These easy to make Apple Dumplings are baked with a homemade crust stuffed with fresh apples and topped with a cinnamon brown sugar syrup.
Have you ever had an apple dumpling? It’s an old-fashioned sort of recipe that we think may have been invented by the Pilgrims! Nowadays, this pastry-wrapped apple dessert is quite popular in Pennsylvania, where it is considered a cultural staple. It’s especially common among the Amish. Here’s the fun part: apple dumplings can be eaten as a dessert, but they can be eaten for breakfast too!
Ingredients needed:
- all purpose flour
- baking powder and salt
- butter flavored shortening
- 2% milk
- Granny Smith apples
- granulated white sugar
- ground cinnamon
- unsalted butter
- water
- brown sugar
How to make Apple Dumplings:
The complete, printable recipe is at the bottom of this post.
PREPARE THE DUMPLINGS:
MAKE THE SYRUP:
Bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes, until the apples are tender and the pastry is golden brown. Serve warm (perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side). Enjoy!
Best Apple Dessert Recipes:
Apple Dumplings
Recipe Details
Ingredients
DUMPLINGS:
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1¾ cups butter flavored shortening
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 12 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
SYRUP:
- 1¼ cups packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
PREPARE THE DUMPLINGS:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the shortening until crumbly. Gradually add the milk, stirring with a fork until the dough forms a ball. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour (or until easy to handle).
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉. Spray two 13x9-inch baking dishes with nonstick spray.
- On a floured-surface, roll each portion of dough into a 7-inch square. Place an apple on each square. Combine the sugar and cinnamon; place tablespoonful into the core of each apple. Dot each with 1 teaspoon of butter.
- Gently bring up the corners of the pastry to the center; pinch the edges to seal. Place in in the prepared baking dishes. Bake for 15 minutes.
MAKE THE SYRUP:
- While the dumplings are baking, combine the syrup ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until smooth and blended. Spoon the syrup over the partially-cooked dumplings.
- Bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes, until the apples are tender and the pastry is golden brown. Serve warm (perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side).
Would the dough freeze well? We wouldn’t eat these all at once and I can’t imagine leftovers would be great or that the finish product would freeze and thaw nicely. Any advice would be appreciated. They look delicious