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Cozy Caramel Apple Dumplings with Mountain Dew

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These cozy caramel apple dumplings are a nostalgic, easy dessert made with crescent rolls, fresh apples, and a secret ingredient—Mountain Dew—that creates an incredible buttery caramel sauce. Ready in under an hour, they’re perfect for fall gatherings and guaranteed to disappear fast.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 medium apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each
  • 1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls (such as Pillsbury)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (divided: 1/4 cup for cinnamon sugar, 1/4 cup for sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup Mountain Dew (regular, not diet)
  • Vanilla ice cream (optional, for serving)
  • Caramel sauce (optional, for serving)
  • Chopped pecans or walnuts (optional, for serving)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
  2. Peel and core the apples. Cut each apple into 8 equal wedges, about 1/2-inch thick at the widest part.
  3. Unroll the crescent dough and separate it along the perforated lines into 8 triangles. Lay them flat on your work surface.
  4. Wrap each apple wedge in a crescent triangle: place the apple wedge at the wide end of the triangle, then roll it toward the point, tucking the sides in as you go. Place each wrapped dumpling seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. You should have 16 dumplings total.
  5. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the brown sugar with the cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the dumplings.
  6. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and the vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and bubbly, about 1-2 minutes. Pour this mixture evenly over the dumplings.
  7. Pour the Mountain Dew carefully around the edges of the pan, not directly over the dumplings. The soda should come about halfway up the sides of the dumplings.
  8. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the dumplings are golden brown and the sauce is bubbly and thickened. The apples should be tender when poked with a fork, and the crescent dough should be cooked through.
  9. Let the dumplings rest for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the sauce to set up slightly.
  10. Spoon the sauce from the pan over each dumpling as you serve. Top with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, or chopped nuts if desired.

Notes

Don’t skip greasing the pan—the caramel sauce will stick. For a richer sauce, you can cube cold butter and layer it over the dumplings instead of using melted butter. Check the dumplings at 30 minutes; if the tops are getting too dark, tent the pan loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes. The dumplings are even better the next day as the flavors meld. To freeze unbaked dumplings, assemble in the pan, cover tightly with foil, and freeze for up to 3 months; bake from frozen, adding 10-15 minutes to the baking time.

Nutrition

Keywords: caramel apple dumplings, mountain dew dessert, easy apple dessert, crescent roll apple dumplings, fall dessert, comfort food, quick dessert

Find it online: https://flurpchef.com/cozy-caramel-apple-dumplings-with-mountain-dew-best-easy-dessert/