Have you ever heard of Appelbollen? It is a dessert that I discovered last year in the Netherlands. It consists of an apple filled with almond paste and cinnamon sugar, wrapped in puffed pastry. It's usually eaten warm during winter and is a super comforting treat!
Since Fall is just a few days away, I thought it would be great to start it with an apple dessert. The combination of the flaky pastry, tender apple, and cinnamon sugar that turns into caramel is awesome. And the smell coming from the oven? Don't get me started.
This recipe comes together very quickly and requires just a few ingredients, making it the perfect last minute (or so) treat!
You start by preparing the filling that will go in the center of each apple. The authentic Appelbollen recipe calls for almond paste, so to keep this dessert refined sugar-free I made my own. It is a mix of almond flour, coconut sugar, and almond extract that forms some kind of paste when mixed together.
Once your filling is ready, prepare the cinnamon sugar by mixing coconut sugar with cinnamon. Next, peel and core your apples and place each of them on a square of puff pastry. To save time I didn't make my own puff pastry, it's a long process that would make this recipe more complicated. House rule: when sweet cravings happen, don't waste time.
You can easily find vegan puff pastry at the supermarket, most of them don't contain any butter. I also saw some vegan + gluten-free ones the other day.
Finally, fill the center of each apple with some homemade almond paste, add a few raisins, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar! Wrap the edges around the apple to seal it and bake for around 25 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
Nothing warms up a chilly day like these apple dumplings! With its cinnamon-y caramel center and flaky puff pastry crust, this fall dessert is super comforting!
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Dutch Apple Dumplings (Appelbollen)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 3 tablespoon coconut sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon water
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 medium apples
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon raisins optional
- 1 roll vegan puff pastry about 8 ounces / 230g. You can use gluten-free puff pastry as well.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the almond paste filling: In a small bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut sugar, almond extract, and water. Mix until well combined, you should get a sticky paste. Set aside.
- Prepare the cinnamon sugar: In a small ramequin, combine the tablespoon of coconut sugar with the cinnamon. Set aside.
- Wash, peel, and core the apples. Brush them with the lemon juice to prevent them from browning.
- Cut the puff pastry into 3 large squares (about 6-inch wide), the squares should be large enough to wrap each apple.
- Place the apples in the center of each square of puff pastry. Fill each hole with ⅓ of the almond paste and top with about 1 tsp of cinnamon sugar. At this step, you can also add some raisins if you want. Bring up the corners of the puff pastry together and pinch with your fingers to seal. Fold the remaining edges around the apple to seal it completely.
- Place the wrapped apples on the prepared baking sheet, folded side down.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 15-20 minutes before enjoying! These apple dumplings are best eaten warm, with some vanilla cream. Apples will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You can also eat them cold, just be aware the puff pastry will be softer.
Nutrition
I couldn't wait until the 21st, I made your Appelbollen as soon as I came home from work. This recipe has all my favourite ingredients and I was not disappointed. It is divine! Thank you, Thomas, for another delicious recipe! <3
Thank you so much for your feedback Elle! I couldn't wait either 🙂
I'm happy you liked the recipe, thank you for your rating!
Hello Thomas! Thank you soooo much for your amazing recipes! Love the Chili crispy tofu bowl!. Can I ask you for a favor?: Do you have any good idea how to replace the vegan puff pastry?. In my country find it would be a utopia...!!. Any quickly and homemade idea?. Thanks a lot!. Regards to Colombia!.
Four stars because today I don't have how to replace for the puff pastry ; )
Hi Alexandra! You're welcome! Glad to hear you liked the Crispy Tofu Bowls 🙂
I'm afraid there is no quick way to make puff pastry. Did you check the ingredients of the puff pastry available at your supermarket? Most of the time they don't contain any butter and are vegan (even if not labeled vegan).