Crescent Roll Apple Dumplings are an easy dumpling recipe made with a brown sugar butter sauce and soda! With puffy, crisp tops and a golden syrup at the bottom, this dessert is a must make for fall!
Love apple dumplings? You may also want to try my Maple Caramel Apple Tart and Overnight Apple French Toast Casserole!
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An Extremely Delicious, Incredibly Easy Apple Dumpling Recipe
This Apple Dumpling recipe is not exactly what I would call my norm. It calls for 2 cans of refrigerated crescent roll dough, more butter than I care to mention at this moment, and a can of ginger ale.
That’s right. There’s soda in the apple dumplings.
They’re not exactly what you’d call “from scratch.”
But gosh darn it, if these aren’t the easiest, tastiest apple dumplings I’ve ever had.
This recipe is an adaptation of one that’s been floating around the web and in kitchens everywhere for who knows how long. I haven’t been able to find an original recipe anywhere, but it appears many people have discovered the magic of crescent apple dumplings doused in a can of pop.
You think I’m simplifying don’t you? The crazy thing is, I’m not, and I’ll prove it. Let’s make some easy apple dumplings!
How to Make Apple Dumplings with Crescent Rolls
- Peel, core, and slice 3-4 large apples. I recommend a flavorful variety that holds up when baked, like Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, or Jonathan.
- Unwrap 2 tubes of crescent rolls (you should have 16 total). Layer a few slices of apple on the wide part of each one, then roll them up and layer them in a buttered 9 x 13 inch pan.
- Whip up a quick sauce by melting 1 stick of butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add ¾ cups of brown sugar and continue to cook, stirring the mixture together until the sugar and butter are well combined. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt.
- Pour the mixture evenly over the crescent rolls. Then, open a can of ginger ale and pour it around the sides of the dumplings, avoiding pouring directly over the top.
- Sprinkle everything with cinnamon, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and toasty.
Apple Dumplings with Soda: Variations
While the dumplings bake, the soda melds with the brown sugar sauce forming a sweet, caramely syrup that’s an absolute delight with the crescent wrapped apples.
Most versions of this recipe call for Mountain Dew.
Yes, you heard me right. Mountain Dew is the secret weapon in the easiest ever Apple Dumplings. Unfortunately, we are no longer 18 year olds who regularly pull all-nighters, so we don’t keep Mountain Dew in the house.
What I do always have in the house is Vernor’s ginger ale. It’s the Mr.’s favorite, and since I have an unhealthy obsession with making caramel apple cider floats, we have to like to keep it on hand.
After testing it with both, I prefer the flavor of the ginger ale. That said, feel free to make your apple dumplings with Mountain Dew or 7-Up or Sprite. I would not recommend using a ginger beer, but any kind of ginger soda should work great!
The other changes I made were cutting the butter and sugar almost in half and adding a hefty pinch of salt. I found these were plenty sweet even with the adjustments, and adding salt elevated all the other flavors.
How to Reheat Apple Dumplings
If you can’t quite polish off a pan of these right after they’re baked, there’s still hope! Apple dumplings can be stored at room temperature for a couple days. To reheat, place them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes to restore their nice crisp texture.
What to Serve with Crescent Roll Apple Dumplings
It bears mentioning that these dumplings look a little frightening before they’re baked. Like my Blackberry Peach Cobbler, everything looks far too sloshy when you’re setting it in the oven. The first time I made these, I expected to pull out a bunch of wet, soggy dumplings.
Instead, I got this: Perfectly golden and crunchy tops, soft baked apple centers, and a to-die-for syrup on the bottom.
I don’t want to tell you what to do, but you should definitely serve these crescent apple dumplings with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s the ultimate easy fall dessert.
More Apple Recipes to Make this Fall:
- Fall Sangria
- Chewy Spiced Apple Cake with Bourbon Caramel
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Cinnamon Fried Apples
- Chicken Salad with Apples and Pecans
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Crescent Roll Apple Dumplings
Ingredients
- 3 medium apples (I used Honeycrisp)
- 2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls (8 count each)
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 12 oz ginger ale
- Cinnamon
Instructions
- Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place a few thin slices of apple on the wide part of each crescent, then wrap the crescent around them. Place them in the prepared pan. They’ll be nice and snug in there!
- In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in sugar until sugar and butter are well combined and sugar is nearly dissolved. Turn off heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Pour butter mixture over crescent rolls.
- Pour ginger ale over the sides and down the middle of the pan, avoiding pouring directly over the top of the crescents. Sprinkle cinnamon evenly over all.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees, or until tops are browned and crispy. Serve dumplings with ice cream and a heaping spoonful of that delicious sauce.
Notes
- A can of lemon lime soda would also work if you don’t have ginger ale.
Nutrition
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