Peach Dumplings
Peach Dumplings take a ripe peach, wrap each slice in a buttery crescent roll, and bake the whole pan in a sweet cinnamon sauce until the tops turn golden and the bottom fills with caramel. It looks like a weekend project, yet it comes together in under an hour with seven everyday ingredients.
The recipe comes from Stacey Little of Southern Bite, who worked it out after making apple dumplings the previous fall.
When peach season rolled around, the peach version finally got its turn, and the combination of juicy fruit, buttery pastry, and a splash of soda turned out to be a keeper. Plenty of home cooks say it might even beat the apple original.
What makes this dessert work is the soda. You pour it into the empty spaces between the dumplings, never over the tops, and as everything bakes it helps build a caramel sauce in the pan while keeping the crescents light and fluffy.
Serve the dumplings warm with fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream so the sauce has something to melt into.
The recipe makes 8 dumplings and serves 8 people, and it fits an 8×8 inch glass baking dish, which makes it an easy choice for a family dinner, a potluck, or a cozy night when you want dessert without a lot of fuss.
If you are new to this style of dessert, think of it as a shortcut cobbler. You get soft, saucy fruit underneath and crisp, golden pastry on top, without rolling out dough or waiting for anything to chill.
This version is adapted from Stacey Little’s Peach Dumplings at Southern Bite.
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Ingredients
The shopping list is short and the measurements are simple. Here is everything you need to make 8 dumplings.
- 1 large peach
- 1 tube (8 ounces, 8 count) refrigerated crescent rolls
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup lemon lime soda
One large peach gives you eight wedges, which matches the eight crescents in the tube exactly. Pick a peach that is ripe but still firm enough to hold its shape, since each slice has to survive being rolled and baked. A peach that is soft all over will fall apart in your hands before it ever reaches the oven.
The butter should be melted and slightly cooled so it blends smoothly with the sugar, cinnamon, and flour. That mixture becomes a thick, sandy topping that spoonfuls over the pastry and turns into the sauce as it bakes. The soda stays in the bottom of the dish, where it does its quiet work.
Instructions
The whole dessert comes together in four steps, and the oven does most of the work from there.
- Preheat and prep the dish. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray an 8×8 inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Peel and slice the peach into eight wedges, discarding the pit.
- Wrap the peach slices. Open the can of crescent rolls and unroll them. Place one peach slice on the wide end of one crescent and roll it up in the crescent. Place them in the baking dish. Continue with the other rolls.
- Spoon over the topping. In a small bowl combine the melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, and flour and mix until just combined. Spoon the mixture over each crescent.
- Add the soda and bake. Pour the lemon lime soda into the empty spaces between the dumplings, being cautious not to pour it on top of the dumplings. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the crescents are golden brown. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
A few small habits make the steps easier. Roll each crescent from the wide end toward the pointed tip so the peach slice stays tucked inside, and leave a little breathing room between the dumplings in the dish. Drizzle the butter mixture with a spoon so every crescent gets an even coating instead of one heavy soak.
When it comes to the soda, pour slowly around the edges of the dish rather than down the middle. The dumplings are done when the pastry is golden brown and the liquid between them has thickened into a glossy sauce that coats the back of a spoon.
Recipe details
Here is the quick reference for timing, yield, and oven settings.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Method | Bake |
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Cook time | 35 minutes |
| Total time | 45 minutes |
| Oven temperature | 350°F |
| Servings | 8 |
| Yield | 8 dumplings |
| Baking dish | 8×8 inch glass baking dish |
The bake time runs 35 to 40 minutes in the method, so give the pan a look at the 35 minute mark and let it go a little longer if the tops need more color. Because the pan is small, everything bakes evenly and the sauce reduces right around the dumplings.
Tips for the Best Peach Dumplings
- Choose a firm, ripe peach. A peach that is soft all over will turn mushy in the oven, and the wedges need to hold together while you roll them.
- Keep the soda off the tops. Pour it into the gaps between the dumplings so the crescents stay crisp instead of turning soggy.
- Spray the dish well. The sugar and butter mixture turns sticky as it bakes, and a well greased dish makes serving much easier.
- Watch for golden brown. Ovens run at different temperatures, so judge the dumplings by color and by the thickened sauce in the pan.
- Serve them warm. The sauce is at its best straight from the oven, and it thickens as the pan cools.
- Use a glass dish. The recipe calls for an 8×8 inch glass baking dish, which helps you keep an eye on the sauce as it bubbles around the edges.
Substitutions and Variations
The base recipe is flexible, and a few swaps work well when you do not have everything on hand.
- Canned peaches. They can stand in for fresh, but drain them well first so the extra liquid does not thin out the sauce.
- Frozen peaches. Thaw them completely and pat the slices dry before rolling so they do not water down the pan.
- Different soda. Ginger ale or cream soda can replace the lemon lime soda. The soda is what helps create the caramel sauce and gives the dumplings a light, fluffy texture.
- Puff pastry. It can be used instead of crescent rolls, though the result will be flakier and the baking time will be longer.
Any of these changes shifts the texture a little, so treat the crescent roll version as the baseline and adjust from there. If you swap the wrapper, stay close to the oven and pull the pan as soon as the pastry looks deep golden brown.
Make Ahead and Storage
These dumplings are at their best fresh from the oven, but you have some room to plan ahead. You can assemble the pan a few hours before dinner, keep it in the refrigerator, and bake it just before you plan to serve dessert.
If you end up with leftovers, reheat them in the oven rather than the microwave. The oven brings the pastry back to life and warms the sauce through, while a microwave tends to leave the crescents soft and chewy.
Serving Ideas
Vanilla ice cream and fresh whipped cream are the classic pairings, and both work because they melt into the warm caramel sauce. A scoop of ice cream on top of a hot dumpling is hard to beat, and a spoonful of whipped cream keeps the dessert light.
If you are in a peach mood and want to build a whole dessert table, pan fried sweet peaches make a quick companion dish, and a peach cobbler cake recipe covers a crowd when you need something bigger. Both lean on the same sweet, buttery peach flavor that makes this dessert so popular.
Nutrition
Here is the source nutrition information per serving.
| Nutrient | Amount per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 296 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 36 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Fat | 18 g |
| Saturated fat | 10 g |
| Fiber | 0.4 g |
| Sugar | 26 g |
| Sodium | 316 mg |
| Cholesterol | 31 mg |
These values are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use. They also do not include optional toppings such as whipped cream or ice cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use canned peaches for peach dumplings?
Yes, you can substitute canned peaches for fresh ones in this recipe. Be sure to drain them very well and pat them dry with paper towels before using to remove excess moisture.
Why put soda in peach dumplings?
The lemon-lime soda creates a caramel-like sauce and helps the dumplings stay light and fluffy. The sugar and carbonation deglaze the pan and add a subtle acidity that balances the sweetness of the peaches.
What goes well with peach dumplings?
Peach dumplings are best served warm. The classic accompaniment is vanilla ice cream, but fresh whipped cream or a drizzle of heavy cream also works beautifully. The ice cream melting over the hot pastry is the ultimate experience.
How should I reheat leftover peach dumplings?
To restore the crispness of the crust, reheat leftover dumplings in a single layer on a baking sheet in a hot oven. Avoid using a microwave, as it will make the crescent rolls soggy rather than crisp.
Peach Dumplings
Peach Dumplings Peach Dumplings take a ripe peach, wrap each slice in a buttery crescent roll, and bake the whole pan in a sweet cinnamon sauce until the tops turn golden and the bottom fills with caramel. It looks like a weekend project, yet it comes together in under an hour with seven everyday ingredients.
- Total Time: 45 min
- Yield: 8 dumplings 1x
Ingredients
Ingredients
1 large peach
1 tube (8-ounce, 8-count) refrigerated crescent rolls
½ cup butter, melted
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ cup lemon-lime soda
Instructions
Instructions
1-Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly: Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray an 8×8-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Peel and slice the peach into eight wedges, discarding the pit.
2-Open the can of crescent rolls and: Open the can of crescent rolls and unroll them. Place one peach slice on the wide end of one crescent and roll it up in the crescent. Place them in the baking dish. Continue with other rolls.
3-In a small bowl combine the melted: In a small bowl combine the melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, and flour and mix until just combined. Spoon the mixture over each crescent.
4-Pour the lemon-lime soda into the empty: Pour the lemon-lime soda into the empty spaces between the dumplings being cautious not to pour it on top of the dumplings. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until crescents are golden brown. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Method: bake
Nutrition
- Calories: 296kcal
- Sugar: 26g
- Sodium: 316mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 0.4g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 31mg
