Homemade Apple Dumplings

Homemade Apple Dumplings are made by peeling and coring apples, then filling them with a cinnamon sugar mixture. They are wrapped in a buttery, flaky pie crust and spooned with a warm syrup mixture of butter, sugar, and water.  They are perfectly cooked, and you are in heaven!  

Apple Dumplings

Apple dumplings evoke all the warm feelings of fall. Whenever I make these, it never ceases to amaze me how many memories come flooding in. I always think of my dear friend, an exceptional baker and cook who shared this recipe with me many years ago.   

Homemade sometimes means a time-consuming recipe.  These are well worth it, down to making the homemade crust.  

On the plus side, the apple dumplings also freeze well for later baking.  

This saves time when baking for holidays, when there is so much to do, getting ready for guests or family coming.

The crust is my go-to pie crust recipe, which I use all the time for both savory and sweet pies. 

It is easy to work with and creates a fabulous, warm, dumpling-like texture that captures all the wonderful apple cinnamon sugar juices at the bottom of the pan.  

I am really particular about the type of apples I use in the dumplings.

Some apple varieties don't cook through enough, while others cook too much and turn to mush.  

I only use Granny Smith apples, and be sure to select all of them the same medium size.   They cook evenly and are easier to arrange in the pan.  

Before you peel and core the apple, it's best to make the pie crust dough first.  

After making the pie crust, divide the dough into 12 equal balls.  

Roll them out into a circle and place wax paper between them.

When ready to make the dumpling, take one of the dough circles and place a peeled and cored apple in the center.  

Pour a mixture of cinnamon sugar in the center. While holding the apple in place, pull the sides of the dough around the apple.  

Place them in a large dish.  

As the warm syrup is being made, preheat the oven.  I cannot stress this enough.

Preheating the oven will keep the dough from breaking down while the dumplings are baking.

The syrup doesn't have to be boiling, just heat it until the butter melts.  Do not boil it.

When the syrup is warm, close to hot, ladle it over each apple. Then go back and repeat the process until all the syrup is gone.

Now it is time to bake them.  When the dumplings come out of the oven, they are baked perfectly.

If you have some ice cream handy, it is a great addition, but they are heavenly without any.

These warm apple dumplings make an appearance at all our family gatherings.

I hope you get to make some real soon.  

Enjoy!

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE?  TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE APPLE DUMPLINGS

Below, under the next heading, I provide a list of preferred ingredients, tips, and cooking instructions for Homemade Apple Dumplings, as well as similar recipe ideas you can try.

Alternatively, you can scroll down to the bottom, where you will find a full printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and complete instructions, including helpful notes.

TIPS AND TIDBITS FOR THE BEST HOMEMADE APPLE DUMPLINGS

Apples.  The best apples for dumplings are firm, crisp baking apples that hold their shape and have a good balance of sweet and tart flavor.  Recommended varieties are Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Braeburn. 

Use medium-sized apples.  Choose the same size apples.  Apples that are too large may not thoroughly cook.  Medium-sized apples are preferred.

Pie crust.  I prefer homemade pie crust, but a store-bought refrigerated pie crust is an option for a quicker alternative.

Sugar.  Brown sugar is perfect for a caramel flavor.  Additionally, a combination of white and brown sugar tastes great.

Seal the dough tightly.  When wrapping the apple, bring the dough to the top and press the seams tightly together.  You can use a little water on the edges to help them stick.

Check for doneness.  Insert a skewer into the fullest part of the apple to check if it is tender.  It should slide in easily.

Freeze for later.  After apples have been wrapped with pie crust dough, place them on a lined sheet pan with foil or wax paper.  Place the sheet pan in the freezer and freeze for 1 hour.   After the apples are frozen, place them in a sealable bag.  They can be frozen up to 6 months.  When ready to bake, remove the dumplings and put them in a baking dish. Follow the syrup directions and bake.  It will take approximately 30 minutes longer to bake from frozen.  I do not recommend thawing them out before baking.

WHAT YOU NEED TO PREPARE HOMEMADE APPLE DUMPLINGS

Pie Dough

5 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups cold shortening
12 tablespoons ice cold water

Apples

Sugar

Cinnamon

Granny Smith apples

Syrup

Sugar

Butter

HOW TO PREPARE HOMEMADE APPLE DUMPLINGS

Pie Dough

Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is uniform; the mixture should be relatively coarse. 

Sprinkle with water, a tablespoon at a time; toss with a fork.

Work the dough into 12 balls with your hands, each approximately 3 oz.

Apples
In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine sugar and cinnamon, and set aside.

One at a time, roll each pastry ball to form an 8-inch circle. Place a peeled and cored apple in the center of the circle.

Pour a portion of the cinnamon sugar mixture into the center of the apple up to the top.

Bring the edges of the pastry to the top of the apple to enclose it, then press to seal. Repeat with the remaining 11 apples.  At this point, the apple dumplings can be frozen and baked later.  (See directions below)

Space the dumplings evenly in the baking dish.  While preparing the syrup mixture, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Make the syrup mixture and pour it over each dumpling.  (Directions below)

Bake for 1 hour.  Dumplings will be golden brown and bubbly.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Syrup
In a large saucepan, add water, sugar, and butter. Heat only until the butter melts, and then pour the syrup over each dumpling. 

Repeat this process until all the syrup is used up.

WHERE YOU MAY SEE THIS RECIPE

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