Apple Dumplings From Scratch
These Apple Dumplings are made completely from scratch — tender cream cheese dough wrapped around cinnamon scented apple halves, baked in a rich brown sugar syrup. You’ll need about 1.5 hours of active time, plus 40 minutes for baking and 2 hours to chill the dough. The separate components can be prepped ahead.
What Sets These Apple Dumplings Apart
These are true Apple Dumplings with every component made from scratch. Both the dough and the brown sugar syrup are made without any shortcut ingredients.
Take your time rolling and cutting the dough and then the dumplings come together pretty easily. Wrap apple halves in the dough squares then bake them in a simple brown sugar syrup for built-in sauce. That’s it. The components can be made ahead. See the work ahead tips below for guidance.
This recipe is a bit indulgent with the thick syrupy sauce. The only thing you need to gild the lily is a scoop of homemade ice cream.
I served the dumplings with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. But they’d also be great with Homemade Bourbon Ice Cream, Buttermilk Ice Cream or Brown Sugar Ice Cream.
Ingredients
- Apples – A firm apple with noticeable acidity works well for these dumplings. Granny Smith are easy to find and are dependable. We want a filling with a soft but intact apple half, not apple sauce. So avoid very soft or bland apples like Macintosh.
- Cream cheese dough – This dough is very tender and easy to work with. It rolls beautifully and bakes up nice and crisp.
- Light brown sugar – Brown sugar makes a tasty syrup that’s perfect with Apple Dumplings. You can use half dark brown sugar and half granulated sugar in place of light brown sugar.
- Bourbon or rum – The alcohol is optional, but, remember, alcohol enhances other flavors.
How to make Apple Dumplings
Here’s what the recipe process looks like at each stage. Refer to the recipe card below for measurements and exact instructions.
- Mix together the cinnamon and granulated sugar.
- Combine the brown sugar and water in a small saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add cinnamon and optional bourbon to the syrup. Cover, then set the syrup aside.
- Place the apples halves in a 13″x 9″ pan and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Flip the apples over and sprinkle the other side.
- Put 1/2 teaspoon each of butter and brown sugar in each apple cavity.
- Roll the dough to 24″x 12″ rectangle.
- Trim the edges and cut into eight 6″ squares.
- Place an apple half, cut-side down, onto each square.
- Fold and pleat the dough to encase the apple half.
- Pinch the dough closed.
- Arrange the apples in the baking pan.
- Brush the apples with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Pour the brown sugar syrup around the apples.
- Bake until golden brown and the apples are tender.
Work Ahead Tips
- You can make the dough several days ahead and refrigerate it or freeze it for up to a month.
- The dough can be rolled and cut ahead of time. Wrap the squares with wax or parchment paper between them to prevent sticking. The squares can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for up to a month. Defrost in the wrapper before separating the squares.
- The brown sugar syrup can be prepared and refrigerated 1-2 days or frozen for a month. Rewarm the syrup before pouring around the dumplings.
- It’s best to prepare the apples just before assembling. If you peel the apples too far ahead they will oxidize and brown.
Freezing Leftover Apple Dumplings
If you have left over dumplings and want to freeze for longer storage I recommend separating the syrup and the dumplings. If you freeze them together the pastry will absorb to much moisture and become soggy. Defrost and rewarm the dumplings in the oven. Rewarm the syrup separately. To serve, pour a little syrup on the serving plate and place a warmed dumpling on the syrup.
You might also want to try these Peach Dumplings, also made completely from scratch.
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Apple Dumplings From Scratch
Ingredients
- 2 oz granulated sugar (¼ cup, divided)
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 12 oz light brown sugar (1 ½ cups, see note)
- 4 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 6 oz water (¾ cup)
- 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
- 4 apples (peeled, cored, halved )
- 1 recipe cream cheese dough (made at least 2 hours ahead and chilled)
- 1 large egg (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Combine 2 oz granulated sugar with
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a small bowl. - Set aside
1 ½ oz light brown sugar. Combine 10 ½ oz light brown sugar with 6 oz water in a small sauce pan. Bring the syrup to a full boil. Remove from the heat and add the remaining ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and the optional 1 tablespoon bourbon. Cover the pan to keep the syrup warm while you prepare the apples. The syrup can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. - Line the apple halves in a 13"x 9" baking pan. Use half of the cinnamon sugar to sprinkle both sides of the apples. Reserve the remaining cinnamon sugar for topping the dumplings. Flip the apples cut side up. Put a ½ teaspoon of brown sugar and a ½ teaspoon of butter into each apple cavity.
- Roll 1 recipe cream cheese dough to a 24"x 12" rectangle. Trim the sides of the dough straight and save the scraps. Cut the dough into eight 6" squares. Brush the edges of each dough square with egg wash.
- Set an apple half, cut side down, in the middle of each dough square. Lift one side of the dough over to the top of the apple. Continue lifting and pleating the dough over the apple and have it come together at the top to enclose the apple half to form a dumpling. Pinch the edges to glue them closed. Repeat with the other apples.
- Line the dumplings into the 13"x 9" pan. Brush the tops of the dumplings with egg wash. If you'd like, you can cut "leaves" from the dough scraps and attach two leaves to the top of each dumpling. Sprinkle the dumplings with the reserved cinnamon sugar. Pour the syrup between the dumplings, making sure not to get the syrup on the tops of the dumplings.
- Bake until the dumplings are well browned and the apples are tender, about 40 minutes. To check if the apples are done use a toothpick to poke through the dumpling into the apple. Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Serve each dumping with a drizzle of sauce and some whipped cream or ice cream.
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