Okay, this recipe goes against everything I stand for. I’m a staunch supporter of homemade pie crusts and am not a huge fan of refrigerated crescent rolls. Cooking with soda is one of those Southern traditions like eating squirrel and pickling okra that I just have a hard time getting behind. And yet…this is easily in my top 3 dessert recipes. Ever. It is up there with pizzookies and that is saying a lot. Maybe it’s the radioactive nature of Mountain Dew or the sheer amount of butter involved, but these are A. MAZ. ING. Food-gasmic. Dumplightful, as my husband once called them. Okay, we might be heading in the wrong direction here…
I first found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman’s cooking blog. From many vehement comments over there, I discovered that this recipe has dark and mysterious origins–some people claim it comes from Allrecipes, others say that it’s from an old Pillsbury cookbook, their grandma, or Recipezaar. I don’t know what the truth is, but I do know that the world is a happier place with magical Mountain Dew-spiked slices of apple wrapped in cheap, canned pastry. So no knocking these until you’ve tried them. Seriously.
Ingredients Needed
- Granny Smith apples
- Crescent rolls
- Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla
- Can of soda – Mountain Dew or Sprite
How to Make Easy Apple Dumplings
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Peel apples and cut into 8ths.
- Open a can of crescent roll dough and carefully separate the dough along the perforations. Place 1/8 of an apple on one segment of dough and then roll/wrap the apple in the dough. Place in the prepared pan and repeat with remaining apples and dough. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter and add sugar and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour butter/sugar mixture over the apples, then pour the can of Mountain Dew or Sprite on top of everything. Sprinkle everything with cinnamon and bake for 40 minutes.
- When the dumplings are done, remove from oven and serve with a ladle of sauce. I usually plan on two dumplings per person, before they go back for seconds. And then breakfast. Then second breakfast. Then a little snack. For true transcendent awesomeness, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Storing and Other Tips
- These apple dumplings are definitely at their peak fresh from the oven, but leftovers can certainly be reheated. Store any cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2-3 days for best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
While I haven’t tried these with other forms of dough, they would likely be ok with other canned biscuit doughs!
Readers have reported great results using peaches! Other fruits you could try would be pears, plums, or nectarines.
This is an old recipe that has been making the rounds for decades. Other versions use orange juice or other soda flavors in place of the Mountain Dew, so feel free to try out other options!
The sugar is what cooks down to form the sauce, which is why it calls for so much. However, readers have reported cutting it down by up to half and still enjoying good results!
Easy (and Amazing!) Apple Dumplings
Ingredients
- 2 medium Granny Smith apples
- 2 cans crescent rolls
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- cinnamon for sprinkling
- 12 ounces Mountain Dew or Sprite (1 can)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Peel apples and cut into 8ths.
- Open a can of crescent roll dough and carefully separate the dough along the perforations. Place 1/8 of an apple on one segment of dough and then roll/wrap the apple in the dough. Place in the prepared pan and repeat with remaining apples and dough. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter and add sugar and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour butter/sugar mixture over the apples, then pour the can of Mountain Dew (or Sprite, although I’ve never actually tried it), on top of everything. Sprinkle the pan with cinnamon and bake for 40 minutes.
- When the dumplings are done, remove from oven and serve with a ladle-ful of sauce. I usually plan on two dumplings per person, before they go back for seconds. And then breakfast. Then second breakfast. Then a little snack. For true transcendent awesomeness, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- These apple dumplings are definitely at their peak fresh from the oven, but leftovers can certainly be reheated. Store any cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2-3 days for best results.
- While I haven’t tried these with other forms of dough, they would likely be good with other canned biscuit doughs!
Questions & Reviews
this is the most wonderful decadent desert you will ever eat. Take it to any dinner it will be THE HIT. Ive always made apple dumplings the old fashion way…….no more. Mountain due is the magic. Will seem way to liquidy, its ok. cook till golden brn bout 50 min. let cool for45 min- 1hr, juice thickens. also its good to baste while cooking. Dont forget the ice cream. its heaven…………
As anyone out there made these?
Sorry, the comments are sorted oldest to newest and I hadnt scrolled down!
making them again tonight because i had some crescent rolls about to expire! oh darn 😉
So good, but VERY sweet…and I am a major sweet freak! I will make again, but cut the sugar down to 1 cup. My daughter helped out and enjoyed these, and said she'll be making them for her roommates in college!
Thanks for the recipe!
holy crap these are delicious! Made them for our family sunday dinner with the in-laws, what a hit! they even horded the leftovers!! i was able to use 3 apples and get 24 dumplings using the BIG crescent rolls that have 6 in a pack! yum!
I made some like this last yr at christmas and I used apple juice and they turned out so good. Thanks for posting all your recipes ( real food).
I made these two times over Christmas and they are a huge hit with my family. They are so easy and they turned out beautiful and delicious. Thanks for making me look so good.
My husband who is not a dessert eater loves these. It is wonderful to finally have a desert that I make that he will eat! Who knew Mountain Dew would be the secret ingredient to make it so YUMMY! Thanks for the amazing blog. I love every recipe that I have tried!
I must say I was apprehensive about trying this, but they are AMAZING! Worked well with sprite. Added a little nutmeg on top as well and they are out of this world, made the recipe three times in a few weeks. Halved the butter though, and you don't even miss it!
Yowza — these were amazing, but incredibly sweet. I'd only use about a 1/2 cup of sugar next time around. They really do go great hot out of the oven with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream.