Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings
These homemade apple dumplings are easier than you’d think – Granny Smith apples are peeled and cored, stuffed with butter and cinnamon-sugar, wrapped in a pastry crust, and covered in a buttery brown sugar sauce. Baked until golden, they absolutely melt in your mouth!
Apple dumplings are classic comfort food that dates back to the 1700s; when a recipe has been around that long, you know that it’s something extra special.
These perfectly portioned individual desserts consist of a peeled apple that has been cored and stuffed with butter, cinnamon, and sugar, and then wrapped in a pastry crust and drizzled with a buttery brown sugar sauce and baked until golden brown.
In a word, these are phenomenal and so much less fuss than you might think. Serve the apple dumplings with a drizzle of extra sauce (try subbing in apple cider or rum for the water in the sauce for extra oomph!) and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you’ll have friends for life!
How to make them from scratch
In order to make these, all you need to do is gather up some good Granny Smith apples (or the tart apple of your choice), mix together an easy one-bowl pastry crust and a boiled sauce.
The apples are peeled and cored and their center is stuffed with a bit of butter and a cinnamon-sugar mixture. Each apple is wrapped up in pastry crust, which can be as perfect or rustic as you like.
The pastry-covered apples are drenched with a boiled butter and brown sugar sauce.
They are baked for nearly an hour until the apples are soft and tender, and the pastry crust is golden brown.
Apple tips
The Best Apples to Use
The types of apples most preferred for baking need to be firm enough to hold their shape during the baking process and not turn to mush. While Granny Smith is a natural first choice, all of these other apples are fantastic (and delicious!) substitutes:
- Honeycrisp
- Jonagold
- Golden Delicious
- Pink Lady
- Braeburn
- Cortland
Whole Apples vs Slices
All traditional apple dumpling recipes use a whole apple wrapped in a pastry crust, however. you could also slice the apples, divide them up and wrap up bundled slices in the pastry crust.
And while I’ve never done it, you could try baking this up crisp-style – toss sliced apples with the butter and cinnamon/sugar and place in a baking dish, pour the syrup over top, then lay the pastry crust over the top of the whole mixture and bake.
Tools for the Job
Using the right tools makes peeling and coring much easier! Here are the ones I recommend:
- I use my favorite swivel peeler to peel apples!
- And this is the apple corer I use.
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
Pastry crust alternatives
While I think the pastry crust recipe included below is an absolutely phenomenal pairing with the apples, you can use other options, if you’d like:
- All Butter Pie Crust
- Flaky Vodka Pie Crust
- Store-bought pie crust
- Crescent roll dough
- Frozen puff pastry for a super short cut!
Prepping ahead of time
There are a few different ways that you can prep the apple dumplings ahead of when you plan to bake them:
- Prep the Dough – You can make the dough and keep it wrapped in plastic wrap, refrigerated, for up to 3 days in advance.
- Assembled Dumplings – You can stuff the apples, wrap them in the pastry dough, and place them in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Take out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
- Freeze Assembled Dumplings – Follow directions above but place in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours until completely frozen. Keep in an airtight container or bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then proceed with the recipe.
Serving suggestions
These can be served as-is (oh my gosh is that sauce phenomenal!!), but consider these for something extra-special:
Storing and reheating
Leftover apple dumplings can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To capture that just-baked flavor and texture, reheat in a foil-covered pan at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
You can also microwave the leftover dumplings, but the crust will be soft.
More amazing apple recipes
- Apple Fritter Doughnuts
- Salted Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Easy Apple Crisp
- Jewish Apple Cake
- Apple Hand Pies
- Apple Turnovers (From Scratch)
- Homemade Apple Butter
Watch the Apple Dumplings Recipe Video Below:
If you make this apple dumplings recipe and love it, I would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you so much! ❤️️
Apple Dumplings
Ingredients
For the Pastry:
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (184 g) vegetable shortening, chilled
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) ice water
For the Apples:
- 8 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
- 8 teaspoons (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 8 teaspoons (3 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
For the Sauce:
- 1½ cups (298 g) light brown sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, cubed
Instructions
- Make the Pastry Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Gradually add the ice water, tossing the mixture with a fork, until the dough forms a cohesive mass. If the dough needs more water to come together, add it 1 teaspoon at a time. Divide the dough into eight equal portions, wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
- Assemble the Apples: Roll each portion of dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 7-inch square. Place an apple in the center of each square. Place 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture in the center of each apple.
- Gently bring up the corners of the pastry to the center of each apple; pinch the edges to seal. Place the pastry-encased apples in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Make the Sauce: In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water and butter over medium-high heat until it just begins to boil, stirring occasionally. Pour the sauce evenly over the apples.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the apples are tender and the pastry is golden brown, basting occasionally with the sauce. These are best served warm immediately after baking.
Notes
- Pastry Crust Alternatives: All-Butter pie crust / Flaky vodka pie crust / Crescent roll dough / Store-bought pie crust / Frozen puff pastry
- Best Alternative Apple Varieties: Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Cortland
- Apple Tools: Peeler / Corer
- Sauce Suggestions: To amp up the flavor, replace the water in the sauce with apple cider or rum!
- Prep Ahead: The dough can be made and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Assembled apple dumplings can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking.
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze unbaked, assembled apple dumplings for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, remove 30 minutes before baking, and proceed with recipe.
- Serving Suggestions: Vanilla ice cream / Butter pecan ice cream / Homemade whipped cream
- Storage: Leftover apple dumplings can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating Instructions: Reheat the dumplings in a foil-covered pan at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. You can also microwave the leftover dumplings, but the crust will be soft.
- Recipe adapted from Taste of Home
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
[Photography by Ari of Well Seasoned]
I am so thrilled that you have the old style Apple dumpling dessert. I am thrilled to be making this fir my family. Your having the sauce that goes with it is a very nice plus. Thank you😋😋
I made just like it said but really soft and almost undone looking..too soupy
My friend and I made these together!!! I misread the hint and put apple cider in the dough instead of icy water. It used a lot more cider than water🤣🤣 but it still turned out REALLY good!! Then I only had enough cider to do 1/2 cup in the sauce. these are really yummy, easy recipe to follow. Thank you so much !!
I did not make these dumplings my daughter did and gave us each one. this is the BEST apple dumpling I have eaten in 73 years . My husband is saying the best in 85 years. Wonderful. Thank you for sharing with us.
Made recipe exactly as written and the dumplings turned out amazing! This recipe is a keeper!
Made these over the weekend and WOW – they were heavenly! I’d never made apple dumplings but grew up eating the ones my mother made. I never actually thought I was a big fan because it always seemed that the apple itself was somewhat bland. But not these! I can’t describe how good these were. I followed the recipe exactly as written and they turned out great (I used cortland apples). Will definitely be making this recipe again! Thanks for sharing!
I have been making these apple dumplings since 2013. They are THE BEST I’ve ever had and everyone I make them for just loves them! I make sure to keep basting them with the sauce while they cool to get a nice caramel coating. And now my daughter helps me make them and it makes for an even better time <3
Made this recipe today. I was shocked at how easily and quickly it came together. This is a beautiful no-fuss recipe. using rum instead of water makes a sauce especially delicious. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Dealing with cherries and berries at the moment,
Just back from beautiful Door County, WI. Will try these in September when it cools off in the Midwest. Thanks
I have not made BAKED dumplings but fill the apples the same ingredients and wrap them in the dough, BUT them I place them in a large clean cloth and tie it up like a hobo bag and submerse them in boiling water till apples are soft…about an hour……..then when ready to eat I put cinnamon, sugar and cream while hot over them……delicious…my kids love them…I do not know if this is my german grand mother’s style….boiled apple dumplings !!!!
Made this quick a few times. Very yummy with homemade ice cream. Like this better than an apple pie.
Nice recipe. Highlights the apples without a lot of butter or too much sugar. Im sure these would be wonderful just on their pretty little own with no sauce too. 😊
looks delicious .i am eager to try it .
I had to increase the water in the sauce to 1 1/2 cups as it turned hard and was too thick to get out of the pan otherwise; was great !
Scrumptious!! Great recipe, which was very easy to follow, much to my relief! My husband loved them (neither of us have had apple dumplings before)!
I will definitely be making them again!
The first time I made this I followed the recipe and it was delicious!! Loved it!
Today I was short on time so I used a good quality puff pastry from Whole Foods. And it was still a great recipe, even though I cheated with the puff pastry. It was an all-butter puff pastry but I don’t remember the brand, from Whole Foods.
These are the best apple dumplings I have ever had!
Can you substitute butter for the shortening in the dough? I don’t use shortening.
Hi Natalie, You can substitute butter, the crust will just be flakier and a little less tender.
just made these they are really very good the only thing I changed was in the sauce I added a little apple pie spice. They are a keeper.
Made these and they were delicious! Can I make these ahead of time and freeze for future ???
Hi Janis, I’m so happy you enjoyed them! I’m not sure how well they would freeze (I’ve never tried it), but I *think* they would do okay!
I’ve been looking for a recipe for apple dumplings like my mother made for years, and I think this might be it! I can’t wait to try it. I’ll come back and let you know how they fare against hers. 😉
If I used a Cortland apple in my apple dumplings and after they are out of the oven & cooled down, is it possible to be able to put them back in as this type of apple did not back in 30 min like my recipe advised.
Hi Carole, I think you could continue to bake longer if your apples are not soft enough.
I have made these before with our local tart prairie apples and then froze the whole thing and passed them out in my Christmas baskets with baking and sauce instructions. All I can say is there was many happy family members
I have made these before and I am making them right now but I always have trouble wrapping the dough around the apple so It looks nice and doesn’t fall apart! HELP!
Hi ! I’m FRENCH but I don’t speak english very well. Just to say you I tried. It was a success . Thank you.
I just made this for Thanksgiving. I used a different pie dough recipe as well as a mix of Braeburns and Golden Delicious. I prepared the apples and wrapped them in dough the night before our feast and it held up pretty well in the fridge. The apple started releasing very little juice from the core however but it’s only in the bottom and you can’t tell unless you physically lift one up. One commenter regretted putting all the sauce during baking so I put it in the oven first for 20 min. then I spooned a little of the sauce on top of each one. After the apples were done and ready to be served, I spooned more of the sauce on top. They were delicious! It’s like having your own apple pie. The bottom part where it was touching the liquid wasn’t
…bad also. It wasn’t crispy but it’s submerged in delicious syrup. Sounds good to me.
One of my disappointments in the fall is that all the apple recipes come out, but they all use granny smith apples, which you can get year round, instead of the Macintosh, Macoun, Courtland, etc., that we only get fresh in the fall. I get that granny smith is a good baking apple, but generally too tart for me, and I actually don’t like with the apples are still crisp when you eat them (but I don’t want applesauce either). I wonder why cooks don’t make more things with fresh fall apples. Anyway, I made this with Macoun apples, and they were great. I had difficulty with the dough, it wouldn’t come together for me following the directions, so I added more water and shaped into balls, but when I tried to roll them out, they just fell apart. I ended up remixing it all together and adding more water for it to stick.
I also think there is way more prep time than 30 minutes – you aren’t including the chill time for the dough, but rolling out 8 separate neat 7″ squares to fold over the apples would take most people at least 30 minutes, and that doesn’t count all the other prep – peeling an coring apples, the sauce, etc. This took me about an hour to prep, (not including my mess up with the dough), and then it took the full 55 minutes to bake. I only got 7 apples from the dough, but that could be my fault with the difficulties I had.
made this for my hubby this weekend (with gluten free flour) and it was still delicious! We loved it! GREAT recipe!
I just made them for evening for my family and what can I say, they were gone in a minute and everyone was asking me to make them again :)
The apples are amazing and so delicious!!!!! I will make them definitely again!
Thank you so much for the recipe
I would like to make these tomorrow (Wed) to have for Thanksgiving. Any ideas on still having them taste good. Should I not bake them until Thursday maybe? Or warm them up?
Hi Shannon, They are definitely best the day they are made, but they are still good the next day reheated.