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Easy Apple Dumplings

These Easy Apple Dumplings are made with crescent rolls, cinnamon, butter, sugar and lemon lime soda. The flavor is amazing!

An Easy Apple Dessert

In my opinion, any time of year is a good time for apple recipes. Not just fall! There are just so many great ways to use apples and my brain just starts buzzing with all the possibilities. One of the first recipes that always comes to mind are these dumplings.

two apple cinnamon crescent roll dumplings on a brown and white plate

It was the best! Our cousin Jan made this for us, and I just had to find you and get the recipe. I will for sure be making this. A big Thank you to THE COUNTRY COOK!
– Yolanda

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use peaches instead of apples?

Absolutely! Peaches work perfect in this dessert. Check out my recipe for Peach Dumplings!

Do you really only need one apple?

Yep! One good sized green apple is all you need! It will give you 4 servings of two dumplings per serving. You could double the recipe in a larger baking dish to get 8 servings.

I don’t really like the flavor of crescent rolls? Does this taste like crescent rolls?

No. I really don’t think you taste that traditional crescent roll flavor. The crescent rolls take on a whole new flavor when combined with the cinnamon, sugar, butter and lemon lime soda.

Are these super sweet?

They are certainly sweet but I think it’s always hard to tell other people how sweet or salty something is. Things I think aren’t sweet at all may be super sweet to others so I take those descriptions with a grain of salt. I think these are just the right amount of sweetness. However, others who are sensitive to sweetness may find them too sweet. I’ve always been told that the older we get, the less sweet we like our foods. You can always test the recipe out and then adjust to your particular tastes.

Can I use sugar free options?

I always get this question on dessert recipes. I do not bake or cook with sugar substitutes. At least not regularly. So I really can never say for certain. However, if you are accustomed to baking with sugar substitutes then honestly you would know better than me if this would work and how to do it.

Apple Dumplings recipe from The Country Cook, two dumplings topped with ice cream on a brown and white plate

Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)

  • green apple – you want to use a tart apple here (like a Granny Smith) since they hold up better to the baking process and won’t turn to mush like a red apple.
  • crescent rolls – you can use any brand of crescent rolls that you prefer. I promise these will not taste like rolls once it its all baked up together.
  • butter – it needs to be real butter, not margarine (like Country Crock, etc) because margarine is just oil and that won’t set up properly here. I just usually use salted butter to balance out the overall sweetness but you can use unsalted if that is all you have.
  • sugar – I have not tried this with a sugar substitute so I can’t really tell you how that would turn out. If you decide to experiment with a sugar substitute, please let me know how it turns out for you!
  • vanilla extract
  • cinnamon – cinnamon goes so well with apples. I suppose you could skip it but I think you’d be losing a lot of flavor.
  • flour – don’t skip the flour, this is what helps thicken the sauce.
  • lemon lime soda – I have made this with Sprite, 7Up and Mountain Dew. They all work great! I haven’t tried this with diet soda so I can’t tell you how that would turn out but if you give it a try, I would love to know how it goes for you. I am sure it would work fine.
ingredients needed: green apple, crescent rolls, butter, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, flour, lemon lime soda

How To Make Easy Apple Dumplings

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick spray. Peel and core apple. Cut apple into 8 slices.

collage of two photos: spraying baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; apples cut into slices.

Unroll tube of crescent rolls and separate into 8 pieces. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on the inside of the crescent roll. Add one apple slice. Roll it up in a nice little bundle.

collage of two photos: cinnamon being sprinkled on crescent rolls; an apple slice placed on a crescent roll.

Continue with next 7 rolls the same way. Place all 8 dumplings into baking dish. Mix together melted butter with sugar, flour and vanilla extract.

collage of two photos: dumpling bundles put into baking dish; melted butter, sugar, flour all mixed up in a measuring cup.

Pour butter mixture on top of crescent rolls. Now take soda and pour it around the edges of the crescent rolls. Sprinkle with a little more cinnamon if you prefer.

collage of two photos: pouring melted butter mixture over crescent rolls; pouring Mountain Dew into baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes. The dumplings create the most amazing sauce on the bottom. So scoop that up when serving! 

fully baked apple dumplings in a baking dish

You can eat it all by itself or serve warm with ice cream.

scoop of vanilla ice cream on two apple dumplings n

Craving More Recipes?

Easy Apple Dumplings

These Easy Apple Dumplings are made with crescent rolls, cinnamon, butter, sugar and lemon lime soda. The flavor is amazing!
31 Reviews
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 green apple, peeled and cored (Granny Smith or Golden Delicious)
  • 8 ounce tube crescent rolls
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (more, to taste)
  • ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons flour
  • ¾ cup lemon lime soda (Sprite or Mountain Dew)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick spray.
    spraying a glass baking dish with Crisco nonstick cooking spray
  • Cut 1 green apple, peeled and cored into 8 slices.
    apple slices on a wooden cutting board
  • Unroll 8 ounce tube crescent rolls and separate into 8 pieces.
  • On each roll, sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon. Add one apple slice.
    slice of apple on a cinnamon dusted crescent roll
  • Roll it up in a nice little bundle. Continue with the next 7 rolls the same way.
  • Place all 8 dumplings into a single layer in baking dish.
    eight rolled dumplings shown in rows in a glass baking dish
  • In a large measuring cup or bowl, mix together 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 1/2 Tablespoons flour until smooth.
    butter and sugar mixed together in a glass bowl
  • Pour butter mixture on top of crescent rolls in baking dish.
    during sugar butter on top of crescent wrapped dumplings
  • Pour 3/4 cup lemon lime soda around the edges of the dumplings (do not stir.)
    pouring Mountain Dew on top of the crescent roll bundles
  • Sprinkle tops with a bit more cinnamon if you prefer.
  • Bake on the middle rack, in preheated oven, for about 35-40 minutes until golden brown on top.
    NOTE: Oven times can vary. Please go by doneness and not just by time. The tops should be a little crusty from the sugar mixture and firm to the touch and golden brown (please see my picture and video for reference.) Also, please use care when touching hot things and use oven mitts.
    fully baked apple dumplings in baking dish.
  • Serve top with whipped cream or ice cream and enjoy!
    scoop of vanilla ice cream on two apple dumplings n

Video

Youtube video

Notes

Double the recipe in a 9″x 13″ pan for 8 servings (2 dumplings a piece)
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 409kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Fat: 23g | Sodium: 223mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 46g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Originally published: September 2011
Updated photos & republished: May 2026

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