the middle. Unroll your pie dough and cut it into quarters, each apple half will get wrapped in one piece.
Step 2: Nestle a bit of butter and brown sugar inside the hollow center of each apple. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring the corners of the dough up and over the apple, pinching at the top to seal. Tuck the edges in as needed so the apple is fully enclosed.
Step 3: Simmer brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and water together until the sugar dissolves and everything is melted and glossy.
Step 4: Place the wrapped apples in a buttered baking dish and pour the warm buttery brown sugar sauce over the top.
Step 5: Bake until the dumplings are golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
Step 6: Spoon the syrup over the homemade apple dumplings and top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if you like. They’re best enjoyed straight from the oven!
Recipe Tips
- Use small to medium apples. Larger apples can be tough to wrap and may not bake evenly. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji all work well, just keep the size in check.
- Make coring easier. A handheld apple corer works just fine, but if you’re making a big batch of apple dumpkings, a hand crank apple peeler/corer or KitchenAid attachment is helpful!
- Seal the dough securely. Lightly wet your fingers and pinch the pastry at the top to keep the filling from leaking during baking.
- Decorate with extra dough. Use leftover scraps to cut fun shapes, like leaves or hearts, and press them gently onto the tops before baking.
- Serving tip: Drizzle warm syrup over each apple dumpling and top with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream for a cozy finishing touch.
Recipe FAQs
Tart, firm apples like Granny Smith work especially well because they soften without turning mushy and balance the sweetness of the sauce. Honeycrisp or Pink Lady are also good options.
Yes. You can assemble the dumplings a few hours ahead, cover and refrigerate them, then add the sauce just before baking. This keeps the crust from sitting in the syrup too long and becoming soggy.
Yes! You can freeze them unbaked or baked. For unbaked, assemble the Yes. For the best texture, freeze the assembled dumplings before adding the sauce. Once frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen with freshly made sauce, adding a few extra minutes as needed.
Warm individual dumplings in the microwave for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. To reheat a larger batch, place them in a baking dish, cover with foil, and warm in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Summarize and Save This Recipe Content On:
More apple desserts to try include cinnamon oat baked apples, apple cobbler or apple fritters!
More Apple Recipes
Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (14.1 ounces) box frozen double-crust pie pastry , thawed
- 3 large Granny Smith apples , peeled, cored, and cut in half horizontally
- 5 Tablespoons butter , divided
- 1 ½ cup brown sugar , divided
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon , divided
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Unroll and cut pie dough: Unroll each circle of pie dough and cut into quarters. (You will have half of a circle of pie dough left over. )
- Arrange apples on pie dough: Arrange the 6 peeled and cored apple halves on the pie dough – one half apple in the center of each quartered piece.
- Fill apples: Cut 6 – 1/2 Tablespoon pieces of the butter, reserving the rest for later. Place one piece of butter inside each cored apple. Divide 1/2 cup of brown sugar between the 6 apples, pressing them into the cored middle with the butter. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg over the tops.
- Wrap apples with pastry dough: Wetting your fingers with water first, bring the pastry dough to the top of the apple, one corner at a time. Seal the top of the dough by pressing together with your fingers. Press the edges of the dough slightly to seal the sides of the apple inside the dough. Place apple in baking dish. Repeat with all the apples.
- Make sauce: Combine remaining 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 Tablespoons butter, and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a slight boil. Pour sauce evenly over the dumplings.
- Bake: Bake for 45 – 55 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
- Serve: Serve each dumpling in a bowl and drizzle the extra sauce on top. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Melinda April
In the video and in the recipe I saw nothing that showed pastry dough. Do you really mean the pie dough?
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Hi Melinda, pie dough and pie (pastry) dough are the same thing. Enjoy!
Alisha
We loved these! It’s like having apple pie with caramel sauce, just without all of the work involved in making a traditional pie. The whole family has requested that we make them again soon! – Alisha, recipe tester
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
So happy to hear your family loved the apple dumplings!