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Ultra close-up macro food photography of piping hot homemade crescent roll apple dumplings in bubbling cinnamon caramel sauce with melting vanilla bean ice cream

Easy Crescent Roll Apple Dumplings (with Warm Cinnamon Caramel Sauce)

These viral crescent roll apple dumplings feature crisp Granny Smith apple wedges wrapped in flaky crescent pastry, baked in a rich cinnamon-brown sugar butter sauce with a splash of citrus soda that turns into thick, bubbling caramel. Served warm with melting vanilla bean ice cream.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Apple Desserts, Comfort Food, Desserts & Sweets, Fall Baking
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Method Nutrition

Ingredients
  

Apple Dumplings & Dough
  • 2 cans crescent roll dough
  • 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 16 wedges
Spiced Caramel Butter Sauce & Soda Secret
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 12 oz lemon-lime soda (Mountain Dew or Sprite)
For Serving
  • vanilla bean ice cream
  • ground cinnamon for dusting

Method
 

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
  1. Prep the Apples & Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Peel and core the Granny Smith apples, then slice each apple into 8 even wedges (16 wedges total).
  2. Wrap Dumplings in Crescent Dough: Unroll both cans of crescent dough and separate along the perforations into 16 triangles. Place one apple wedge on the wide edge of each triangle and roll up snugly toward the pointed tip. Place seam-side down in the baking dish in two rows.
  3. Whisk the Spiced Butter Sauce: In a medium bowl or saucepan, melt the 2 sticks of butter. Whisk in brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract until thick, glossy, and fully incorporated.
  4. Coat Dumplings with Sauce: Pour the warm spiced cinnamon butter sauce evenly over the tops of all the crescent roll dumplings, letting it soak into the pastry crevices and pool in the dish.
  5. Pour Soda Around Edges: Gently pour the 12 oz can of lemon-lime soda around the perimeter and between the dumplings (do not pour directly over the top crusts so they bake up crisp and flaky!).
  6. Bake Until Golden & Caramelized: Bake at 350°F (175°C) uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crescent pastry turns puffed, flaky, and deeply golden-brown, and the pan sauce is bubbling into a thick amber caramel. Let rest 10 minutes to thicken.
  7. Serve Warm: Spoon warm dumplings into dessert bowls, ladle extra caramelized pan sauce over top, and crown with a generous scoop of cold vanilla bean ice cream!

Nutrition

Serving: 2gCalories: 430kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 3gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 320mgPotassium: 140mgFiber: 2gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 750IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1.2mg

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