These Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings will bring back memories of your Grandma’s house! Whole apples are wrapped in pastry and baked with plenty of spices and a delicious syrup for a recipe full of nostalgia. We love these in our house and Granny loved them better than anyone.
Ingredients:
- 6 medium baking apples, such as honeycrisp or granny smith
- Pie dough for a 9-inch double-crust pie (homemade or store bought)
- For the filling:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 equal pieces
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- For the sauce:
- 1 cup unfiltered apple juice or apple cider
- ¾ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
How to make it:
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- 2. Peel and core each apple. To prevent browning while you roll out the pie dough, you can place the prepared apples in a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice.
- 3. If using homemade pie dough, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 21 x 14 inches. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces, about 7 x 7 inches each.
- 4. If using store-bought pie dough, unroll the dough and divide it into 6 equal pieces.
- 5. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and apple pie spice.
- 6. Place a cored apple into the center of each dough piece. In the center of each apple, place one of the butter pieces and a scant tablespoon of the spiced sugar mixture. Bring the corners of the dough up over the apple and use your fingers to pinch the edges together to seal the dough around the apple. Place in the greased baking dish. Repeat for all of the remaining apples and dough pieces.
- 7. Place the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently. Once the sauce comes to a rolling boil and the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat and carefully pour it evenly over the apples. Sprinkle any remaining spiced sugar on top of the apples.
- 8. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until golden and a paring knife can be easily inserted into the apples. Let cool slightly. Serve warm with some of the sauce.
- Note:
- I actually recommend reheating the dumplings in a warm oven. Place the dumplings in a baking dish (or leave them in the original baking dish) and cover loosely with foil, then warm them in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes.