Description

These old-fashioned apple dumplings are whole apples wrapped in pastry, filled with butter and spiced sugar, and baked in a sweet apple cider sauce until golden and tender—a cozy, nostalgic dessert perfect for holidays or family dinners.

Ingredients

6 medium baking apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)

Pie dough for a 9-inch double-crust pie (homemade or store-bought)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

1 cup unfiltered apple juice or apple cider

3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/4 cup unsalted butter

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 13×9-inch baking dish.
Peel and core apples. Keep in lemon water to prevent browning while preparing the dough.
Roll dough into a 21×14-inch rectangle and cut into six 7×7-inch squares (or divide store-bought dough into six pieces).
Mix granulated sugar with apple pie spice.
Place an apple in the center of each dough square. Fill hollow with a butter piece and 1 tablespoon spiced sugar. Bring dough corners up and pinch to seal.
Arrange dumplings in prepared baking dish.
For the sauce: combine apple juice, brown sugar, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking until sugar dissolves.
Pour hot sauce evenly over apples. Sprinkle any leftover spiced sugar on top.
Bake 50–55 minutes, until pastry is golden and apples are tender.
Cool slightly before serving warm with sauce spooned over top.

Notes

Add chopped nuts or raisins inside apples for extra flavor.

Brush pastry with egg wash for extra shine.

Substitute puff pastry for a flakier crust.

For a richer sauce, replace part of cider with heavy cream.

Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or caramel drizzle.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 dumpling
Calories: 380
Sugar: 42g
Sodium: 170mg
Fat: 14g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Unsaturated Fat: 4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 63g
Fiber: 5g
Protein: 3g
Cholesterol: 30mg