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    Home » Amish Recipes

    Amish Apple Dumplings Recipe - Pennsylvania style

    09/03/2021 by Anna 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Dumplings

    What is an Amish apple dumpling?

    An apple dumpling is a baked apple with cinnamon that's enclosed in a flaky crust and topped with delicious homemade caramel syrup.

    Dutch apple dumpling

    Eat your caramel apple dumplings warm, topped with vanilla ice cream, and savor every delicious bite. They are amazing!

    A Fall Apple Treat

    We're getting close to apple season again. And have I ever told you that I LOVE the fall season?

    I get so excited about crisp cool mornings when it's time to pull out a sweater again. And the scents of fall in the air - apples, pumpkins, and spices! It's heavenly!

    And these fresh-baked Amish apple dumplings are another one of those fall recipes that taste simply divine.

    A Traditional Amish Recipe

    There are several specific baked goods that you will typically find whenever you visit an Amish bakery in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

    Among all the yummy-looking pies, whoopie pies, and bread, you will usually spot some Dutch apple dumplings. Especially in the fall while apples are in season.

    But Amish apple dumplings really are not hard to make, and they never taste better than hot out of the oven.

    Busy Harvest Time for the Amish

    Late summer and fall is a very busy time on an Amish farm. The farmer has many crops that need to be harvested before the cold weather sets in. And a bountiful harvest is always considered a great blessing from God.

    The farmer's wife is no less busy. She has many crops that need to be gathered from the garden and fruit that needs to be harvested from the trees.

    We had many fruit trees on our farm, so there were lots of peaches, pears, and apples to be canned.

    My dad and several of my brothers ate applesauce with almost every meal. If something was too hot they doused it with applesauce to cool it off. I agree, it sounds disgusting. I don't know what was wrong with them.? Because who wants all their food to taste like applesauce?

    But we had applesauce on the table with almost every meal. So you can imagine how much of it we had to can, to last for a whole year.

    Canning applesauce was a chore that I did not enjoy. And I had the attitude that if they wanted to eat so much applesauce all the time, they could help to can it too. But of course, canning and preserving food was the women's work. And I was always quite thankful when we were finished with it for the season.

    Best Apples for Apple Dumplings

    There are many different opinions on what kind of apples to use for baking. Personally, I like to use Granny Smith apples for baking, although sometimes I will mix up different kinds of tart apples.

    But Granny Smiths are tart and tangy apples that hold up well when baking. And they are my first choice when making this Amish apple dumplings recipe. The caramel sauce that gets poured over the dumplings is very sweet, so I like to use tart apples to balance the sweetness.

    But if all you have is fuji or gala apples, etc., those will work too.

    Apples and crust

    Authentic Amish Apple Dumpling Recipe (Caramel Apple Dumplings)

    This Pennsylvania Dutch apple dumplings recipe uses whole apples.

    Once I made an apple dumpling dessert with chopped apples layered between the crust in a cake pan, and it was really good.

    But I love making these old-fashioned apple dumplings that are just like my grandma's apple dumplings. They remind me of my home and my childhood. For me, they are comfort food.

    How to Make PA Dutch Apple Dumplings

    To make the dumplings, peel, and core six apples. Put a tiny bit of brown sugar and lots of cinnamon inside the cavity of the apples.

    Roll the crust into an approximate 18" x 12 1/2" rectangle. Cut the dough into 6 equal squares.

    Place a whole apple onto a square and fold the dough up over the apple to cover it completely. Seal the edges at the top. (You can wet the edges with a tiny bit of cold water before pushing them together to give it a better seal.)

    Spread the six dumplings in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour the sauce over the top of the apple dumplings, and bake for fifty minutes to one hour, or until the apples are soft.

    When serving, drizzle the caramel sauce over the top of the apple dumplings and enjoy them warm with vanilla ice cream. So delicious!

    apple dumplings
    apple dumpling and ice cream

    Try More Amish Apple Dessert Recipes...

    Dutch apple pie recipe

    Traditional Amish apple pie recipe

    Amish Apple Fritters Recipe

    Amish Apple Bread Recipe

    apple dumpling and ice cream

    Amish Apple Dumplings Recipe

    Delicious baked apples and cinnamon wrapped in a flaky crust and drizzled with a homemade caramel sauce. Warm apple dumplings with vanilla ice cream are amazing!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 25 mins
    Cook Time 55 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 20 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Amish
    Servings 6 dumplings
    Calories 1003 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 6 crisp, tart apples
    • brown sugar
    • cinnamon

    Flaky Crust:

    • 2 c. all-purpose flour
    • 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 2/3 c. butter or shortening
    • 3/4 - 1 c. milk

    Caramel Sauce:

    • 2 c. brown sugar
    • 2 c. water
    • 1/4 c. butter = 4 Tbs.
    • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

    Instructions
     

    • Peel and core six apples. Put a bit of brown sugar inside the cavity of each whole apple and sprinkle with cinnamon, according to your taste.
      6 crisp, tart apples, brown sugar, cinnamon
    • Preheat oven to 350°.

    To Make the Crust:

    • Mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
      2 c. all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt
    • Cut in the butter, using a pastry blender, until particles are about the size of small peas.
      2/3 c. butter or shortening
    • Add the milk and press together gently, working the dough only enough to hold it together. Do not overmix. If the dough is too dry and doesn't want to hang together, add more milk until it becomes cohesive.
      3/4 - 1 c. milk
    • Sprinkle your clean countertop with flour and roll out the dough as you would for a pie. But you want to roll it out into about a 17 x 12 1/2" rectangle instead of a circle.
    • Cut the rectangle into six equal-sized squares. Place a whole apple onto each square, and gather the dough up over the apple. Moisten the edges with a bit of cold water and fasten them securely at the top of the apple. You will want to try to create a seal. Although some of mine will crack open a bit sometimes when baking, and it's not a big deal.
    • Spread the six dumplings into a greased 9 x 13" baking dish.

    Caramel Sauce:

    • Combine brown sugar, water, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and boil lightly for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the butter, and stir until melted.
      2 c. brown sugar, 2 c. water, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 c. butter = 4 Tbs.
    • Pour the sauce over the top of the dumplings.
    • Bake, uncovered, for 50 - 55 minutes or until apples feel soft when poked.
    • Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

    Notes

    I like to use granny smith apples to make dumplings. Their tartness balances out the sweetness, and they hold up well to baking.
    Amish recipes will tell you to fill the cavity of the apples with brown sugar, but it tends to be very sweet. So I only put a little bit of brown sugar inside the apple.
     
    *Nutrition is approximate

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1apple dumplingCalories: 1003kcalCarbohydrates: 165gProtein: 10gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 4gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 485mgPotassium: 433mgFiber: 7gSugar: 97gVitamin A: 378IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 260mgIron: 5mg
    Keyword Amish apple dumplings recipe, Dutch apple dumplings
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Check out my YouTube channel at My Amish Heritage

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    Hi, I’m Anna. I grew up Amish in the Lancaster County, Pa. area (the heart of Amish country). I currently live in a small rural town in Missouri and am a homeschool mom to 4 great kids. Some of my favorite things to do are spending time in the kitchen, (baking and preparing meals from scratch), gardening, and spending time with my lovely family.

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