If you’re craving all the cozy flavors of homemade Apple Pie but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, these Apple Dumplings with Crescent Rolls are the perfect solution! Tender Granny Smith apples are wrapped in buttery crescent roll dough, covered in a sweet cinnamon-butter sauce, and baked until golden and flaky!

Apple Pie

Apple Dumplings with Crescent Rolls & Mountain Dew!

Many years ago someone shared one of these warm Apple Dumplings with Crescent Rolls with me. At first bite I knew I had to have this recipe. I was going to stop at nothing to get it! Here’s the thing… there was life before Pinterest, as hard as it is to imagine. So I had to hang on to the hope that she would follow-through and share the recipe with me.

Thankfully she did, so I did what all good recipe hoarders do and tucked it away in my neatly organized binder for safe keeping. It’s one of my husbands favorite recipes; a recipe that should be written in stone and passed down through generations.

The day came when my binder wasn’t so neatly organized anymore. It was starting to bulge. Somewhere in the process of restoring it’s health I mistakenly got rid of the cherished recipe.

Fast forward to the days of Pinterest and I found my long lost recipe! It’s like the missing piece to a puzzle was found! It is the most delicious seasonal treat that induces my senses into apple picking, corn mazes, hayrides, and pumpkin patches – it is a MUST have!!

I can’t think of anything more delicious than the smell of apples baking in the Fall. The warm ooey gooey apple cinnamon sauce at the bottom of the pan is so, so, soooo good! This recipe will quickly become a family favorite!

Why this Recipe Works

Simple Shortcut Ingredients – Using refrigerated crescent rolls eliminates the need to make homemade dumpling dough, turning a classic dessert into an easy treat.

Flaky, Buttery Pastry – As the crescent rolls bake, they become golden brown and crisp on the outside while staying soft and tender around the apples.

Beginner Friendly Recipe – With just a few ingredients and minimal prep work, even novice bakers can achieve impressive results.

Delicious Served Warm – Pairing the dumplings with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream creates an irresistible contrast of warm and cold textures.

Easy apple dumplings made with crescent roll dough and fresh apples

Ingredients You’ll Need

2 cans (10 oz each) Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Rolls – The shortcut ingredient that creates a flaky, buttery pastry around each apple slice without the work of making pie dough.

2 Granny Smith Apples – Their tart flavor balances the sweetness of the sauce and holds up well during baking.

1 cup Butter – Creates a rich, buttery sauce that keeps the dumplings moist and flavorful.

1 1/2 cups Sugar – Sweetens the sauce and helps create that classic caramelized apple dessert flavor.

1 tsp Cinnamon – Adds warm spice that perfectly compliments the apples.

12 oz Mountain Dew – A surprising ingredient that helps create a sweet, buttery syrup while keeping the crescent rolls tender and delicious as they bake.

Homemade apple dumplings with flaky crescent rolls and cinnamon sugar

How to Make Apple Dumplings with Crescent Rolls

NOTE: You can use peaches in place of the apples to make Peach Dumplings with Crescent Rolls .

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

Peel, core, and cut 2 apples into slices. (You should get 8 slices per apple)

Place an apple slice in each Crescent Roll triangle, starting at the wide end first. Roll to the end, wrapping the narrow tip around the Crescent Roll to keep into place. Place into sprayed pan.

Repeat until all 16 Crescent Roll triangles are filled with apples and placed in the pan.

Combine 2 sticks of butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, over low heat until well mixed.

Pour mixture over entire pan of dumplings, evenly distributing it.

Pour 12 oz Mountain Dew over entire pan of dumplings.

Bake for 40 minutes. They should be golden brown.

Best if served immediately!

Bake Until Deeply Golden – The tops of the dumplings turn a very golden brown from the cinnamon/sugar mixture. This can deceive you into thinking they are done, when they aren’t. It’s easy to take them out too early because the golden tops look overdone. If the look of the golden tops makes you nervous and you take them out too soon, the bottoms will be doughy. So hang in there and bake for the time recommended – it’s worth the wait!

Soda Substitute – You don’t have to use Mountain Dew. You can substitute it with Sprite, Lemon Lime soda, 7up, or any similar soda.

Best Served Warm – These are at their absolute best when served fresh and warm. Once you take them out of the oven, let them cool for just a few minutes while you grab the ice cream then serve. Make sure to scoop up some of the delicious juice at the bottom of the pan and pour it over the ice cream and dumplings.

Top with Ice Cream – My favorite way to enjoy these is with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!