Of course! Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman)’s Apple Dumpling recipe is legendary for a reason. It’s incredibly simple, uses just a few ingredients, and the result is a gooey, buttery, cinnamon-sweet dessert that tastes like pure comfort.
This recipe is famous for using Mt. Dew or another citrus soda, which creates a delicious syrup and keeps the apples tender.
Here is the classic recipe.
Pioneer Woman’s Apple Dumplings
This recipe makes 8 generous dumplings.
Ingredients:
For the Dumplings:
· 2 whole Granny Smith Apples (or other firm, tart apples)
· 2 cans (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent roll dough (8 count each)
· 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
· 1½ cups granulated sugar
· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1 can (12 oz) Mt. Dew, Sierra Mist, or Sprite
Optional Add-ins:
· ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
· Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions:
- Preheat and Prepare:
· Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
· Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish generously.
- Prepare the Apples:
· Peel and core the apples. Slice each apple into 8 wedges (you’ll have 16 wedges total).
- Wrap the Apples:
· Unroll the cans of crescent dough and separate the triangles.
· Place one apple wedge on the wide end of a dough triangle.
· Roll the dough up around the apple, starting at the wide end and rolling to the point. Pinch the seams to seal the dough around the apple. Place the wrapped apple dumpling in the prepared baking dish.
· Repeat with the remaining apple wedges and dough.
- Make the Sauce:
· In a medium saucepan, melt the 2 sticks of butter over medium heat.
· Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. It may look separated at first, that’s okay.
· Do not boil. Just heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is combined.
- Assemble and Bake:
· Pour the entire butter-sugar sauce evenly over the top of the dumplings in the baking dish.
· Slowly pour the can of Mt. Dew (or other citrus soda) around the edges and down the center of the pan. Do not pour it directly over the dumplings, as it can wash the sauce off.
· If using, sprinkle the chopped nuts over the top.
· Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, until the dumplings are golden brown, puffed up, and the sauce is deep golden and bubbling.
- Serve:
· Remove from the oven. The sauce will be very thin and syrupy but will thicken slightly as it cools.
· Let it sit for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. This allows the molten-hot sugar sauce to cool to a safe temperature and thicken.
· Serve warm, preferably with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a generous spoonful of the syrup from the pan.
Why This Recipe Works (The Magic!):
· The Soda: The citrus soda (Mt. Dew) does three things:
- The carbonation helps the dough rise and become fluffy.
- The citrus flavor cuts through the incredible sweetness, balancing the dessert.
- It combines with the melted butter and sugar to create an amazing, addictive syrup.
· The Butter: Two sticks seems like a lot, but it’s what creates the rich, decadent, caramel-like sauce.
· The Crescent Dough: It’s the ultimate shortcut, becoming flaky and buttery as it bakes in the syrup.
Pro Tips from The Pioneer Woman Herself:
· Apple Choice: Firm, tart apples like Granny Smith are essential. They hold their shape during baking and provide a tangy contrast to the sweet sauce.
· Seal the Seams: Make sure to pinch the crescent dough seams tightly so the syrup doesn’t leak inside the dumpling during baking.
· Don’t Skip the Resting Time: Letting the dumplings rest after baking is non-negotiable. The sauce is like molten lava straight out of the oven.
· Serving: This is best served the day it’s made. The dough can get soggy if left sitting in the syrup for too long.
· Reheating: If you have leftovers, reheat them in the oven (not the microwave) to help crisp up the dough again.
Enjoy this iconic, decadent, and surprisingly easy dessert! It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.