Crescent Roll Apple Dumplings
These Crescent Roll Apple Dumplings are an easy, cozy dessert made with refrigerated crescent roll dough, tender apple wedges, warm cinnamon sugar, and a buttery caramel-like sauce. Perfect for fall gatherings, weeknight desserts, or holiday tables.
Ingredients
- 2 cans refrigerated crescent roll dough 8-ounce cans, 8-count each; keep chilled until ready to use
- 2 large firm apples peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each (16 wedges total; Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji, or similar)
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, melted (salted butter is fine; reduce or omit added salt)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup apple cider or lemon-lime soda such as Sprite or 7UP; cider for deeper apple flavor, soda for lighter bubbly sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3-4 tablespoons apple butter optional; for extra apple flavor, stirred into butter or brushed on apples
- butter or nonstick spray for greasing a 9×13-inch baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter a 9×13-inch baking dish or coat it with nonstick spray to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Peel the apples, core them, and cut each apple into 8 wedges so you have 16 wedges total. Toss the wedges with the lemon juice in a small bowl to help prevent browning and add brightness.
- In a medium bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg (if using), and fine sea salt. Stir until the mixture is evenly combined and fragrant.
- In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the vanilla extract until smooth. If using apple butter, whisk it into the melted butter mixture as well. Set aside; this will be poured over the dumplings before baking.
- Open the cans of crescent roll dough and gently separate them into individual triangles. Place one apple wedge on the wide end of each triangle. Starting at the wide end, roll the dough snugly around the apple wedge. Place each dumpling seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until all 16 dumplings are rolled and arranged in the pan.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over all of the dumplings in the baking dish. Slowly and evenly pour the melted butter mixture over the top. It will look like a lot of liquid; this will create the rich sauce as it bakes.
- Pour the apple cider or lemon-lime soda into the baking dish around the dumplings, not directly on top of them. The liquid should pool around the rolls; it will bubble, reduce, and thicken into a glossy, buttery apple sauce during baking.
- Place the baking dish on the center oven rack and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the crescent roll dough is deep golden brown on top and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. If the tops are browning too quickly, tent the pan loosely with foil for the last 5–10 minutes of baking.
- Remove the dish from the oven and let the dumplings rest for 10–15 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools. Serve the dumplings warm, spooning extra sauce over each serving. Top with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a drizzle of heavy cream if desired.
Notes
Yield: 16 dumplings, about 8–10 servings if each person has one or two. For lighter dumplings, you can reduce the butter to 1½ sticks, cut the sugar by about 1/4 cup, and use apple cider instead of soda. Firm apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Pink Lady hold their shape best. A glass or ceramic 9×13-inch dish helps prevent over-browning on the bottom. The sauce may look excessive before baking but thickens into a spoonable caramel-like sauce as it cools. Make-ahead: Assemble dumplings in the pan (through rolling and arranging), cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 8 hours. When ready to bake, add the sugar mixture, butter mixture, and cider/soda, then bake as directed. Storage: Keep at room temperature only on the day baked. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container with some sauce for 3–4 days or freeze up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave for 20–30 seconds per dumpling or in a 325°F (160°C) oven, covered loosely with foil, for 10–15 minutes.
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