Old Fashioned Apple Dumplings

This is my grandmother’s old-fashioned apple dumpling recipe! It’s so special and unique, and you’ll need only a few ingredients to produce a mouthwatering combination of apples, spices, and pastry crust. And while you don’t have to limit yourself to making this during fall only, it’s a marvelous dessert to have at the height of apple season. These dessert dumplings are guaranteed to be a hit!

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, dessert is my weakness. I mean just look at my DESSERT POSTS. So good, right? If I could make a new dessert every day, I probably would. But if I had to repeat a dessert, this would be one of my top choices. It’s like having your own chunky little apple pie but with a whole apple instead of smaller bits mixed in with syrupy filling. Don’t get me wrong! Pie filling has its place. But sometimes you want more apple than spiced gel. You want a dessert where fruit is the star and not on the side. These apple dumplings are worth the time they take to put together. But don’t worry. Prep time is only about 20 minutes, so this really is a quick old fashioned apple dumplings recipe. Then you get to enjoy that wonderful fragrance as the apples bake into soft, sweet delights.

Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• No fancy or difficult ingredients here. Pre-made, store-bought pie crust is about as fancy as it gets.
• It’s really easy to make! The prep time is mainly unwrapping pie crusts and coring apples, which is so, so simple. These are easy old fashioned apple dumplings for beginners, too, if you’re learning to cook.
• The proportions of ingredients are well-balanced. These aren’t overly sweet or overly syrupy, nor are they too unsweet.
• These are so comforting to have on cold nights. You and your family will form some happy memories when you all sit around the table, eating these wonderful dumplings.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 Refrigerated pie crusts

4 Granny smith apples cored

6 Tbsp. Butter unsalted

½ C. Brown sugar

1 tsp. Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Nutmeg

2 C. Water

1 ½ C. Granulated sugar

1 ½ tsp. Vanilla extract

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Refrigerated pie crusts: You can totally use store-bought, refrigerated crusts instead. If you have frozen crusts, let them thaw in the refrigerator before trying to roll them out. And if you really want to use a homemade crust, go for it!

Granny Smith apples: Granny Smiths are tart and firm, and they hold their shape very well in baking. Their flavor will counter the sweetness of the sugar. If you want to use apples with less of a bite, add some Golden Delicious apples. These apples may seem softer when you eat them out of hand, but they hold up very well in baking.

Unsalted butter: Salted butters vary in the amount of salt they have, and if you use one from a brand that uses a lot of salt, the flavor of the dumplings could seem overly salty. Using unsalted butter gives you a lot more control over the final baked flavor.

Vanilla extract: The vanilla extract gives the dumpling sauce a warm, soothing flavor. If you don’t have vanilla extract, you could use vanilla paste (same amount as the extract) or try almond extract.

How to Make It

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2. Roll the pie crusts out flat and cut each one in half. Don’t quarter them.

Step 3. Place a cored apple in the center of each piece of pie crust. To core apples, use an apple corer tool. You can also slice the apples in half, cut out the core, and then place two halves back together on the crust.

Step 4. Stuff each apple with 1 tbsp butter, set the remaining 2 tbsp of butter aside. It helps to cut the butter into smaller cubes first.

Step 5. Fill the center of each apple with some brown sugar, and sprinkle the rest of it evenly around the base of each of the four apples on the pie crust.

Step 6. Sprinkle the cinnamon and nutmeg over the apples.

Step 7. Fold the edges of the pie crust up and around the apple, pinching the edges closed as you go. Be gentle to avoid cracks in the crust.

Step 8. Place the covered apples in a well-greased 9×9 baking dish. Don’t use a cookie sheet. You need taller sides to contain the sauce, which you’ll pour in, in a moment.

Step 9. On the stove, bring the water, granulated sugar, vanilla, and remaining butter to a boil. Boil for five minutes, stirring often. Watch it carefully to prevent burning or letting it boil dry.

Step 10. Pour the sauce mixture over the apples in the baking dish.

Step 11. Bake for 50 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

Tips for Success

As mentioned, cube the butter so that you can fit it neatly into the hollow core of each apple.

You don’t have to peel the apples, but you can if you want. The overall texture of the final dish will change a little, but if you don’t like baked apple peels, you don’t need to have them in there.

Ensure the pie crusts have warmed up enough to be pliable. That usually takes only five to 15 minutes or so. Test the crust and see if you can make a small dent when you press your finger down on the dough.

Storage & Reheating

I won’t kid you. This healthy old fashioned apple dumplings version is best fresh out of the oven. But sometimes you can’t finish yours. In that case, place the dumplings in an airtight container (or, if the baking dish has cooled down, leave them in there and cover the dish with foil). Use up the apple dumplings within one to two days.

To reheat them, put them in an oven-safe dish and reheat them at around 350F for 10 minutes or so, until they’re warm throughout.

Serving Suggestions

This family friendly old fashioned apple dumplings recipe is a great dessert for meals with fall flavor. Try this Turkey Shepherd’s Pie and Roasted Green Beans and Potatoes for dinner! For these homemade old fashioned apple dumplings ideas can include any sort of comfort meal, really.

Notes

This is the best old fashioned apple dumplings recipe you’ll ever taste! It’s one of my family’s favorites and will become one of yours, too. The combination of tender pie crust, brown sugar, and warm apples is so crave-worthy! You’ll want to make this simple old fashioned apple dumplings meal again and again throughout the year.

Now, remember to save this recipe on Pinterest for later 🙂