Baked apples kind of feel like a shortcut way to eat apple pie, and you’ll never hear us complain. There’s no better way to celebrate fall than by stuffing some sweetened and spiced oats and nuts into a fresh apple. This mostly hands-off recipe is totally foolproof and will delight adults and kids alike. Can’t get enough of apples? Then you need to try our 60+ easy apple recipes.
What People Are Saying:
“PERFECT!! This is a great base that goes with so much! I paired with pound cake, ice cream, caramel drizzle and strawberries for Valentine’s Day and they turned out perfectly! I’ll definitely be making these again. The recipe is sooo simple!” – OrangeTree
“I was down to 2 apples and didn’t feel like making a big breakfast and decided to scale down this recipe and use it. Man what a great idea. This hit the spot and is a keeper.” – LadyBri
How To Make Baked Cinnamon Apples
THE INGREDIENTS
- Apples: For the best baked apple experience, our favorite apple to use is the Honeycrisp: Juicy but sturdy, tangy and sweet, holding up like a champ to the 50-minute bake time. Don’t let our biases limit your options though. Granny Smiths, Galas, Pink Ladies, and Braeburns work equally well. We would advise you to stay away from the Red Delicious (their skins can be quite thick and tough) as well as Macintoshes (perfect for apple sauce but not great at holding their shape during baking).
- Butter: The ingredient that fall cannot go without, it provides a richness to the filling and melts beautifully in the apples. Please go with unsalted so you can keep control of the seasonings.
- Old-Fashioned Oats: Step aside, oatmeal; it’s time to use oats for these stuffed apples. They absorb and cook faster than steel-cut oats, so be sure to avoid those, or anticipate a longer bake time.
- Brown Sugar: Light or dark, it doesn’t matter…you just need that touch of sweetness, and brown sugar perfectly complements all of the other fall-forward ingredients used here.
- Pecans: If you’re not a nut fan, feel free to omit altogether. Try with hazelnuts, cashews, even walnuts if you’re looking to mix things up.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Salt: The finishing touches, each works great in this recipe for that warm spice feeling. Feel free to cut whatever you don’t have, but I feel like the ratios of this trio are simply perfect.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
First, preheat the oven to 375°, arranging a rack in the center. Scoop out as much of the apple as you can without cutting through the bottom so the filling doesn’t leak. Totally optional to do the fancy peeling for presentation.
Next, simply mix the butter, oats, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.
Carefully stuff your cored apples with the butter mixture, letting some peek out from the top. Place in a small baking dish, cover with foil, then stick in the oven.
Uncover and continue to bake until the apples are tender, about 20 minutes. Serve the apples warm with ice cream for a delightfully autumnal dessert.
The full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.
Recipe Tips
Because every apple’s moisture content varies, the exact cooking time will also vary. We recommend checking your apple’s doneness starting at 40 minutes; if they aren’t quite tender enough at 50 minutes of bake time, don’t be surprised if they take up to a whole hour to get to that perfectly syrupy stage.
Storage
These are best eaten after they’re made. You can make the filling ahead of time; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Have you made these yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
