What are apple dumplings

How to Make Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings Like Grandma Did

Let’s dive into the sweet, saucy world of this vintage comfort food dessert.

Ask 20 grandmas how they make their apple dumplings and you’ll get 20 different answers. The preparation for this old-school dessert varies greatly from household to household, but there’s one thing you can count on for sure: They’re all delectable! Read on to learn all about apple dumplings and discover some of the more popular ways to make them. Stick around and I’ll even share the apple dumpling recipe my grandmother’s grandmother made.

What is an apple dumpling?

First appearing in English literature and cookbooks in the 1700s, apple dumplings became well known as one of the most common foods eaten by farmers. They were known to be a favorite of Thomas Edison, and are mentioned in books by Mark Twain. At that time, the dish was more akin to what we know as figgy pudding (a dense and rich boiled dessert filled with meat and dried fruit) than the spiced, fruit-filled flaky crust dumplings we know today.

How do you make apple dumplings?

First, let’s define dumpling. A dumpling is a mass of dough cooked by boiling, steaming, or baking, and is usually (but not always) stuffed with meat, fruits, and/or spices. From that broad definition, it’s no wonder every household has their own version of how to make apple dumplings. And they’re all correct! Every aspect of making apple dumplings can vary — from the dough wrapper to the apple filling, to the spices and so on. Let’s look at some of the various ways you can make apple dumplings:

1. Dough: handmade dough or store-bought?

This is one of the biggest debates among apple dumpling enthusiasts. Fresh handmade dough or store bought?

Making your own dough from scratch has the benefit of complete control over how your dough texture and flavor will turn out. If you’re a pastry pro, this step might seem pretty easy for you. But if you’re a beginner or if you simply want a quicker method, you have a few options for store-bought dough.

Personally, my grandma strongly believes that canned biscuits make the best apple dumpling dough––although canned crescent rolls work too — and I couldn’t agree more. They’re buttery and flaky, and very easy to work with when adding your apple filling. Others prefer store bought pie crust. This will also give you a tender, flaky apple dumpling, but pie crust is a little tougher to work with. Canned biscuit dough can be handled repeatedly without losing its integrity, but pie crust is a bit more sensitive and can become tough with too much handling.

2. Apples: whole, sliced, or diced?

Your apple preparation choice has two key factors:

1. Apple-to-crust ratio
2. Visual appeal

Some recipes call for wrapping your dough around an entire apple, giving your dish a gorgeous old world showpiece. But you will have a lot of apple and less crust if you do your dumplings like this.

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Apple Dumplings

These Apple Dumplings are like individual apple pies and they are very easy to make. Best when hot out of the oven with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Apple Dumplings

Which apples are best 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, or Golden Delicious apples would all taste great in this recipe.

Recipe variations

They are the best when they are nice and warm out of the oven. Come to think of it, I have never had them cold, mainly because they don’t last even 5 minutes after being pulled out of the oven. I’m sure they are good cold, we just haven’t been able to reach that point yet. Serve these with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream and they are over-the top!

More Apple Recipes

If you have an abundance of apples this year or are just looking to try some new apple recipes, we have TONS 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.

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Apple Dumplings

This recipe for apple dumplings uses Granny Smith apples, Pillsbury crescent rolls, and a can of Mountain Dew. Oh, and more butter than you’ve ever seen.

This recipe for Apple Dumplings uses Granny Smith apples, Pillsbury crescent rolls, and a can of Mountain Dew. Oh, and more butter than you’ve ever seen. Serve these beauties with vanilla ice cream (or, if you’re on a diet, a huge dollop of sweetened whipped heavy cream) and you’ll be left wondering how such ordinary ingredients can be so sublime.

whole Granny Smith apples

8-ounce cans of crescent rolls

sticks of butter

Cinnamon, to taste

12-ounce can Mountain Dew soda

1. Peel and core apples.
2. Cut each apple into 8 slices each.
3. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll.
4. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.
5. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
6. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

My mom visited a month ago, and just before she left I called her and said, “Mom?” The End.

No, that wasn’t really the end. I just like to do that sometimes. I said, “Mom? Will you please bring your recipes?” Then I batted my eyelashes and waited for her answer.

“Sure,” she said. And I jumped for joy. Because you see, my mom’s “recipes” amount to two enormous—like, the most gargantuan I’ve ever seen—three-ring binders stuffed with plastic sleeves that contain every wonderful, fabulous recipe she’s used since The Dark Ages, or at least since around 1968. She still collects and tests recipes, so her plastic sleeves are updated with modern, interesting foods.

So I have a confession to make, seriously. When I looked forward to my mother’s visit, all I could think about was getting my hands on her recipe binders…and honestly, I secretly had the thought, Maybe she’ll forget them and leave them at my house. Then, while she was here and I was tidying up the kitchen, I “absentmindedly” put the binders in my pantry so they’d be out of the way. And sure enough, when she pulled away from my house the following Monday morning and drove back to Tennessee, she did so without her binders. And I’ve had them ever since.

I’ll have to make my peace with God about whether or not I subliminally, subconsciously, maybe, sorta, kinda, willed her recipe binders into being left here, but boy howdy, have I had some fun with those suckers! One of the first things I zeroed in on was this recipe for Apple Dumplings. Emailed to her by a friend known only as “Donna,” it uses Granny Smith apples, Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, and…GULP: a can of Mountain Dew. Oh, and more butter than you’ve ever seen on this website, ever. I had no idea what to expect, but it looked so easy, I had to try.

The result? I had to throw the pan away. These apple dumplings were SO indescribably delicious, after I took one bite to try them out, I proceeded to take thirty-four more. Then I became racked with guilt, fear, and shame, and I took another bite. Then I tossed the pan into the garbage. They were evil. And they had to be destroyed.

For those of you with will power, though, these are really surprisingly delightful! The texture of the crescent rolls becomes something entirely different during the baking process: the top gets delightfully crisp and flavorful, while the underneath side remains soft and mushy and more “apple dumpling-y”. And the Mountain Dew, coupled with the obscene amound of butter, creates a yummy, sweet sauce at the end. Serve these beauties with ice cream (or, if you’re on a diet, a huge dollup of sweetened whipped heavy cream) and you’ll be left wondering how such ordinary ingredients can be so sublime.

The Cast of Characters: Granny Smith apples, Butter, Sugar, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, and a can of Mountain Dew.

Start by peeling and coring 2 Granny Smith apples. It doesn’t matter if they’re a little bruised and battered. My boys used these to play racquetball earlier that day, and they worked just fine.

Next, cut the apples into eight slices.

Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. (Mine was a little smaller and I later ran out of room, so please don’t take matters into your own hands and choose some funky pan that’s too small. I’ll regret it the rest of my life.)

Now I want you to cast aside any preconceived notions you might have about refrigerator crescent rolls. Then I want you to open the can of crescent rolls and unroll the dough.

Just pretend it’s puffed pastry. And really what’s the big difference? (I have a feeling someone out there is going to answer that for me.)

In any event, roll up an apple slice in each of the crescent rolls.

Now lay each one into the buttered baking pan. And let’s just acknowledge the elephant in the room: the black smudge on my left thumb. It isn’t mascara. It isn’t Sharpie pen. It’s grease from the underside of my tripod head, which can stick a little. I would have Photoshopped it out, but that wouldn’t be keepin’ it real, now, would it?

Now, melt 2 sticks regular (salted) butter in a saucepan.

Dump in 1 1/2 cups sugar…

And here’s the kicker: just barely stir together.

Also add in 1 teaspoon vanilla…

And barely stir. You definitely want the mixture lumpy and grainy.

Now pour the very low-calorie mixture over the top of the dumplings, making sure to thoroughly coat them.

I’m so pleased to be able to bring you healthy, low-fat cuisine. Makes me feel like I’m doing my part in the world.

Now, the recipe calls for a 12-ounce can of Mountain Dew, but I wound up using only one of these little ones. And by the way, aren’t these just the cutest little things?

And there’s another black smudge. I can’t escape them…they’re taking over. But I’m just happy you guys accept me, black smudgy fingers and all.

So what you want to do is, pour Mountain Dew all around the edge of the pan.

I also deviated from the rules a bit and poured it down the center. But only because I was feeling dangerous.

NOW. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, watching to make sure they don’t get too brown. (You’ll definitely want them golden brown and crispy on top, though.)

And here’s what they’ll look like.

Now, when I first pulled the pan out of the oven, there was quite a lot of liquid sloshing around in the pan. This happened because I used a smaller pan than the recipe called for, and I had to leave out two dumplings. So if you use a 9 x 13-incher, you should be fine. I poured a little of the excess liquid into a separate bowl before I began cutting into the dumplings.

Oh, baby. Honestly, these are to die for. See how crispy they are on top, and how soft and dumpling-y they are on the bottom? That combination of textures is what’s so delicious.

Serve it with vanilla ice cream (cinnamon ice cream would be perfect, too), and don’t be afraid to top the whole thing with some of the sweet sauce from the bottom of the pan.

If you want to just drink that stuff with a straw, that’d be fine, too.

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