Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings Recipe
Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings are a comforting classic dessert featuring tender apples wrapped in flaky pie dough, baked in a sweet apple cider sauce. This recipe uses baking apples filled with butter and a spiced sugar mixture, baked to golden perfection, and served warm with a luscious sauce made of apple juice, brown sugar, and butter.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Apples and Dough
- 6 medium-sized baking apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)
- Enough pie dough for a 9-inch double crust pie (homemade or store-bought)
Filling
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided into 6 pieces
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
Sauce
- 1 cup natural apple juice or cider
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Dish: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish thoroughly and set aside to use later.
- Peel and Core Apples: Peel each apple and remove the core. To prevent browning while you work on the dough, submerge the peeled apples in cold water mixed with a little lemon juice.
- Prepare Dough Squares: Roll out homemade pie dough into a 21×14 inch rectangle and cut into six 7×7 inch squares. If using store-bought dough, unroll and cut into six equal squares.
- Mix Filling Sugar and Spice: In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and apple pie spice until evenly mixed.
- Assemble Dumplings: Place one apple on each dough square. Fill the hollow core of each apple with one piece of butter and one tablespoon of the sugar-spice mix. Wrap the dough carefully around the apples, pinch and seal the edges to enclose the apple completely. Place the wrapped apples in the greased baking dish.
- Make Sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine apple juice or cider, brown sugar, and butter. Heat until the mixture boils and the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Pour Sauce and Add Topping: Pour the hot sauce evenly over the dough-wrapped apples in the baking dish. Sprinkle any leftover sugar-spice mixture over the top of the dumplings.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the dumplings are golden brown and the apples are soft to the touch.
- Serve: Allow the dumplings to cool slightly in the dish, then serve warm, drizzled with the apple sauce from the pan.
Notes
- Use firm baking apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for the best texture and flavor.
- Keeping the peeled apples in lemon water prevents browning while assembling.
- You can prepare the pie dough from scratch or use a high-quality store-bought dough for convenience.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for an indulgent treat.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator and reheat gently before serving.
Keywords: apple dumplings, baked apple dessert, old-fashioned apple recipe, pie dough apples, apple cider sauce
