Pioneer Woman’s Irresistible Apple Dumplings Recipe

Wild mountain apples create magic in this pioneer woman apple dumplings recipe that feels like a warm hug from grandma’s kitchen.

Sweet memories dance through each golden-brown pastry fold, promising comfort in every delectable bite.

Buttery layers wrap tender fruit with delicate precision, melting into a rich, caramel-like sauce.

Crisp mountain apples nestle inside flaky dough, waiting to surprise you with their intense flavor.

Simple ingredients combine to craft something extraordinary, turning humble produce into an irresistible dessert.

Northern orchards inspire this classic treat that speaks directly to comfort and tradition.

One spoonful transports you to cozy afternoons filled with laughter and sweet nostalgia.

Bake these dumplings and watch everyone’s eyes light up with pure deliciousness.

Why Pioneer Woman Apple Dumplings Are a Classic Favorite

• Uses convenient crescent roll dough, making preparation super simple and beginner-friendly with minimal cooking skills required.
• Perfect for family gatherings, potlucks, or impromptu sweet cravings, delivering warm, gooey apple goodness that everyone will love.
• Takes just 15 minutes of prep time and under an hour total, providing a fast dessert solution for last-minute sweet tooth emergencies.
• Easily enhanced with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, transforming a basic dessert into an elegant treat suitable for casual or special occasions.

Everything You’ll Need for Apple Dumplings

• Apples: Sweet base fruit that creates the core of the dumplings, best with firm varieties like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp.
• Ground Cinnamon: Classic warm spice that enhances apple flavor and adds depth to the dessert.

• Crescent Roll Dough: Convenient pastry that wraps around apples, creating a flaky exterior.

• Butter: Rich ingredient that creates the base of the sweet sauce.
• Sugar: Provides sweetness and helps create caramel-like sauce.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds depth and warmth to the sauce.
• Citrus-Flavored Soda: Creates additional moisture and subtle flavor complexity.

• Vanilla Ice Cream, Whipped Cream: Optional toppings that complement the warm apple dumplings with cool, creamy contrast.

How to Make Flaky, Buttery Apple Dumplings

Step 1: Prepare the Baking Setup

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter to prevent sticking.

Step 2: Transform Apples

Wash and peel apples. Cut out the core and slice each apple into 8 equal wedges.

Step 3: Wrap the Apples

Open the crescent roll package and separate each triangle. Place an apple slice at the wide end of a triangle and carefully roll toward the pointy end, completely covering the apple. Repeat with remaining apple slices and dough triangles.

Step 4: Create the Sweet Sauce

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and stir until it becomes slightly grainy. Mix in vanilla extract until well combined.

Step 5: Assemble for Baking

Arrange wrapped apple rolls in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle the warm butter-sugar mixture evenly across the dumplings. Gently pour soda around the dish edges, avoiding direct contact with the dumplings.

Step 6: Sprinkle and Bake

Dust ground cinnamon over the top of the dumplings. Slide the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until the dumplings turn golden brown and the sauce starts bubbling.

Step 7: Serve and Enjoy

Let the dumplings cool for a few minutes. Scoop onto serving plates, spooning extra sauce from the pan. For an extra treat, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream on the side.

Tips for Juicy Apples and Caramel Sauce

• Select Perfect Apples: Choose firm, tart varieties like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for best texture and balanced sweetness in your dumplings.
• Prevent Dough Tearing: Gently stretch crescent roll triangles to avoid ripping while wrapping apple slices, ensuring a neat and secure cover.
• Customize Sauce Sweetness: Adjust sugar quantity based on apple tartness; taste the sauce before pouring to control overall dessert sweetness.
• Keep Dumplings Crispy: Pour soda around edges instead of directly over dumplings to maintain crescent roll's flaky and crisp exterior during baking.
• Make Ahead Friendly: Assemble dumplings up to 24 hours in advance, refrigerate, and bake just before serving to save time during meal preparation.

How to Reheat Apple Dumplings Without Drying

• Store leftover apple dumplings in an airtight container for up to 3 days, keeping them fresh and preventing moisture loss.
• Reheat individual dumplings for 20-30 seconds until warm, being careful not to overheat and dry out the pastry.
• Warm dumplings at 325F for 10-15 minutes, covering with foil to retain moisture and prevent the crescent roll from becoming too crispy.
• Drizzle reserved sauce over dumplings before reheating to restore their original gooey, delicious texture.

What Goes Well with Apple Dumplings

• Complement the apple dumplings with a steaming mug of spiced apple cider, which echoes the dessert's fruity essence and adds a cozy warmth.
• Top the dumplings with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, creating a delightful temperature contrast and adding a smooth, rich backdrop to the dessert's sweet and buttery flavors.
• Serve alongside a creamy caramel latte, whose deep coffee notes and sweet caramel undertones beautifully balance the apple dumplings' rich, sugary profile.
• Choose a chilled late harvest Riesling with its honeyed sweetness and slight acidity, which elegantly complements the dumplings' buttery, cinnamon-spiced character.

Fun Spins on This Classic Apple Dessert

• Gluten-Free Version: Replace crescent roll dough with gluten-free puff pastry or almond flour-based dough. Use gluten-free soda or apple juice as a substitute for regular soda.
• Vegan Apple Dumplings: Swap butter with coconut oil or vegan margarine. Use plant-based crescent roll dough and replace regular sugar with coconut sugar. Serve with dairy-free vanilla ice cream.
• Low-Sugar Alternative: Reduce sugar quantity and use stevia or monk fruit sweetener. Choose tart apples like Granny Smith to minimize added sugar. Sprinkle with chopped nuts for extra texture and nutrition.
• Spiced Autumn Variation: Add nutmeg and cardamom alongside cinnamon. Mix chopped pecans or walnuts into the filling for a warm, rich flavor profile. Consider using pumpkin pie spice for deeper seasonal complexity.

Pioneer Woman Apple Dumplings Recipe

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4.6 from 36 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

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Description

Sweet comfort meets nostalgic charm in these Pioneer Woman apple dumplings, wrapped in buttery pastry and swimming in a cinnamon-vanilla sauce. Warm memories and homestyle baking come together, promising pure dessert bliss you can savor with every delightful spoonful.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Fruits:

• 2 Granny Smith apples

Dough:

• 2 cans (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent roll dough

Sauce and Seasonings:

• 1 cup (2 sticks or 226 grams) salted butter
• 1 ½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces (237 milliliters) citrus-flavored soda (such as Mountain Dew)
• Ground cinnamon, for sprinkling

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to a moderate temperature of 350F (175C) and generously coat a 9×13-inch baking vessel with butter to prevent adhesion.
2. Carefully remove the protective skin from apples and extract their cores, then segment each fruit into eight uniform wedges.
3. Delicately unroll the crescent pastry, separating each triangular section with precision.
4. Position an apple segment at the broader base of each pastry triangle and meticulously roll towards the pointed terminus, completely enveloping the fruit.
5. Strategically arrange the wrapped fruit parcels within the prepared baking dish.
6. Initiate sauce creation by gently melting butter in a saucepan over medium thermal intensity.
7. Incorporate sugar into the melted butter, stirring until a slightly granulated texture emerges.
8. Infuse the mixture with vanilla extract, blending until harmoniously combined.
9. Cascade the buttery-sweet concoction uniformly across the nestled dumplings.
10. Gently pour the citrus-infused carbonated beverage along the dish’s perimeter, carefully avoiding direct contact with the pastry bundles.
11. Softly dust the surface with a delicate layer of ground cinnamon.
12. Transfer the dish to the preheated oven, allowing the dumplings to transform into a golden-hued delicacy over 40-45 minutes.
13. Once emerged from the oven, permit the dumplings a brief cooling interlude.
14. Serve while warmth persists, lavishly spooning the accompanying caramelized sauce over each individual portion.
15. For ultimate indulgence, accompany with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a billowing cloud of whipped cream.

Notes

• Choose firmer apple varieties like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for best texture and hold their shape during baking.
• Roll crescent dough tightly around apple slices to prevent unwrapping and ensure even cooking.
• Adjust sugar quantity for diabetic-friendly version by using alternative sweeteners like stevia or reducing total sugar content.
• Create gluten-free option by substituting crescent rolls with gluten-free pastry dough or almond flour-based wrapper.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 8
• Calories: 400
• Sugar: 30 g
• Sodium: 800 mg
• Fat: 24 g
• Saturated Fat: 14 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 45 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 2 g
• Cholesterol: 50 mg