Easy Apple Dumplings
Updated
Updated
These Easy Apple Dumplings are one of my favorite treats. They are soft and gooey on the bottom, crispy on top, and taste like apple pie. They are simple to prepare and ridiculously good. Plus, the house smells amazing while they bake!
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5 STAR REVIEWS
Easy Crescent Roll Apple Dumplings Recipe
I’ve made these easy Apple Dumplings for breakfast three weekends in a row. I think they’re more of a dessert, though, especially when I top them with some vanilla ice cream—OMG!
I love how these come together with just a few simple ingredients—fresh apples wrapped in crescent roll dough, then drizzled with a rich, caramel-like sauce before baking. They come out of the oven with gooey bottoms, crisp, golden tops, and the flavor is so close to apple pie it’s almost unbelievable. They’re ridiculously easy to make, but taste like I spent hours in the kitchen…and no one has to know I didn’t!
Easy Apple Dumplings
Ingredients
- 2 small apples, peeled, cored, and patted dry, any kind
- 8 ounce tube refrigerated Pillsbury crescent roll dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 cup 7UP soda, (Mountain Dew, Sprite, Fresca, or even ginger ale will also work)
- vanilla ice cream, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cut each apple into 4 wedges.
- Separate the crescent dough into 8 triangles.
- Place an apple wedge near the small end of the dough triangle, then roll up. Make sure the apple is completely enclosed, then pinch the ends to seal. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir until combined and smooth.
- Drizzle butter mixture over the dough.
- Pour the 7UP to the sides of the dumplings (not on top) so a nice crust is formed while baking.
- Bake until golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes.
- Serve for breakfast or make it a dessert with some vanilla ice cream!
Video
Notes
- Diet soda is also okay. Do not eliminate the soda. You need the carbonation for these to turn out. By pouring it around the edges of the pan, it creates moisture to cook the dumplings and creates an amazing crust. It boils down and contributes to the gooey sauce that will make your heart skip a beat.
- To double the recipe, bake in a 9 x 13 pan.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Easy Apple Dumplings Step by Step
Preheat the oven and prep ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Peel and cut 2 apples into 4 wedges each. Pat dry. Separate the crescent dough into triangles.
Form the dumplings: Roll the apple up in a dough triangle, wrapping to enclose it, and pinching to seal. Transfer to a square baking dish, coating with cooking spray in a single layer.
Make the sauce: Combine 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/3 cup white and 1/3 cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together, then drizzle over the top of the dough.
Add the soda and bake: Pour 3/4 cup of soda onto the sides of the dumplings (not on top.) Bake at 350°F until golden brown and apples are tender, about 40 minutes.
Serve: Serve with vanilla ice cream (optional) and enjoy.
Storing Leftovers
These are best eaten right away, otherwise the dough gets very soggy, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Gently rewarm in the microwave, although the dough will not be crispy.
What to Serve With Apple Dumplings
I love serving these apple dumplings warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but strawberry ice cream or this decadent rocky road ice cream would also work. If ice cream isn’t your thing, pair the dumplings with a nice cold glass of boba tea. These are also crazy delish with peaches! Our easy peach dumplings can be made with fresh or canned peaches.
More Apple Recipes
I’ve made these twice and they came out delicious. They were so easy and fast to come together too!
Thank you for a wonderful keeper recipe for my family.
I plan to try the apple dumplings tomorrow. They look delicious. I found it on Facebook Reels.
I do want to tell you, I make your croissant bread pudding all the time. Love, love, love it. So does my husband.
Thank you for the recipe.
Donna
I came across your recipe on Facebook Reels, and decided I had to try it.
I am so glad I did!!! It is so delicious and easy to make.
My husband was thrilled with it.
Thank you for posting this!
I want to make these for a party. Will they taste ok at room temperature? If I bake now and take them to the party in a few hours for example?
Hi Ivy – These are best served fresh and hot, not really ideal at room temperature or travel. The more they sit, the soggier the bottoms get.
These are great except when cooked they LOOK like a pan of roasted chicken thighs 🤣
These are amazing – I made them two days in a row! I would give the recipe 100 stars if I could! And so easy. I can’t wait to try them with peaches!
Made these for a family get together and everyone raved about how good they were. So easy and quick. THANK YOU!!!
These were amazing I made them for my whole family they loved them thank you
I am obsessed with your videos. Obsessed and so impressed. Question about this one. Could I use sparkling waters of any kind? Or Perrier? Thanks so much.
You really need the soda for these to turn out, not just for the carbonation but it also helps make the sauce. Enjoy!
WOW these were incredible and so much easy. Can’t wait to try them with pears!
Awesome
I just love Amy!! This dessert was absolutely delicious!!! Thank you! Pat
This recipe is a 10!!
Only change I made to it was adding just a whisper of grated nutmeg and cinnamon on each apple slice before rolling it in the crescent triangle. For the soda (liquid) at the end I used one bottle of ginger beer. Two neighbors called to give rave reviews, and it was so easy! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Judy (your newest fan)
omg these were amazing. and so easy. i can’t wait to try them with peaches and pears!
Easy to make and so, so good!
Looks so good
These were GREAT. Thanks for sharing.
I made this recipe for the first time and served to in-laws, and thr6 loved them. No one had ever had these before. I love serving with caramel sauce (and if I have it, vanilla ice cream). Since it’s just me and my husband, I’ll use 4 crescent rolls for dinner and the other 4 for the apple dumplings. It’s perfect!
Made this recipe today and we LOVED it! Used honeycrisp apples and ginger ale for the soda. Followed recipe exactly. Will definitely keep this one!
Crowd pleaser every time!
I’ve made this recipe 2 nights in a row and will be making it again tonight! It is amazing ! I did halve the recipe because there’s only 2 of us but had I made the full recipe we would have eaten all of it- it’s that good!!
I would love to make this recipe but I retired to Panama and can’t get Pillsbury Crescent Rolls here. What’s a substitute?
Hi Sara – I’ve never tested this recipe with anything other than the crescent roll dough, sorry.
The absolute best!
Love this my family thought it was great
My whole family loves this.There are never any left
This is a great recipe. My grands loved it.
Better than apple pie!
This is perfect for a quick breakfast and oh so delicious!!
Can you use diet soda?
Yes. This is mentioned in the recipe card notes.
Super easy and tasty! I used granny Smith apples, 7-up and they turned out really good..
Omg these were incredible. My new favorite apple dessert!
These were AMAZING. And so easy!! I’m going to try it with peaches and pears too.
I used to fix these years ago and everyone loved them! My question is is the sugar and butter mixture supposed to be kinda thick? Sorry it’s been so long I can’t remember
Very easy to make smells divine.
Love these, love it with peaches also.
Omg! These were delicious! I mistakenly asked my husband to get puff pastry sheets. Used that instead of crescent rolls. Came out great! Warm out of oven with vanilla ice cream….so yummy! Substituted ginger ale for sprite.
My husband said it was FANTASTIC. My coworkers@ school said please make this again
I am gluten free-could a gluten free pie dough be used instead of crescent rolls?
Hi Sheryl – I’ve never made these with pie crust, so that would require further recipe testing. My concern is that the underside wouldn’t get cooked enough and you definitely don’t want to be eating raw dough. But you could try it…maybe cook longer, but tent the dish with foil so the tops down get overly brown.
This recipe is wonderful and delicious and easy I use splenda and diet mt dew have made several times and is a keeper.
Made this for hubby and I for Christmas and used ginger ale as that was what I had available. It was really good!
This is one of my favorite recipes. I make it every year for my birthday like my mom used to for me, and I make it as an easy desert for dinner parties. I make it just as noted no changes it is amazing as is.
This recipe is so easy just amazing! TY so much.
This was easy and delicious
I absolutely love this recipe. It is so easy and delicious. My family loves it. I have made it five or six times within the past 2 months.
Unbelievably wonderful………………….I’ve made this several times………….good with ice cream on top, or not.
Omg!!!! I made these today for my 9 year old son. His first bit he said amazing, I want this for my birthday not cake. It’s so good, thank you!!!!!
Do you have any recipes for diabetics ?
Do they have to be served warm , as would like to make them just before leaving for church but would not be warm to serve after church service.
Yes, definitely warm.
Just made these today. They were insanely good! I could easily eat the whole pan with ice cream, omg. Thank you!
These are also great made with ginger ale too.
Just made it , easy and very tasty!!!!
Can I use fizzy (carbonated) water?
I love these dumplings!! A dear friend also made sweet potato dumplings this same way using the frozen slices that come 8 to the pack. She would cut each slice in half and wrap it…of course she always had to make a full 9 x 13 pan since she had 16 halves! Her pan always went home empty! ?
Quick and easy to fix. They turned out perfect and were awesome with a little Blue Bell on top!
Wanted to know .my Grandma made something like this year’s ago,but without the apples,can I make it without the apples,she called it ,butter roll.
I honestly couldn’t say. I’ve only made it this way with apples. Try it!
Wow,Then that means it is really good
Can I assemble the day before an event (except sprite) and bake before serving?
Hm. Not ideal because the apples will brown and the butter mixture will solidify.
Love this recipe! Can I use margarine instead of butter as my daughter has a dairy allergy? Thanks!
Bummer! We have allergies in our house too, so I get it. I’m concerned that margarine will not render a desirable flavor here and also not lend itself to that crispy crust, but you could try it.
What about butter flavored Crisco ?
I do it with margarine and it’s absolutely delicious!!!
Can you use ginger ale?
I think that would be fine. It will render a different flavor, but the carbonation is key.
These are fabulous with ginger ale. It’s howbi have always made them since I was given the recipe years ago.
I love looking EV crescent rolls, apples and gooey. I’m going to try this. Thank you.
My question is strictly curiosity. Since I’m a rule follower – can’t remember baking powder from baking soda without looking at recipe I would like to understand what role the carbonated soda or orange juice plays especially pouring in the side and not over.
Hi Vonna – just to clarify, there’s no baking soda or baking powder in this recipe. Answers to your other questions can be found in #7 of the directions and my Recipe Notes. Thanks and enjoy!
People! There are a mere 7 ingredients in this easy and interesting recipe, three of which are sugars and sugar-sweetened soda. If you don’t like or can’t eat sugar, butter or crescent rolls, there are a gazillion other recipes floating around the internet. Instead of trying to pick apart this recipe for your needs, please look for something better suited to you! Geesh! Amy, you are a very patient person! :)
Amen!!-
I know Right!!! It’s not that hard people!! Read it,,, study it,,,, bake it!!!
I’m trying this Tonight! I’m making a 13×9 but doing half white Peaches and half Granny Smith Apples. YummY! Wish Me Luck!
I am going to make it with the granddaughter tomorrow after school.
She wants to learn how to cook and bake, she is 10 and just moved here from Florida.
We will have great fun.
Does the bottom stay doughy with the addition of the liquid? I’m not fond of the texture of gooey crescent roll dough and I’d hate to waste all the ingredients.
I wouldn’t say doughy. Soft and gooey, yes. So maybe that would be doughy to you. Not crispy like the top, obviously.
Amy what if we left the bottom unwrapped but rest of sides. Would that work with your recipe?
It just won’t be the same. You can try it.
Do these need to be refrigerated after baking?
I’ve never had any leftovers when making these, but I would say yes. Definitely not a recipe you want sitting out on the counter.
SO love them!!!! So easy and awesome!!!!
For a slightly more upscale (and I think better taste) use frozen puff pastry. You do have the added “work” of cutting the triangles yourself.
I’m going to try this and sub some of the sugar for Splenda and use diet soda! Sounds awesome! Will be great for church lunches, too!
Kathy can you let me know how it came out with the Splenda and diet soda. I don’t use sprite as we are a 7Up family.
Kathy A, I agree with you. I was told that they are not as good with Splenda and diet pop, but I think it is worth trying.
If taking to a function Please advise people that you have used diet soda and artificial sweetmer!
I am diabetic but also allergic to aerifical sugars and sodas. Could be someone else that has an allergic reaction to these. Just saying went to a bake sale and did not know they were made with these things and was ver very sick.
I made these tonight after dinner and they were delicious! I used seltzer instead of Sprite and it worked fine. I also made it in a 9″x13″ dish and doubled the entire recipe, as per your tip, and boy am I glad I did ! They tasted like little apple pies …. soooo yummy !! Didn’t have any ice cream, but that didn’t stop them from disappearing lol. They were perfect just the way they were!
Can’t thank you enough for sharing !
How much longer did you bake it?
I have used this same recipe, but was given to me by my 89 year old mother, who recently passed away in March. It’s a great recipe. I used the Granny Smith Apples. I like the tartness of them. And I used the Mountain Dew. It was fantastic. Give it a try. “Enjoy”
Sounds wonderful, my question is , if I am having a large party, how long will it keep before it gets soggy? Could I make it one day ahead? I would need to make about 4 double batches. Thanks
I would not recommend this dish be made in advance – it is best served right away.
Hello!Amy! I decided to try this with my own twists or two.
…First time I used Mutsu and Winesap and HoneyCrisp apples peeled. Next I used club soda with fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice. I added some mascerated white raisins and some Roasted candied pecans.
…Next twist I tried was red pears with macerated craisins in white grape juice. Sparkling water with fesh squeezed Blood Orange juice& Sprinkled with pistachios. Yummo!
… Finally I tried fresh white peaches. That I skined. And used the ginger beer and chopped macadamia nuts.
…All in all.. loved all 3. I did use homemade ice cream toppings.
… With the apple, I have a apple cinnamon flavor,
…with the pear I choose a light pear sorbet with lemon basil leaves garnish.
…And with the peach I chose a boozey bourbon peach ice cream with mint leaves garnish.
??Thank you for your recipe that spurred me onwards to more fruit fun?DC
Looks great. I want to make and take to a dinner party. Do I leave it out during dinner and reheat in the oven?
What kind of apple did you use for this recipe?
I used Pink Lady. You can use whatever you like – anything works.
Hi there, I wanted to tell you, I’m sending prayers your way, last October was like that for us. Sometimes it seams like we’ll never catch up, but God always sees us through.
Thank you for this recipe! I made it today and it turned out perfect, apples are just coming into season here in NY, so I’ll be making it over and over this fall!
I would like to add some white raisins. Should I add them to the Apple inside the dough, or this sauce outside?
I think either would be fine.
Could i use canned apple pie filling in place of apples?
I guess it just depends what sort of result you’re looking for. You could try it, but for optimal results, I would use fresh peeled apples.
What kind of apple works best??
I make these a lot in the fall. The elderly people in our church love them for Sunday school breakfast treat. I have gotten so good at it, I can make a 9×13 pan full before the oven preheats to 350! With the help of my apple peeler- corer!
That looks delicious and I intend to make it before too long. We LOVE apple pie but I hate the mess of making it. This has all the ingredients of Mom’s apple pie with the addition of the sprite. I just know it will be delicious! I like Honey Crisp or Fuji apples. I can’t think of a better way to use a crescent roll either.
I’m from Australia we don’t have dough rolls so what is our equivalent cheers
Hi Chad – there really isn’t an ideal equivalent for crescent rolls in my opinion, but you could maybe try small sweet dinner rolls.
I use the ready made pie crust & cut in triangle shape like crescent rolls. The crescent rolls become too doughy; just saying.
Beverly,
Great suggestion on the ready made Pie crust for those who perfer less dough. Both doughs sounds yummy! Husband picked up ingredients today will be making them tomorrow:-)
Carla
Pie dough won’t render the same results, though. Hope it turns out!
Beverly, that is called a Empanada! your making some thing totally different! I’ve been making both for years. Empanadas and goowy!!!
Can you use apple pie filling in place of fresh apples.
Hi Cindy – see my reply to Carla, please. Thanks!
I was thinking this might be good with puff pastry (found in freezer section of your grocery store.
Try premade pie crust. Roll it out then cut in triangles.
I’m diabetic (Victoza not insulin) and I use Stevia in most desserts rather than sugar. It’s from a plant and not a human-made concoction of chemicals.
You could also Diet Sprite, you Zero Sprite. Thagt’s what I intend to do.
I used sparkling water that was peach flavored. Worked really well and it didn’t add sugar, fat, calories or any of the extras!
Could this be doubled or even tripled for large family dinner and still turn out well?
Please read my recipe notes, thanks!
I did read that in your notes right after I asked this.
Can I ask what the Sprite soda does for the recipe? I’m not a baker, so I really don’t know.
Creates a light crispy crust. You need the carbonation, otherwise it doesn’t work.
I didn’t use soda cause I don’t drink it or let my kids drink it. I used sparkling water with peach essence which had the required carbonation. They came out great.
Good morning Amy. I am not a fruit pie fan, but hubby loves them. This looks so easy since you don’t have to worry about making pie crust….love that already. I saw the post about using other fruit, but wondered what type apples you use…..I am at a loss when I shop for apples since there are so many different ones available.
Hi Muriel – I prefer Honey Crisp or Pink Lady because I just love those, but honestly, any apple works in this recipe. Choose your favorite!
I peel my apples I don’t like the skins because they don’t cook soft
Muriel the Granny Smith apple is an excellent cooking apple and has a great taste as well!
You did everything else the same except you used pie crust dough cut in triangles ?
These look awesome but being diabetic could you use diet soda, as well as cut back a bit on the butter and sugars without ruining the taste of the dish? Tall order I know, but I’d really like to make it.
Hi Debbie – I couldn’t say with any certainty, since I’ve only made this as written. Try it and see!
Yes u can. Also a drop of vanilla works and adjust your cinnamon
You can use sparkling water cause it’s just needs the carbonation for the recipe. Then it doesn’t add any of the stuff you are trying to avoid.
I used Sprite zero for this recipe and it turned out yummy!!!!!!
could you use peaches, or would it be too juicey?
Hi Julia – you could definitely use peaches. Pears work, too!
These are more like a dessert.Ive been them before.Using Yam patties.Cut ij halves.
These look crazy awesome and so easy too! Can’t wait to give them a try!