Description
Deliciously soft apple dumplings wrapped in buttery crescent roll dough, baked with a sweet vanilla-sugar sauce and a fizzy Mountain Dew soda glaze, finished with a hint of cinnamon. A perfect cozy dessert served warm, ideal with ice cream on the side.
Ingredients
Scale
Apples
- 2 Granny Smith apples
Dough
- 2 (8-oz.) cans crescent rolls
Sauce & Topping
- 1 cup butter, plus more for greasing
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 (12-oz.) can Mountain Dew soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish to prevent sticking and add richness.
- Prepare Apples: Peel and core the Granny Smith apples. Cut each apple in half vertically, then slice each half into 4 wedges, resulting in 16 apple wedges total.
- Wrap Apples in Dough: On a lightly floured surface, quickly unroll the crescent roll dough and separate the perforated dough into 16 triangles. Place one apple wedge on the wide base of each triangle and roll the dough tightly around the apple, wrapping so it overlaps completely. Arrange the wrapped apples seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
- Make the Sauce: Melt 1 cup of butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the sugar and gently stir just enough to combine, keeping the mixture somewhat lumpy and grainy. Stir in the vanilla extract carefully, again barely mixing to maintain texture. Pour this buttery sugar sauce evenly over the dough-wrapped apples in the baking dish.
- Add Soda and Cinnamon: Pour the Mountain Dew soda evenly around the edges of the baking dish (avoiding pouring directly on the dumplings to keep the dough from getting soggy). Sprinkle the entire dish with cinnamon for a warm, fragrant finishing touch.
- Bake the Dumplings: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the dumplings are golden brown, bubbly, and crispy on top. The soda will caramelize and create a delightful syrup at the bottom of the dish.
- Serve: Let the apple dumplings cool slightly. Serve warm, optionally with vanilla ice cream, and spoon some of the luscious syrup from the pan over the top for extra sweetness and moisture.
Notes
- For best results, work quickly when handling the crescent roll dough to keep it cold and easy to roll.
- Using Granny Smith apples provides a tart contrast to the sweet sauce; you can substitute with other baking apples but adjust sugar to taste.
- If Mountain Dew is unavailable, a similar lemon-lime soda can be used, though it may alter the flavor profile slightly.
- The sauce may bubble aggressively while baking due to the soda; place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any overflow.
- Serve the dumplings warm to enjoy the full contrast of flaky dough, tender apple, and syrupy sauce.
