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This Apple Slump with Vanilla-Cayenne Caramel is a perfect post-orchard recipe to use up all of your apples this fall season, this slump is packed with fresh apples and an incredibly delicious, slightly spicy vanilla-cayenne caramel. The dumplings are a simple, soft batter that gets spooned over top of the apple-caramel mixture and then you simply place the lid on your pan and everything cooks right on the stovetop – no baking necessary. This one is a My Kitchen Little classic, as I’ve made it for years and just love the ease of preparation here.

It’s tough to beat and you can read on to learn a little more about the world of Slumps. Or simply jump right ahead to the recipe.

There is a chapter in my cookbook, Smoke, Roots, Mountain, Harvest where I spill the tea on all things fruit dessert – we’re talking cobblers, crisps, buckles and betties. I include a simple recipe for each, using blackberries as my muse, and I did this with the intention of illuminating not only what the difference is between each of these baked treats, but also to show how such simple preparations can transform a humble piece of fruit into something exceptionally delicious. It doesn’t take much, and that is such a beautiful thing.

Our apple slump today is also a member of this club. Not only is the name charming, the preparation is unique and oh so very casual. I think you’ll find the recipe is a fun one as well.

What is a Slump?

I thought you’d never ask! Okay, a slump is yet another simple, straightforward cooked fruit dessert, but unlike its cobbler and crisp cousins, it does no time in the oven whatsoever. Nope, it may look like it baked away, what with those pillowy looking biscuits, but this treat comes together from start to finish right on your stovetop. It gets its name from the “slumping down” of the fruit as you cook it. In our recipe here, you essentially wait for the apples to slump down in the pan before adding in the caramel and the biscuit topping.

But wait, there’s more!

One of the best things about this recipe is the fact that, in no more than 10 ingredients, we’re creating a delicious fruit dessert AND a caramel (from scratch). I can promise you that this will become your new favorite caramel and it is absolutely foolproof. I’ve been making it for about 10 years now and am so happy to share it with you here. It’s a truly essential recipe to have in your back pocket, and it honestly needs little more than some vanilla ice cream to show itself off, but come apple season, I like to flex its powers a little more. By stirring this vanilla-laced, slightly spicy caramel into the slumped apples, we’ll create a depth of flavor and a sweetness that is just so lovely.

This is slump 2.0. This slump trumps all others. Slump for president! Ahem.



For more excellent apple recipes, you might want to check out my

Apple Fritter Quick Bread with Buttermilk Frosting

Apple Butter Apple Pie with Cream Cheese Crust

Salted Apple Butter Dark and Stormies

Sausage, Apple & Red Cabbage Bake

If you like the looks of this Apple Slump recipe, then you might also want to check out:

Flourless Chocolate Torte

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Apple Slump with Vanilla-Cayenne Caramel

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A perfect post-orchard recipe to use up all of your apples this fall season, this slump is packed with fresh apples and an incredibly delicious, slightly spicy vanilla-cayenne caramel. The dumplings are a simple, soft batter that gets spooned over top of the apple-caramel mixture and then you simply place the lid on your pan and everything cooks right on the stovetop – no baking necessary. This is wonderful served with vanilla ice cream or a lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup granulated sugar 

8 TBSP salted butter, divided

1 ¼ cups half and half 

2 tsp vanilla bean paste (you can sub vanilla extract)

½ tsp ground cayenne

6 apples, thinly sliced (mixed types is best!)

1.5 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Instructions

To make the caramel, place a small saucepan over medium heat and add 1 cup of sugar. Allow the sugar to fully melt, creating a golden caramel, scraping the sides down with a rubber spatula as the sugar crystals cling to the pan. 

 

Once the sugar is fully melted, add 6 TBSP of the butter. It will bubble rapidly. Stir. Add ½ cup of the half and half and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to bubble rapidly for one minute. After one minute, turn off the heat, add the vanilla bean paste and cayenne, and stir. The caramel will thicken quite a bit as it cools. 

 

Meanwhile, in a large lidded pan/skillet over medium heat, add the remaining 2 TBSP butter, the sliced apples, and the cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are nice and tender; about 10 minutes. 

 

While the apples are cooking, grab a medium bowl and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and the remaining 2 TBSP butter. Using your fingers, pinch and work the butter into the dry ingredients, until the mixture resembles course, shaggy sand. Add the remaining ¾ cup half and half and stir to combine into a well-blended batter. 

 

When the apples have cooked and tenderized, stir in about ½ cup to 2/3 cup of your vanilla-cayenne caramel and mix well to get all of the apples coated. If it seems a little dry to you, you can add 1/4 cup water and stir to loosen it all up. 

 

Drop the batter onto the surface of the caramel apples, haphazardly, until it’s all used up. Place the lid on the pan and cook until the biscuits are done and golden brown; about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm. 

 

 

 

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