Easy Cinnamon Roll Apple Dumplings
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Ok…I am having a sweet revelation about these Cinnamon Roll Apple Dumplings! This easy and comforting dessert recipe calls for using the cinnamon rolls fresh out of the tube to make fluffy cinnamon rolls wrapped around apple slices, baked in a sweet buttery, vanilla sauce. Perfect for breakfast or an after dinner dessert!
Pillsbury Cinnamon Roll Apple Dumplings Shortcut
For the dumplings, I made this recipe easy by using cinnamon rolls out of the tube. They are already ready to bake, so no waiting on making the dough and all the steps involved. You could also use crescent rolls as well, if you want a flakier dough, you just won’t have the cinnamon and icing, but the sauce will make them divine!
The cinnamon roll dough texture is like what you would have, when you make actual homemade apple dumplings. You can control the thickness of the dough by how much you roll your dough out, when wrapping the apples.
About Granny Smith Apples
I totally love Granny Smith Apples when I’m baking and just snacking on. They taste deliciously sweet, yet tart, crunchy and I think they bake better than all the other apples out there!
Growing up, we had our pick of Granny Smith apples, Bartlett pears, plums, cherries, black and red raspberries, all in our backyard. We ate a ton of apples and we had a ton of apple fights too! LOL! We’ve got lots of history with Granny Smith apples!
I would have never guessed this, but the Granny Smith apple tree is native to Australia. “The Granny Smith apple tree dates back to 1868 to a chance seedling that was discovered by Maria Ann Smith —-> origin of the Granny Smith name. A chance seedling is a term that defines a plant species was discovered by chance.
It is thought that the Granny Smith seed is a descendant of the European Wild Apple tree. Granny Smith’s are always green, crisp and firm and last longer than other varieties of apples. You can find more information here. Awesome apples!!
Apple Dumplings are one of my mom’s favorites, and a family favorite as well! Several times a year, we reminisce about my Mom’s (and my grandma’s) homemade dumplings. They were fabulously old-school served in a bowl with milk poured on top or with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side!
Ingredients You Need
- 8 count tube of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, with icing
- 1 large Granny Smith Apple, peeled and cut into 8 pieces
- butter, melted
- granulated sugar
- vanilla
- Sprite or Mountain Dew
or 
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Apple Dumplings
- Spray an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Cut peeled apple into 8 sections.
- Roll out each cinnamon roll and place apple in middle and wrap.
- Place wrapped apples in baking dish.
- Melt butter and add in sugar, then blend just enough to mix ingredients together, then stir in vanilla.
- Pour butter-sugar sauce over each wrapped dumpling. (Give the butter-sugar mixture a quick stir for easier pouring).
- Pour soda around sides of pan and not directly over the dumplings.
- Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes in preheated 350°F oven.
- Let the dumplings rest a few minutes before digging in and spoon sauce over the top. Sauce will thicken slightly.
Add Icings & Ice Cream Options
- After the Pillsbury cinnamon roll apple dumplings are baked, in a small bowl, take icing from cinnamon rolls and drizzle on top.
- You can also add 1 ounce of softened cream cheese to the icing and mix thoroughly.
- You could also substitute with Cinnabon cinnamon rolls and use that icing instead. ????
- I added in a couple of tablespoons of the apple dumpling sauce to the icing, just for fun.
- Serve with a large scoop of ice cream for a yummy comfort dessert! This is incredible, and I can’t quit thinking about the way they tasted!
Enjoy these buttery, cinnamon roll apple dumplings when you’re craving homemade, with easier options!
Some Other Apple Recipes You’ll Enjoy
- Easy Dutch Crumble Apple Pie Bars
- Apple Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
- Salted Caramel Chip Apple Blondies
- Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake – Keto | Sugar Free Option too!
Check out 10 Super Sweet Christmas Tree Desserts To Pine Over!
'Cinnamon Roll' Apple Dumplings
Ingredients
- 1 8- count tube Cinnamon Rolls with icing
- 1 Granny Smith Apple peeled and cut into 8 pieces
- 1 stick butter melted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 8 ounces of Sprite or Mountain Dew or something similar
Instructions
- Butter 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan.
- Cut peeled apple into 8 sections.
- Roll out each cinnamon roll and place apple in middle and wrap.
- Melt butter and add in sugar, then blend just enough to mix ingredients together, then stir in vanilla.
- Place wrapped apples in baking dish and pour sauce over each wrapped dumpling.
- Pour soda around sides of pan and not directly over the dumplings.
- Bake uncovered for 40 minutes in preheated 350°F oven.
Notes
- After apples are baked, in a small bowl, take icing from cinnamon rolls use as is or add in 1 ounce of softened cream cheese and mix thoroughly.
- I added in a couple of tablespoons of the apple dumpling sauce to the icing just for fun. Drizzle icing over dumplings!
- Serve with a large scoop of ice cream and hold me back! This is incredible, and I can’t quit thinking about the way they tasted!
- You could also get the Cinnabon cinnamon rolls and use that icing instead as well. 🙂
Recipe updated from May 2014
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