Cinnamon Roll Apple Dumpling Casserole

Born from the American love of apple dumplings and sticky cinnamon rolls, this casserole layers bite-size dough pieces with spiced diced apples. Baked until golden and drizzled with the reserved icing, it is a pull-apart dessert made for sharing.

Serves 6 · 15 min prep · 35 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 420 cal
• 5g protein
• 62g carbs
• 18g fat
• 3g fiber

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Ingredients

• 2 cans (12–13 oz each) refrigerated cinnamon roll dough with icing
• 3 medium apples, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish thoroughly.
2. 2Open the cinnamon roll cans, set the icing aside, and cut each roll into 6 to 8 bite-size pieces.
3. 3In a large bowl toss the diced apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, melted butter, and vanilla until coated.
4. 4Scatter half of the cinnamon-roll pieces evenly across the bottom of the prepared dish.
5. 5Spoon the spiced apple mixture over the dough layer, spreading it into an even blanket.
6. 6Top with the remaining cinnamon-roll pieces, nestling them among the apples so everything bakes into one cohesive casserole.
7. 7Drizzle the heavy cream evenly over the top; it creates a rich, dumpling-like sauce as it bakes.
8. 8Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes until the dough is golden, puffed, and cooked through and the apples are bubbling and tender.
9. 9Remove from the oven and let the casserole rest 10 minutes so the sauce thickens.
10. 10Warm the reserved icing slightly if needed and drizzle it generously over the hot casserole.
11. 11Scoop into squares, making sure each portion gets both soft pastry and syrupy spiced apples.
12. 12Serve warm straight from the pan for maximum pull-apart comfort.