This old-fashioned style slow cooker dessert leans on a handful of convenience ingredients to create something cozy and crowd-pleasing with very little effort. Using a can of Mountain Dew in the cooker may sound unusual at first, but the soda helps create a sweet, buttery syrup around the apples and dough as everything cooks, a trick that has roots in Southern-style apple dumpling recipes adapted over the years for modern home kitchens.
Serve this warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of lightly sweetened whipped cream to balance the rich syrup. If you want to round it out for a casual family dessert table, add crisp bacon at brunch, hot coffee in the afternoon, or sharp cheddar slices for a sweet-savory contrast that works especially well with tart apples.
Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 can (12 ounces) Mountain Dew
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 16 wedges total
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
Directions
1. Lightly butter or coat the inside of a slow cooker crock to help prevent sticking. Peel, core, and slice the apples into wedges if you have not already done so.
2. Unroll the crescent dough and separate it into triangles. Wrap one or two apple wedges in each triangle, depending on size, and roll them up snugly so the apples are enclosed.
3. Arrange the dough-wrapped apple bundles snugly in the prepared slow cooker in a single tight layer.
4. Stir the melted butter and brown sugar together until combined, then spoon the mixture evenly over the tops of the dough bundles.
5. Slowly pour the Mountain Dew down the inside edge of the slow cooker, not directly over the tops, so the dough stays as dry as possible on top and can cook up golden.
6. Cover and cook on high for about 2 hours or on low for 3 to 4 hours, until the dough is set and the liquid has thickened into a syrup.
7. Let the dumplings rest for 10 minutes before serving so the syrup settles slightly, then spoon them out carefully with plenty of the sauce.
Variations & Tips
Use tart apples: Granny Smith is the best fit here because it holds its shape and balances the sweetness of the soda and brown sugar. If your apples are very small, use a few extra wedges when wrapping so each dumpling has enough fruit.
Keep the tops from getting soggy: Pour the soda along the side of the crock rather than over the dumplings themselves. That one small technique makes a noticeable difference in helping the exposed dough stay more intact and appealing.
Check early for hot slow cookers: Some slow cookers run quite hot, especially smaller models. Start checking near the 90-minute mark on high so the bottoms do not over-darken in the syrup.
Serve with something cold: These are especially good with vanilla ice cream because the cold cream softens the sweetness and contrasts nicely with the warm sauce. A spoonful of whipped cream works well too if that is what you have on hand.
For easier serving: Use a wide spoon or small spatula to lift each portion out of the crock. The dumplings are tender when hot, so letting them rest briefly before serving helps them hold together much better.