These easy and delicious apple dumplings with crescent rolls use clean, wholesome ingredients, so you don’t have to worry about eating more than one. It’s a healthier twist on a classic dish your whole family will love!
$13.07 per recipe/$0.87 per serving
A few years ago, I started making apple dumplings made with crescent rolls as a special breakfast treat for my family (yes, I know most people serve these for dessert!).
The warm, flaky pastry wrapped around tender apples, all coated in a sweet, cinnamon-spiced sauce feels like a hug on a plate!
But as much as I love this recipe, I wanted to find a way to enjoy it with cleaner, more wholesome ingredients.
So, I set out to create a version that keeps all the cozy flavors we love while using better-for-you ingredients. Trust me, this recipe doesn’t sacrifice taste—it’s just as delicious, with a little extra peace of mind!
This recipe works because it has:
- Cleaner ingredient swaps. By using coconut sugar and organic brown sugar, this recipe reduces the reliance on refined white sugar while still delivering sweetness with a slightly caramel-like depth of flavor.
- Minimal prep work. Using pre-packaged crescent rolls cuts down on the time spent in the kitchen so you can get this in the oven and get back to enjoying your family.
- A crowd-pleasing presentation. The golden-brown dumplings nestled in a bubbling sauce look beautiful and indulgent, perfect for impressing guests with minimal effort.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt ¼ cup grass-fed butter and spread half of it around a 9×13 pan. Set the remaining butter aside.
Stir together 1 Tablespoon of coconut sugar, 1 Tablespoon of organic brown sugar (or another Tablespoon of coconut sugar), and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
Wash, peel, and slice 2 large apples into 8 slices each.
Unroll 2 packages of crescent roll dough and place 1 apple slice at the bottom of each triangle.
Roll up the dough around the apple slice and place each crescent in the buttered dish. You may need to shape and form the dough to cover all of the apple. Just do your best!
Brush the rolls with the remaining butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top.
Pour 6 ounces of prebiotic lemon lime soda around the dumplings, trying not to get any soda on top.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crescent rolls are golden brown. Serve warm.
Recipe Costs
This recipe costs $13.07 to make which is $0.87 a serving! Obviously the crescent roll dough is the bulk of the cost here and the price you pay will depend on where you buy the packages from (I got them on sale!) If you want to make your own dough, I would try this recipe.
- Butter – $0.63 (buy this in bulk to save money!)
- Coconut sugar – $0.12
- Organic brown sugar – $0.06
- Cinnamon – $0.06
- Apples – $2.00
- Organic crescent rolls – $9.00-$12.00
- Prebiotic lemon lime soda – $1.20
Serve These With
As mentioned above, we love to eat these apple dumplings for breakfast, so this is what I would serve them with:
- Chili Relleno Breakfast Casserole
- Crustless Quiche
- Breakfast meat (like bacon or sausage)
- Scrambled eggs
- Hashbrowns
FAQs
Absolutely! You can substitute the butter with a plant-based alternative like coconut oil or vegan butter. Just make sure it’s melted for easy brushing and coating.
Peeling the apples ensures a softer texture inside the dumplings, but if you prefer the added fiber or don’t mind the peel, you can leave it on.
These dumplings are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven, but you can assemble them a few hours in advance and refrigerate until ready to bake. Add the soda right before baking.
Pouring the soda around the dumplings keeps the tops from getting soggy while allowing the bottom to develop a caramelized sauce as it bakes.
Apple Dumplings with Crescent Rolls (Clean Ingredients!)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup grass-fed butter, divided
- 1 Tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 Tablespoon organic brown sugar, or another Tablespoon of coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large apples
- 2 packages organic crescent rolls, I used the Immaculate brand
- 6 ounces prebiotic lemon lime soda, like Poppi or Olipop
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt butter and spread half of it around a 9×13 pan. Set the remaining butter aside.
- Stir together coconut sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Wash, peel, and slice apples into 8 slices each.
- Unroll packages of crescent roll dough and place 1 apple slice at the bottom of each triangle.
- Roll up the dough around the apple slice and place each crescent in the buttered dish. You may need to shape and form the dough to cover all of the apple. Just do your best!
- Brush the rolls with the remaining butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top.
- Pour prebiotic lemon lime soda around the dumplings, trying not to get any soda on top.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crescent rolls are golden brown. Serve warm.