These old-fashioned apple dumplings are wrapped in golden pie crust, baked in a cinnamon buttery brown sugar syrup, and served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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Apple Dumplings Recipe
There’s nothing quite like the smell of apples baking in the oven. These apple dumplings are an old-fashioned classic and a fall favorite, right alongside apple pie and apple crumble.
If you’ve made my apple turnovers, this recipe is just as simple but even more decadent. Each dumpling is wrapped in flaky pie crust and baked in a cinnamon buttery brown sugar syrup until golden and tender. Add vanilla ice cream on top and it’s the ultimate fall treat.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Nostalgic and cozy. Just like the ones grandma used to make, these apple dumplings are warm, saucy, and full of old-fashioned charm.
- Easy shortcut. Using store-bought pie dough keeps things simple, and you don’t even need to chop the apples, just peel and core!
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 Apple Dumplings
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.
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.
Simmer brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and water together until the sugar dissolves and everything is melted and glossy.
Place the wrapped apples in a buttered baking dish and pour the warm buttery brown sugar sauce over the top. Bake until the dumplings are golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
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.
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.
Recipe FAQs
They’re best served warm, straight from the oven. That buttery brown sugar syrup is extra delicious when it’s hot, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that just melts into it!
Let the dumplings cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Yes! You can freeze them unbaked or baked. For unbaked, assemble the dumplings and place them on a lined baking sheet to flash-freeze. Once solid, transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. When ready to bake, make the sauce, pour it over the dumplings and bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
Baked dumplings can also be frozen and reheated individually, although I prefer to do so without the sauce to prevent sogginess.
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.
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!