Apple Dumplings

I’m pretty sure the brains of people who consider themselves foodies are hard-wired to remember every first taste. Mine does. As long as I was old enough at the time to be able to register the memory, I can remember the first time I ate almost anything. This includes apple dumplings – not the kind that are cooked in a pot with drop dumplings floating alongside, but the kind that involve a whole apple individually wrapped in pastry dough with butter, sugar, and spices, then baked. My first one came along one year at the Michigan Renaissance Festival, which takes place every August and September, and is known for its giant turkey drumsticks, soup in a bread bowl, and apple dumplings.

Although I haven’t been to “Ren Fest” in a number of years, I grew up going every summer with my family. We’d watch the comedy acts and jousting, eat soup in a bread bowl, and shop the hundreds of booths. My mom and I had a tradition of picking out a new headwreath of dried flowers and streaming ribbons to wear, and taking it home to hang on the wall until its bright colors faded. It didn’t occur to me at the time that there were Renaissance Festivals all over the country throughout the year – it was just something I grew up with. I was pretty amused when season five of Gilmore Girls came along, with its Renaissance Faire sub-plot. Huzzah!

But I digress. I’m supposed to be writing about apple dumplings here, not Renaissance festivals  (although I’ve noted that there’s one in Maryland – I think we’ll have to check it out next year).

Apple dumplings are just another fantastic way to take advantage of apple season. You can never have too many of those, right? They’re also incredibly easy – perfect for a weekend project (fun for kids to help with) or even a weeknight when dinner is in the crock pot and you have a little extra time to put something in the oven.

Apple Dumplings

For the dumplings:
1 batch of this pastry dough (note: this can be made ahead and kept refrigerated until you’re ready to use it) or one package store-bought pie dough
8 sweet baking apples, like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady (check out this article for more on the best apples to use for baking)
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into eight pieces
1 large egg, beaten

For the sauce:
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with oil, or coat it with butter.

Start with the sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt one stick of butter. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally as you assemble the dumplings.


Peel and core the apples.


In a small bowl, stir together the 2/3 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon


Roll out the pie crust into the size you would need for a pie, and cut each circle into quarters, so you have eight square-ish pieces. Each square should be big enough to wrap around an apple; it not, roll them out a bit more. *Note: I was using a toy-size rolling pin here, in case you’re wondering.


Pour a little of the sauce into the baking dish, just enough to cover the bottom.

To assemble the dumplings:

Place an apple in the center of a square of pastry dough. Fill the empty core cavity with the sugar and cinnamon mixture, leaving a little room at the top for the butter. Top with a square of butter. (This is the part kids like to do.)



Lift the pastry dough around the apple, pleating as you go, until the apple is completely enclosed by the pastry dough. 


Place in the baking dish and brush with beaten egg.


When you’ve assembled all the dumplings and placed them in the baking dish, cover with foil and bake 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake a few minutes more, until apples are cooked through and pastry is golden brown. Test for doneness with a knife; if the blade slips in and out easily, they’re done.

Note: the dumplings may collapse, like they did in my photo. Don’t be bummed out by this – they will be just as delicious!

Serve with vanilla ice cream and more cinnamon sauce, of course! 

Makes 8 dumplings.


Here’s the printable recipe. Enjoy!

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