This is truly a decadent autumn dessert that stands alone!
Fresh tart apples are smothered in buttery brown sugar, wrapped in flaky puff pastry, baked until golden and then topped with a delicious salty caramel sauce.
Sounds amazing right?!
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Why you will love this salted caramel apple dumplings recipe
Don’t get me wrong, apple pie is great and all, but given the choice, I personally would choose these salted caramel apple dumplings every time. It might be the puff pastry that does it. I know that the puff pastry makes my recipe stand out from any other apple dumplings recipe and I think you will like how it turns out!
I was surprised at how easy and quickly I whipped these dumplings up.
Most other recipes use bread dough or a pie crust pastry to wrap their apples, but my recipe is a caramel apple dumplings recipe with puff pastry and turns out super flaky and delicious.
Sweet dumplings are pastries of fruit wrapped up in some sort of bread or crust that is baked and then served warm. For apple dumplings, the apples are first cored and peeled and wrapped while they are mostly intact and whole. For this recipe, we are going to be sweeting up the apples with a brown sugar mixture and topping the baked dumplings with a delicious salted caramel sauce.
Tips
Most recipes for caramel apple dumplings have you peel and core the apples, but also leaves them whole. I prefer the apple to be intact, but for it to be sliced up so that it cooks better and so that it is easier to eat. Using an apple peeler-corer-slicer tool with do just that. It peels, cores and spiral slices the apples so that they stay together, but are sliced up and ready to cook.
I also advise to use apples that are on the smaller side.
Ingredients
Although you can find apples at your local grocery store throughout the year, they are just a seasonal fruit, and they definitely taste better in the Fall when they are at their freshest.
When it comes to baking with apples, I always recommend using a good crisp and tart apple. My apple of choice for baking is a Granny Smith apple. If you have another apple you prefer to use, that is fine also, just make sure it’s not too big since we will be wrapping it up in puff pastry and baking it through.
Puff pastry is another main ingredient for salted caramel apple dumplings. While other recipes call for using either pie dough or bread dough, this recipe takes it to another level by using puff pastry. You can find puff pastry in the frozen section of your grocery store. There are a few different choices.
There is:
- Phyllo dough: phyllo dough is usually used for Greek spanakopita or baklava recipes. There are many layers that come in one package and each one has to be individually unwrapped one at a time and used right away before it dries out. We are NOT going to use phyllo dough for this recipe since it will take too much prep and won’t be conducive.
- Puff pastry: this kind of puff pastry comes in large sheets that are already layered with many layers. It’s basically phyllo dough that is already put together so we won’t have to do all of the leg work.
Make sure to purchase puff pastry that comes in large sheets. I found a 13.2 oz package of puff pastry in the refrigerated section of my grocery store by the cans of pizza dough and biscuits. All you have to do is open the package and unroll it and it’s ready to use. EASY PEASY!
These are the ingredients for salted caramel apple dumplings:
- 1 package puff pastry (13.2 oz)
- Baking apples (like Granny Smith)
- Brown sugar
- Butter
- Cinnamon
- Table salt and flaky sea salt
- Egg
- Store-bought caramel sauce for ice cream
How to make salted caramel apple dumplings
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Open the package of ready to use puff pastry and unroll it.
Cut the puff pastry into 4 equal squares or rectangles. It’s ok if they are rectangles, you will be pulling the dough up and around the apples and sealing it.
Core and peel the apples. I personally like to use an apple peeler-corer-slicer tool that peels and cores the apple and cuts it into a spiral. I think that the apples bakes better this way instead of it being completely intact.
Most recipes leave the apple completely together, just cored and peeled. I like it to be spiral sliced, but it’s up to you how you want it.
Place one apple in the center of each puff pastry square. Take the room temperature butter and cut it together with the brown sugar, cinnamon and table salt until it becomes a crumbly mixture.
Take a small spoonful of the brown sugar mixture and pack it inside of the apples. Sprinkle some on the tops of the apples also.
Crack the egg into a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon of water and lightly beat it. Take some of the egg wash and moisten the edge of the puff pastry with it.
Pull the puff pastry up and around the apple and make sure that the edges are sealed together. The apple needs to be fully covered and sealed in order for it to cook properly. You don’t want the juices running out while it is baking.
Place the prepared apple dumplings in a 9”x13” baking pan lined with parchment paper. With a pastry brush, take some of the egg wash and brush it on the tops and sides of the dumplings. Take a generous pinch of flaky sea salt and sprinkle it on top of the dumplings.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until deeply golden brown. Pull them out of the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes before serving.
At this point, you can make your own caramel sauce if you have a good recipe you like. I like to make it easy on myself and buy caramel sauce at the store. You will want to get caramel sauce for using on ice cream.
Drizzle the sauce over the warm caramel apple dumplings and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
When you cut into these warm apple dumplings, all the juicy cinnamon goodness will run out onto your plate. The puff pastry is crispy and flaky, and the gooey apple filling is a delicious hot mess. Enjoy!
Variations
You can vary this caramel apple dumpling recipe by making into churros apple dumplings.
After you seal the apples and brown sugar into the puff pastry, brush the egg wash on and then generously sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. It’s actually quite amazing!
Substitutions
You can substitute the puff pastry for pie dough crust. It will not turn out the same, but it will still stick to the essence of the recipe.
I recommend using the puff pastry though for the perfect flakiness!
Serving Suggestions
Serve warm with plenty of caramel sauce drizzled over the top. This goes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a hot cup of coffee.
Another delicious way to make this recipe even better, is to serve it with cinnamon sugared pecans. This recipe for stovetop candied pecans is delicious and ready in about 5 minutes.
Equipment
- 9”X13” baking pan
- Parchment paper
FAQ’s
What are apple dumplings made of?
The main components of apple dumplings are:
- Baking apples
- Sugar and butter
- Pastry wrap (either pie crust, puff pastry, crescent rolls or biscuit dough)
Can you reheat apple dumplings?
Apple dumplings can be reheated, although it is recommended to reheat them in the oven or in an air fryer in order to keep the texture of the dumpling fresh.
📖 Recipe
Salted Caramel Apple Dumplings
Equipment
- 9”X13” baking pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 package 13.2 oz puff pastry*
- 4 Granny Smith apples
- 2 tablespoon salted butter room temperature
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon flaky sea salt for the top
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 jar caramel topping for ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Unroll the puff pastry and cut it into 4 equal rectangles or squares.
- Core and peel the apples. I prefer to use an apple peeler-corer-slicer and to cut the apples into spirals. This way they are still intact, but also sliced up so that it bakes better.
- With a pastry cutter or spoon, cut the room temperature butter, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon together until crumbly.
- Place one prepared apple on each pastry square.
- Spoon the brown sugar mixture into and onto the apples until it is used up. Pack it into the center.
- Lightly beat the egg and water together and brush the edges of the pastry with the egg wash.
- Pull the pastry around the apples and seal it together, making sure it is all enclosed.
- Place the prepared apple dumplings onto a 9”x13” pan lined with parchment paper.
- Brush the tops and sides of the apple dumplings with more egg wash and take a generous pinch of sea salt and sprinkle it over the tops of the apple dumplings.
- Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until deeply golden brown.
- Remove it from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Top each dumpling with several tablespoons of caramel sauce and serve each one with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
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