Easy Caramel Apple Dumplings: Best Family Dessert!
These easy caramel apple dumplings come together in about 15 minutes of prep and taste like you spent hours in the kitchen. Wrapped in crescent roll dough and baked in a buttery caramel sauce, they’re the perfect last-minute dessert for any gathering.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
- 1 can (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent roll dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce (store-bought)
- 1/2 cup lemon-lime soda (like Sprite or 7-Up)
- Vanilla ice cream (for serving, optional)
- Whipped cream (for serving, optional)
- Extra caramel sauce (for serving, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
- Wash and core the apples. Cut each apple into 8 wedges (16 wedges total).
- Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate into 8 triangles along the perforated lines.
- Place one or two apple wedges at the wide end of each crescent roll triangle. Roll the dough around the apple, starting at the wide end and rolling toward the point. Tuck the point under to seal. Place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg (if using). Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the dumplings.
- Pour the melted butter evenly over the dumplings.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce over the dumplings. Then carefully pour the lemon-lime soda around the edges of the dish (not directly over the dumplings).
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the dumplings are golden brown and the sauce is bubbly and thick. If the tops brown too quickly, tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Serve warm, spooning the sauce over the dumplings. Top with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or extra caramel sauce if desired.
Notes
For best results, use cold crescent roll dough. The lemon-lime soda is essential for the sauce—do not substitute with diet soda. Let the dumplings rest after baking to allow the sauce to thicken. These can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated; add 5-10 minutes to the baking time if starting from cold.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 dumpling with sauc
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 35
- Sodium: 320
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 2
Keywords: caramel apple dumplings, easy dessert, apple dessert, crescent roll dessert, potluck dessert, fall dessert, quick dessert