A surprising ingredient is key to the most flavorful apple dumplings.

Crescent roll dough wraps around a thick slice of sweet-tart apple, which turns juicy and tender when baked.

The roll is buttery, flaky, and light.

Southern Living Apple Dumplings in the pan with two servings out on plates

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The syrup helps form a crackly sugar topping on each dumpling and lends a rich caramel flavor.

Learn how to make apple dumplings.

The sweetness is balanced by cinnamon, which adds warmth and coziness.

Southern Living Apple Dumplings ingredients

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We loved these dumplings topped with whipped cream, but you could serve with ice cream, too!

Ingredients for Apple Dumplings

This ingredient list is fairly simple.

A few high-hitting ingredients do lots of work to make these delicious pockets of tender apple and pastry.

Southern Living Apple Dumplings on a plate to serve topped with whipped cream

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Here’s what you’ll need:

What does the Mountain Dew do for apple dumplings?

Sweet-tart apples like Granny Smiths have a crisp texture, and they don’t fall apart under the heat.

You could use other sweet-tart apples like Honeycrisp, Gala, and Pink Lady.

Southern Living Apple Dumplings laying out crescent roll dough on a work surface

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It’s so good, you better not let a drop go to waste.

To reheat, you scoop out as many dumplings as you want.

Then warm them on 50% power in the microwave until heated through.

Southern Living Apple Dumplings rolling the apple slices up in the crescent roll dough

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Or, place them on a baking dish, and warm them in a 350F oven.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

2large(9 oz.

each)Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored

2(8-oz.)

Southern Living Apple Dumplings rolled up and placed in prepared dish

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cansrefrigerated crescent rolls(such as Pillsbury)

3/4 cup (6oz.

)unsalted butter

1tsp.ground cinnamon

1/4tsp.kosher salt

3/4cup, plus 2 Tbsp.

packedlight brown sugar, divided

3 Tbsp.

Southern Living Apple Dumplings making the sauce for the dumplings

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Coat a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

Prepare apples and crescent roll dough:

Cut each apple evenly into 8 slices.

Unroll crescent roll dough, separating triangles and placing them side-by-side on a clean work surface.

Southern Living Apple Dumplings boiling the syrup mixture

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Repeat process with remaining apple slices and crescent roll dough.

Filling baking dish:

Arrange wrapped apple slices in prepared baking dish.

Add brandy:

Remove from heat, and whisk in brandy.

Southern Living Apple Dumplings adding the brandy to the sauce

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Add sauce to baking dish:

Pour butter mixture evenly over crescent rolls in prepared baking dish.

Add Mountain Dew:

Pour citrus-flavored soft drink around crescent rolls in prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle tops of crescent rolls evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar.

Southern Living Apple Dumplings pouring the sauce over the dumplings before baking

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Top warm dumplings with whipped cream; serve immediately.

Southern Living Apple Dumplings adding the citrus soda and brown sugar topping

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Southern Living Apple Dumplings in the baking dish after baking

Credit:Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Southern Living Apple Dumplings one serving taken out of pan and topped with whipped cream

Credit:Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster