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Cozy Harvest Apple Dumplings with Easy Caramel Sauce

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These cozy harvest apple dumplings wrap a whole apple in a buttery, flaky pastry, then get baked in a pool of homemade caramel sauce. The apples stay firm enough to hold their shape but yield beautifully to a fork, and the caramel thickens into something magical as it cooks.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (226g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ cup (120ml) ice water
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 6 medium apples (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Braeburn)
  • ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) brown sugar, packed (for caramel)
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter (for caramel)
  • ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (for caramel)
  • 1 large egg (for egg wash)
  • 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
  • Coarse sugar for sprinkling (turbinado or demerara)

Instructions

  1. Make the pastry: In a large bowl or food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add cold butter cubes and pulse or cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces. Drizzle ice water and apple cider vinegar over mixture and mix just until dough comes together. Turn out onto a floured surface, form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 1 hour).
  2. Prepare the apples: Peel each apple. Using a paring knife or apple corer, remove the core from the top, leaving the bottom intact. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stuff this mixture into the cavity of each apple. Top each with about 1 teaspoon of softened butter.
  3. Make the caramel sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter, and heavy cream. Stir constantly until butter melts and sugar dissolves, about 3-4 minutes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Set aside to cool slightly.
  4. Assemble the dumplings: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough into a 20×15-inch rectangle, about ⅛-inch thick. Cut into six 6×6-inch squares. Place an apple in the center of each square. Bring corners of dough up over the apple, pinching seams to seal. Place dumplings in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour caramel sauce around (not over) the dumplings.
  5. Egg wash and bake: In a small bowl, whisk egg with water. Brush tops of each dumpling with egg wash, then sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until pastry is golden brown and caramel is bubbling. If tops brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
  6. Rest and serve: Let dumplings rest in the dish for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, spooning caramel sauce from the dish over each dumpling. A scoop of vanilla ice cream is highly recommended.

Notes

Keep everything cold for flaky pastry. Don’t overwork the dough. Core apples carefully to avoid leakage. Pour caramel around, not over, dumplings to keep pastry crisp. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For dairy-free, use vegan butter and coconut cream. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze unbaked dumplings for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple dumplings, caramel sauce, fall dessert, harvest dessert, baked apples, pastry, comfort food

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