Description
Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings are a classic American dessert featuring tender apples wrapped in flaky pie crust, filled with a warm cinnamon-spiced sugar mixture, baked to golden perfection and soaked in a sweet vanilla syrup. This nostalgic treat offers a perfect balance of tart and sweet flavors, ideal for cozy gatherings or family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling and Dough
- 2 large apples, peeled and cored
- 1 refrigerated pie crust or homemade pie dough, rolled out
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Syrup
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F to ensure it reaches the correct temperature for baking the dumplings evenly.
- Prepare Apples: Cut each peeled and cored apple in half, creating four halves total. This size fits nicely within each dough square.
- Cut Dough: Roll out the pie dough and divide into four equal squares that are large enough to fully wrap each apple half.
- Fill Apples: Place one apple half in the center of each dough square. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; spoon this mixture into the hollow center of each apple half. Add a small piece of butter on top of each filling to enrich the flavor.
- Wrap Dumplings: Bring the corners of each dough square up and around the apple halves, pinching them tightly to seal all edges and encase the apples completely.
- Arrange in Baking Dish: Grease a baking dish lightly and set the wrapped apples inside, spacing evenly.
- Make Syrup: In a saucepan, combine water, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Bring to a gentle boil while stirring until the sugar fully dissolves.
- Pour Syrup & Bake: Pour the prepared syrup evenly over the dumplings in the baking dish. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Serve: Spoon some of the baking syrup over the dumplings before serving to add extra moisture and sweetness. These dumplings are delightful warm, especially with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- Granny Smith apples work especially well because their tart flavor balances the sweet syrup perfectly.
- Serve these dumplings warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a classic finish.
