FALL IS FINALLY HERE!
In PA Dutch country, that means apple dumplings. Sweet, flaky pastry wrapped around tart, Granny Smith apples and drenched in a brown sugar cinnamon syrup. If anyone tries to serve you an apple dumpling WITHOUT the syrup, just say no. They’re imposters and not a true apple dumpling from Lancaster County.
In our house, we serve them steaming hot with ice cold milk poured overtop. The hot apples with the cold milk are a thing of perfection and something we look forward to all year long. It’s autumn wrapped up in a dessert.
I’ll be honest, I don’t make apple dumplings often. They’re somewhat labor intensive with all the peeling, coring, dough-making and whatnot. If you’ve ever worked with gluten-free pie dough, I think you’ll enjoy my recipe. It’s pretty tough as far as gluten-free goes and it tastes amazing. But, as all things gluten-free seem to be, it’s not as strong as wheat dough so working with it takes a bit of finesse. It’s the perfect dough for that rustic, fall look.
Look at all the syrup these dumplings are swimming in! It’s what makes them so Lancaster County!
Once you put the dumplings in the dish, you’ll bake them until lightly browned on top. While they are baking, you’ll need to make the syrup. It will have to simmer for at least 20 minutes to take on the cinnamon flavor from the sticks if you use them. The syrup will cook another 15 minutes once you pour it overtop of the dumplings.
These dumplings are best served immediately, but they can be stored for a day or two. The dough will continue to get softer but they’ll still be delicious!
PA Dutch Gluten-free Apple Dumplings
Traditional PA Dutch apple dumplings are never complete without sweet cinnamon syrup drizzled overtop. This recipe takes a little time but is well worth the effort for gluten-free apple dumplings!
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
FOR THE DUMPLINGS:
3 cups gluten-free flour (I use King Arthur Measure for Measure)
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp xanthan gum
¾ cup butter, cold
1 ½ Tbls. apple cider vinegar
2 eggs
5-7 Tbls. ice cold water
6 large apples OR 8 small apples
FOR THE SAUCE:
2 ½ cups light brown sugar
2 ½ cups water
2 cinnamon sticks or 1 tsp ground cinnamon
6 Tbls butter
Instructions
FOR THE DUMPLINGS:
Preheat your oven to 350˚.
In a food processor, add the flour, baking soda, salt and zanthan gum. Pulse until combined.
In a measuring cup with a pour spout combine the ACV, eggs and 4 Tbls of water. Set aside.
Add the cold butter to the food processor in chunks and process until combined.
With the food processor running, pour in the egg mixture.
Once that is thoroughly mixed, add more ice cold water, 1 Tbls at a time until the dough comes together to form a ball. It may take up to a minute for the processor to work it together so be careful not to add too much water.
Once the dough comes together, remove from the processor and remove a piece about the size of a golf
ball. This will be your “leaves” for the top.
Divide the remaining dough into the pieces for each apple.
Cover your dough and prepare your apples.
To prepare the apples, peel and core each apple and keep in a large bowl of water with some lemon juice
until you’re ready to use.
To cover each apple, place a piece of plastic wrap onto your surface and sprinkle with a little bit of gluten-free flour.
Place your dough ball in the center and sprinkle with a little more gluten-free flour. Then place another piece of plastic wrap on top and roll to a diameter of about 8” or enough to wrap around your apple. Remove the top piece of plastic and place the peeled and cored apple in the center of the dough circle.
Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the entire outside rim of the dough with water. This will help it stick together once it’s pulled up to cover the apple.
Gently use the plastic wrap below the dough to help you bring the dough up the sides of the apple and completely cover. This may take you a couple times to do it neatly. This dough is pretty forgiving but you may need to patch it here and there. (It will taste great, no matter how many holes you have in it.)
Once the apple is completely covered, pick it up and gently pat the dough tightly to the apple. Place in a baking dish with sides. I used an 8”x10” dish.
Feel free to decorate the top with a little extra dough cut into leaves. You can attach the leaves with a little water. Sprinkle with some course sugar for decoration.
Place in the oven and begin preparing your sauce.
TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
Place water, sugar and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Boil for 10 minutes then remove from heat.
Add butter and stir as it melts.
When the apple dumplings are lightly browned on the top (about 30 minutes) pour the sauce overtop to them and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool for about 15 minutes before serving so the apples are not like lava.
Serve in a bowl with liberal amounts of the syrup and ice cold milk poured overtop.
Notes
If you use a different gluten-free flour, you will need to play with the amount of flour for the dough. It should hold together well and be relatively easy to roll out between plastic wrap.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: baked