Easy Caramel Apple Dumplings
These easy caramel apple dumplings combine fresh apples, crescent roll dough, cinnamon, caramel, and apple cider for a quick and cozy fall dessert.
Equipment
- 8- or 9-inch baking dish
- Apple peeler
- Apple corer
- Small Saucepan
- Pastry brush or spoon
Ingredients
- 1 large Granny Smith apple
- 1 (8-count) can crescent roll dough
- 8 soft caramel candies
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon apple pie spice
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- ½ cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoon caramel sauce
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans, optional
- Vanilla ice cream and additional caramel sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish.
- Peel, core, and cut the apple into 8 wedges.
- Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and apple pie spice.
- Place an apple wedge and caramel candy onto the wide end of each triangle. Roll up and pinch the dough around the filling.
- Place seam-side down in prepared baking dish.
- Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and caramel sauce and cook until smooth.
- Spoon mixture over dumplings.
- Pour apple cider around—not directly over—the dumplings. Sprinkle with pecans if using.
- Bake 30–35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.
- Rest for 5–10 minutes before serving with pan sauce, vanilla ice cream, and additional caramel sauce.
Notes
- Don't worry if a little caramel leaks from the dumplings. It mixes into the sauce and makes it even better.
- Place the dumplings slightly apart so the crescent dough can brown around the edges.
- A dark metal pan may brown the dumplings faster than ceramic or glass, so begin checking early.
- The sauce thickens as it cools.
- These are best served warm rather than piping hot because the caramel inside can be very hot immediately after baking.