Flaky crescent rolls, juicy Granny Smith apples and a buttery brown sugar sauce come together for the easiest apple dumplings you’ll ever make. Baked in apple juice instead of soda, these cozy little bundles have all the caramel-apple flavor of the classic, no pie crust required.
A Shortcut Spin on a Classic Fall Dessert
I’m all for the labor of love that is old-fashioned apple dumplings, tender fruit wrapped in buttery dough and baked until golden with a sweet sauce bubbling underneath. Count me in! But here’s the best part: You don’t need homemade pie crust to get there.
Enter, crescent roll apple dumplings. All the cozy flavors of the classic dessert, but with one big shortcut: refrigerated crescent rolls.
My love for crescent rolls started with my great-grandmother Momoo, who first introduced me to the Pillsbury classic in her famous veggie bars. All these years later, I’ve swapped the savory topping for tangy Granny Smith apples, a brown sugar sauce and plenty of cinnamon. The result? One of my favorite quick and easy apple recipes that’s part old-fashioned apple dumpling, part modern shortcut and completely irresistible.
Serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream, and you’ve got a crowd-pleasing fall dessert that’s as easy as popping open a can of dough.
You’ve probably seen versions of this recipe made with soda (usually Mountain Dew or Sprite), but I like to use apple juice instead. It gives you the same caramelized, syrupy sauce, but with a more natural sweetness and a richer apple flavor that pairs perfectly with the cinnamon and brown sugar.
When it comes to the best apples for making apple dumplings, I reach for Granny Smiths every time. Their tart flavor balances the sweetness of the sauce, and they hold their shape beautifully as they bake. Honeycrisp, Fuji, Pink Lady, Gala or Golden Delicious are all great options, too, but I’d avoid softer apples like McIntosh, which can turn mushy in the oven.
The setup couldn’t be simpler, and the results couldn’t be more spectacular. Doughy, fruit-filled dumplings bake to perfection in a simple homemade caramel sauce. What’s not to love?
- Make the caramel sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar, cinnamon and apple juice. Cook, stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Prep the apples. Peel and core your apples, then slice each one into 8 wedges. (Pro tip: If your apples are extra-large, you can cut them into 10 or 12 smaller wedges to ensure the dough wraps neatly around each piece.)
- Wrap with dough. Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate it into triangles. Place one apple wedge at the wide end of each triangle, then roll it up, tucking in the edges to seal. Arrange the wrapped apples seam-side down in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish.
- Pour the warm caramel sauce evenly over the dumplings. I like to go the extra (0.023 of a) mile and sprinkle sanding sugar on top for a little crunch.
- Bake until golden brown. Pop the baking dish in the oven and bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the sauce is bubbly around the edges. Remove from the oven and let the apple dumplings cool for about 10 minutes before serving (the sauce will thicken slightly as it cools).
A Note From the Test Kitchen
Don’t be tempted to hold back on the sauce! It might look like a lot of liquid, but that buttery brown sugar mixture thickens in the oven and caramelizes around the dumplings as they bake. The result? Golden, flaky pastry with tender fruit that’s anything but soggy, swimming in a spoon-worthy caramel sauce.
Variations
Once you’ve mastered the classic, here are a few fun ways to make these crescent roll apple dumplings your own:
- Swap the fruit: Firm, ripe pears make an amazing stand-in for apples. You can even mix the two for a little flavor contrast.
- Add crunch: Chopped pecans or walnuts add great texture to the sauce and complement the brown sugar and cinnamon perfectly. Sprinkle them over the dumplings before baking, or mix them right into the caramel sauce.
- Switch up the sauce: Use apple cider instead of juice for a deeper flavor.
- Add spice: Ground nutmeg or allspice brings even more fall warmth. You can also use pumpkin pie spice
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating
These apple dumplings are best fresh out of the oven, but you can absolutely make them ahead for easy entertaining.
- To make ahead: Assemble the dumplings up to 6 hours in advance, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. Let them sit at room temperature while the oven preheats, then bake as directed.
- To store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The crescent rolls will soften as they sit, but they’ll still taste delicious once warmed.
- To reheat: For the best texture, reheat leftovers in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, uncovered, until warmed through and slightly crisp on top. You can also pop individual portions in the microwave for 20–30 seconds if you’re in a hurry.
A note on freezing: I’ve tested freezing these, and while they reheat just fine flavor-wise, the texture takes a hit; the pastry softens instead of staying crisp. For the best results, bake and enjoy them fresh, or refrigerate and reheat as directed above.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 (8-oz.) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
- 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
- Sanding sugar, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the butter, apple juice, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Set the mixture aside.
- Tear apart the crescent rolls and arrange the triangular-shaped pieces of dough on your work surface.
- Cut each of the apples into 8 wedges. Place an apple wedge on the widest side of the triangle then roll the apple up with the dough. Arrange the dumplings in the greased pan then pour the apple juice mixture on top of and around the dumplings. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
- Bake the dumplings for 25 to 30 minutes or until the dough is cooked through and they are golden brown. Remove the dumplings from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 to 10 minutes in the pan before serving.
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Easy Crescent Roll Apple Dumplings | Fall Dessert Idea 🍎 #applerecipes #falldesserts #crescentrolls
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Kelly’s Notes
- These apple dumplings are great served straight from the pan, but for added indulgence, top them off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream.
- To make ahead: Assemble the dumplings up to 6 hours in advance, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. Let them sit at room temperature while the oven preheats, then bake as directed.
- To store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The crescent rolls will soften as they sit, but they’ll still taste delicious once warmed.
- To reheat: For the best texture, reheat leftovers in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, uncovered, until warmed through and slightly crisp on top. You can also pop individual portions in the microwave for 20–30 seconds if you’re in a hurry.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
my family loved these country apple dumplings. i used apple cider because that’s what i had on hand and i sprinkled the top with a cinnamon sugar mixture. the top got just slightly crisp and had so much flavor from the cinnamon sugar, the apples were tender, and the bottom was soft. served warm with cinnamon ice cream and spooned sauce from the bottom of the pan on top. yum!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Maria!
These crescent roll dumplings were so easy and so good! My family declared them “the best apple dessert ever!”
So glad you enjoyed them, Robin!
How do u cut the apple into wedges; do u just cut an apple into 8 slices?
Yes! I’d recommend peeling and then slicing the apple, making sure you remove the core and any seeds.
Easy and delicious. Great warm with ice-cream as well as cold.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Sheila!
These are great! Followed the recipe just as it is written. Pretty easy to make. And…….they are Yummy!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Dennis!
Hi! This is my first time making apple dumplings. I’ve heard about them, so I’m going to give them a try . I’ll let you know how they turn out in about an hour! Well, I tried!?
I hope you enjoy the recipe, Robert!
Added a little bourbon to the sauce and it was amazing!!
Love that addition!
This is my 3rd time and I love them so easy to make
Awesome! I’m thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Sherri!
This was delicious. I made one change out of necessity… I didn’t have enough apple juice so I did half apple juice and half orange juice. Will definitely make again!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kay!
easy and excellent!
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Louisa!
So easy my 8 year old made them, and I supervised. We made 1/2 a recipe in a 9×9. These are so good!
Love reading this, Stephanie!
The family loved these! Simple to make and delicious! Will make again.
I’m thrilled to read this, Angie!
Quick! Easy! Delicious! A big hit!
I used apple cider (in the fridge from a previous recipe).
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Janie!
these were so much fun to make! and soooo good to eat.
my husband ate about 5 of them! haha
but i do have a question: do you leave leftovers out? or put them in the fridge?
These are fantastic! Family loves them.
I’m so happy to read this, Janell!
Love this recipe. So easy! I didn’t have apple juice, I used Sprite.
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Mary!
This has become one of families favorite and with the vanilla ice cream
Woohoo! Love reading this, Angela!
I have made these 3 times now and I modify it just a bit by taking cinnamon and sugar and coat apples before rolling in dough. Everyone loves them . all occasions.
I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Audrey!
easy peasy and delicious
Made it as u said only I used half of the recipe and I had no apple juice so I used a Sprite. Baaaaaabyyy. That’s some good stuff! I got another notch on belt with the kids . They thinks I am Master Chef! Thanks Chica!
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
My neighbor made the apple turn over and it blew me away, I Love it ! Thank you for giving us this recipe.
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it, Shirley!