• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • New Magazine!
  • Bread
  • Cookies
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans

Flaky Apple Dumplings with Salted Maple Caramel

October 27, 2015 by Joy the Baker 20 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Fresh Apple Dumplings with Maple Salted Caramel

There’s no denying it, we’re heading straight for the holidays.  Just about the time I bust out my Fall scarves, I find myself wanting to scent my house with cinnamon and spice.  It’s also when the family starts to chatter about who is in charge of what holiday meal, where the ham is coming from, who is making the rolls, and how many pies and peanut butter balls should be made and gifted.   It’s all very serious business. 

It’s exciting, if only for the fact that my mom will soon bring down the Christmas decorations from the garage, my Aunt Judy will light her familiar festive holiday candles, and the holiday china (even if it’s just paper plates sometimes because we’re totally fancy like that) is always on point.  

Fresh Apple Dumplings with Maple Salted Caramel

I’m prepping for the holiday spirit.  Getting my head in the game, my recipes, and plateware in order.  We’re coming in strong this holiday season! 

This post is created in partnership with HomeGoods where I found most of the lovely plateware and bowl featured in this post, as well as fantastic specialty baking ingredients including this incredible muscovado sugar.  Totally reasonably priced.  Loads of good stuff that rotates weekly.  Opinions and dumplings are my own.  

Fresh Apple Dumplings with Maple Salted Caramel

Let’s make these pretty pretty dumplings!  Should we put on a scarf to get in the Fall spirit?  

Here’s what we need:  

  • chilled puff pastry (the all-butter sort is best and most delicious)
  • cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg
  • muscovado brown sugar (it’s dark and moist and extra molasses-y)
  • tart granny smith apples
  • and all the fixins for homemade caramel:  sugar, maple syrup, cream, butter, and salt 

Fresh Apple Dumplings with Maple Salted Caramel

Apples are peeled, sliced in half vertically, then cored.  I used a spoon to easily remove the apple core.  A bit of lemon will keep the apples from browning while you’re assembling, but really… these apples are going into buttery crust, a little browning won’t hurt.  

Puff pastry is rolled out on a lightly floured surface and cut into circles with a 4-inch round biscuit cutter.  

Fresh Apple Dumplings with Maple Salted Caramel

Now it’s time for assembly!  

One puff pastry round is lightly brushed with egg wash and topped with sliced apples.  Two or three good slices will do.

Fresh Apple Dumplings with Maple Salted Caramel

The apples are topped with rich muscovado sugar, and a good pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg.  All of the comforting apple pie flavors, butter flaky, and individually sized.  

Fresh Apple Dumplings with Maple Salted Caramel

A pat of butter, because always.  

The apple juices, melting butter, sugar and spice will combine to make perfect little pockets.  

Fresh Apple Dumplings with Maple Salted Caramel

Topped, pressed, and sealed with the tines of a fork.  

Small vent holes in each dumpling to let the steam escape. 

The dumplings are brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with turbinado sugar, making them golden brown and sugar-crisp.  

Fresh Apple Dumplings with Maple Salted Caramel

Crisp and flaky on the outside.  Warm, tender, and juicy on the inside.  

While the dumplings baked, I boiled granulated sugar and pure maple syrup I found at HomeGoods into a sweet, browned, salty caramel.  There is no more perfect topping to crust and apples.  I’ve done the research.  

Fresh Apple Dumplings with Maple Salted Caramel

Served warm with on pretty plates.  We’ve come this far, we’re using our festive plates from HomeGoods to fully enjoy our Fall creation.  

Baking Notes:  

  •  These dumplings can be made, and sealed (not egg washed and sugar-topped) and frozen.  To bake, remove from the freezer, brush with egg, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for about 5 minutes longer.  
  • These dumplings can also be baked and then frozen.  Just wrap well, store in the freezer, bring to room temperature in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat gently in a 300 degree oven for about 10 minutes before serving.  
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Flaky Apple Dumplings with Salted Maple Caramel

  • Author: Joy the Baker
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
Pin Recipe
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

For the Apple Dumplings

  • 1 sheet thawed but chilled all-butter puff pastry (I used Dufour Puff Pastry)
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored and sliced into thin rings (just under ¼-inch)
  • ½ cup packed muscovado sugar, divided
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, divided
  • 1 tablespoons freshly grated nutmeg, divided
  • several pinches of salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • turbinado sugar, for dusting

For the Maple Salted Caramel

  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt

Instructions

  1. To make the dumplings, place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. On a lightly floured work surface, unfold the thawed but chilled puff pastry. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the puff pastry out about 1-inch on all sides. Use a 3 5/8-inch or 4-inch round biscuit cutter to cut as many rounds as you can from the puff pastry. I got about 10 rounds.
  3. Place rounds on a floured counter. Top 5 of the rounds with a few apple slices (2 or 3 depending on how thick you sliced them). Top each mound of apples with scant tablespoon of brown sugar, a good pinch of cinnamon, a good pinch of nutmeg, and a small pat of butter. Lightly brush the edges with beaten egg. Use your fingers to lightly stretch out the round of puff pastry that you’re using to top the dumpling. This will help it fit over the apple, sugar, and butter. Top the apple and butter with the remaining pastry pieces and press lightly with your fingers to seal. Use the tines of a fork to better press the dough pieces together.
  4. Cut three small vent holes in the top of each dumpling.
  5. Place the dumplings on the prepared baking sheets.
  6. Brush each lightly with egg wash. Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar.
  7. If the dumplings have gotten very soft and warm as they were being assembled, place the baking sheets (with the dumplings) in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
  8. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden and bubbling. Allow to cool for 10 minutes of the baking sheet before serving warm.
  9. While the dumplings cook and cool, make the caramel sauce. To make the caramel, add sugar, water, and corn syrup to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring once or twice. Bring to a boil and allow to brown. Once sugar has browned to a medium amber color, remove from heat and immediately add maple syrup, heavy cream and butter. Mixture will boil and foam. Stir well. Add salt and stir well to incorporate. Caramel may seem thin… that’s ok. Place in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and cool in the fridge for 1 hour if you’d like it thicker. Pour over war, dumplings and serve.

Notes

  • Muscovado sugar and pure maple syrup found at HomeGoods!

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Previous PostNext Post

Filed Under: Holiday, Pie, Recipes

Previous Post: «
Next Post: The Five Baked Goods I Buy (and totally don’t make at home) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elise Xavier

    November 21, 2015 at 11:13 pm

    My goodness, these look like a piece of heaven. So wish I could have one right this instant!

    Reply
  2. The Queen of Dreaming

    November 14, 2015 at 10:27 am

    Can I have one, like now? :D

    https://justsem.wordpress.com/

    Reply
  3. Jenny

    November 2, 2015 at 1:52 pm

    Hi Joy! This looks delicious and beautiful! Can I substitute full fat coconut milk for cream in the caramel sauce? I would like to make this for an upcoming dinner party, but one of my friends is allergic to milk protein. Thanks! :)

    Reply
  4. Hallie

    November 1, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    just made these….so delicious! like little apple pie pockets of heaven!

    Reply
  5. Hof ter Zielbeek

    October 29, 2015 at 12:15 am

    This came out really well and everyone in the family loved it! Thanks a lot for posting this recipe. :)

    Reply
« Older Comments
Comments Page 2 of 2
« Previous 1 2

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Holiday

assembling chicken burger on wooden board
Bacon Jalapeno Smashed Chicken Burgers

Allow me to sneak in at the start of your holiday weekend, here at the unofficial beginning of summer (and my favorite weekend of the year) with a humble but high-key FANTASTIC chicken burger. This is one of those smash burger recipes that once you know, you cannot unknow.  This will color your burgers for…

Read More

fresh baked blueberry cobbler on a plate with vanilla ice cream on top.
The Secrets To My Favorite Blueberry Cobbler

In a shock to no one, I have a lot of thoughts about the perfect summer cobbler.  Cobbler is a sweetened fruit base topped with a wet biscuit batter that bakes up to be something between a cake and a biscuit atop simmering fruit.  A cobbler is not a crisp (though this apple crisp really…

Read More

Bowl of easy risotto recipe in a small bowl.
Oven-Baked Pea, Pancetta and Lemon Risotto

Rice is my preferred starch. Wait… does banana bread count as a starch?  If not I choose rice – it’s more versatile when it comes to dinner anyhow.  Today we’re taking the most elegant of Italian rice dishes and making it more of a one-pot-wonder than a labor of love.  There’s surely still love (read:…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Jump to Recipe

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Jump to Recipe

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

Jump to Recipe

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

Jump to Recipe

Joy the baker with dyed bandana around neck

HOW TO MAKE DYED BANDANAS

as seen in JtB Magazine!

Jump to Recipe
joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

Jump to Recipe

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Jump to Recipe

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

Check it out on Instagram

Drake on cake instagram.

 

FAVORITE FRUIT RECIPES

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.

My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

Berry crostata topped with whipped cream with coffee.

A Single Serve Berry Crostata Recipe

fresh baked blueberry cobbler on a plate with vanilla ice cream on top.

The Secrets To My Favorite Blueberry Cobbler

POPULAR CAKES

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.

My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

Slice of coconut cake on small white plate with coffee.

My favorite Coconut Cake is actually made with cake mix

A slice of lemon blueberry gooey butter cake held on a cake slicer.

Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker and author of books and magazines
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
💁🏻‍♀️Classes with me @thebakehousenola
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
My EASIEST Strawberry Sheet Cake is also my absolu My EASIEST Strawberry Sheet Cake is also my absolute favorite. Get into a box of white cake mix and fresh 🍓🍓 purée! Topped with a thick layer of strawberry cream cheese frosting - this cake is a little pink dream! ⁣
⁣
The Easiest Strawberry Sheet Cake recipe linked in the bio for you! 💋
Our resident reader, @tobyfels shares my favorite Our resident reader, @tobyfels shares my favorite list of the summer on Joy the Baker this year: The Best Books for Summer 2022!  As a person who reads Beach Reads all year long, this is IT! With titles by @ashleymcoleman_ @anarasong @annleary @bonnie_garmus_author @heyashposton @annabelmonaghan @greerhendricks @sarahpekkanen @shelbyvanpeltwrites @marilynsimonrothstein @@misterosman and @kirstin.chen. The guide to your bookworm summer linked in the bio!
Over here testing the limits of “you are what yo Over here testing the limits of “you are what you eat” and will soon be taking my final form as a summer tomato. ⁣🫠🍅
⁣
This Mediterranean Feta and Fresh Tomato Tart is an absolute show stopper with a buttery crisp, press-in crust, whipped feta, and layers of fresh tomato, cucumber, onions, and olives. I’ll leave the recipe linked in the bio - it’s really very special. Join me. We are 🍅🍅.
Here are my two best kept secrets for getting thro Here are my two best kept secrets for getting through this summer.  I’ve never been much for secrets so I’m letting you right in! ⁣
1.	I’m committed to folding crumbled chewy brownies into the easiest homemade no-churn ice cream.⁣
2.	I’m shopping for all of my baking and summer entertaining essentials, wine and cheese at the new @aldiusa stores opening across the Gulf Coast! Wait… you’re as obsessed with ALDI as I am, right? The shopping is always easy and affordable and I always come home with a fun treat among my essentials. Hit up my stories to see my grocery haul (and the chips I ate in the car on the way home) and head to your nearest ALDI for your summer essentials!  #ad⁣
⁣
I’ll leave the recipe and your #ALDILove grocery list linked in the bio!
Let’s just make one! ⁣ ⁣ One Single Berry Cr Let’s just make one! ⁣
⁣
One Single Berry Crostata just you for. Double the recipe (🔗 in the bio) only if you want to share. ⁣
⁣
#joythebaker #berry #crostata #smallbatch #dessert #foodblogfeed
The freezer is packed with ice cream treats from h The freezer is packed with ice cream treats from here on out, and that’s a promise. ⁣
⁣
Find this Milk and Cereal Ice Cream Bar and loads of other semi-homemade ice cream treats linked in the bio! 💓🍦🫠
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up