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This baked apples recipe is an easy dessert that’s lighter than apple crisp and makes your kitchen smell amazing! Ready in just 1 hour, it makes spiced perfection with an oat-pecan crumble filling.
Got a craving for a cozy fall dessert? My baked apples recipe has all the flavors of apple crumble, but lighter, easier and tastier! Stuff the sweet tart fruit with oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and allspice, then bake it until sweet and tender.
Desserts like apple crisp or apple crumble can feel heavy after a meal, but baked apples feel lighter and more refined. Each person gets their own apple, making it feel special and fun. I hope you’ll love this recipe as much as my family does!
Why this baked apples recipe works
Baked apples are whole apples that are stuffed with a crumble-style filling and baked until tender. The concept takes all the flavors of an apple crisp or apple crumble, but focuses on the apple instead: making it a lighter, healthier spin on the classic dessert.
Honestly, it’s hard to get a baked apples recipe just right, because it needs to be just sweet enough and the apples must be fully tender.
In fact, I tried a baked apples recipe years ago and it came out bland and crunchy: it made me almost give up the idea off altogether. Luckily, I tried again this year with some apples I picked at a local orchard, and it turned out perfectly!
Choosing the right apples for baking
This baked apples recipe is best with a specific type of cooking apple: use any firm, crisp sweet tart apple variety. A firm, crisp texture is crucial for baking, otherwise the fruit becomes mushy and grainy.
- I typically use Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples: they’re my go-to varieties because they hold their shape and have that perfect sweet-tart flavor.
- You can also use varieties like Golden Delicious, Jonathon or Jonagold, Ida Red, or even Granny Smith.
- Pass on varieties like Gala, Fuji or Red Delicious: the flavor and texture don’t hold up here.
You can also simply taste test and see if the texture is crisp and the flavor is medium tart. Ask at your grocer, farmer’s market or apple orchard for what types they recommend for baking.
How to hollow out apples like a pro
The most important technique in baked apples is hollowing out the apple cavity. Here are a few tips to follow when cutting the apples to prepare them for baking:
- Use a paring knife to cut a funnel shape. Start from the top of the apple and end about 2/3 of the way down the fruit.
- Remove and discard the seeds and core. Pull out the core, seeds and extra flesh. You don’t want too much extra flesh or it will take longer to cook the apples.
Baking tips for perfect results
Adding boiling water in the bottom of the pan might seem odd, but it’s essential for baked apples. It creates steam that helps cook the apples evenly and prevents them from drying out.
After 25 minutes of baking, loosely cover the pan with foil: this prevents the filling from burning while allowing the apples to finish cooking.
To test for doneness after 45 minutes total, slide a paring knife into the thickest part of the apple. It should go in easily with no resistance. If you still feel resistance, give them another 5 minutes and check again.
Serving suggestions for baked apples
Once your baked apples are nice and tender, you can enjoy them right away! You’ll want to serve the apples with a knife and fork, so you can cut bites off of the whole apple. (It won’t be tender enough to eat with just a fork.) They’re delicious plain, but I like them with a little vanilla ice cream on the side. Here are a few serving suggestions:
- Drizzled with maple syrup: This is required, in my opinion: the maple adds that last bit of sweetness
- With vanilla ice cream: A classic pairing for a reason: the cold, creamy ice cream against the warm, spiced apple is perfect
- Topped with whipped cream: Lighter than ice cream but still luxurious
- With homemade cinnamon ice cream: It’s super simple, and the extra cinnamon is irresistible
- With a dollop of creme anglaise: This French vanilla sauce feels special
Storage and reheating
Baked apples are best enjoyed fresh from the oven, but leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store them in an airtight container: note that the filling will soften as it sits (though it’s still delicious).
To reheat, place the apples in a baking dish, cover loosely with foil, and warm at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until heated through. The microwave works in a pinch but can make the filling a bit soggy.
Dietary notes
This baked apples recipe is vegetarian. For vegan, substitute vegan butter. For gluten-free, use almond flour.
Classic Baked Apples
This baked apples recipe is an easy, cozy fall dessert! Stuff the fruit with oats, spices, and brown sugar and bake until tender.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 6 medium crisp-tart cooking apples (like Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious,
Granny Smith, Jonathon or Jonagold, Ida Red, etc*) - ½ cup Old Fashioned rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- Maple syrup, for serving
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring water to boil in a tea kettle.
- Remove the core of each apple with a paring knife: cut a funnel shape from top of the apple to about 2/3 of the way down. Remove and discard the seeds and core.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the rolled oats, flour, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, kosher salt, and melted butter. Spoon the filling into the apples.
- Place the apples in a small baking dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with about 1/4” of the boiling water.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then cover loosely with foil. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife, but not mushy (or more, if necessary).
- Drizzle each apple with maple syrup, and if desired serve with vanilla ice cream. Serve with a knife and fork.
Notes
Storage info: Baked apples are best enjoyed fresh from the oven, but leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store them in an airtight container: note that the filling will soften as it sits (though it’s still delicious). To reheat, place the apples in a baking dish, cover loosely with foil, and warm at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until heated through. The microwave works in a pinch but can make the filling a bit soggy.
*The best varieties for this recipe are sweet tart in flavor with a crisp texture.
Other apple recipes to try
This baked apples recipe is perfect as an easy, cozy fall dessert or winter dessert! Here are a few more apple recipes you’ll love:
- Try my Perfect Apple Crumble or Grandma’s Apple Dumplings!
- Go for a Classic Apple Crisp Recipe or Sauteed Apples (a la Mode!)
- Learn How to Make Applesauce
Looks great. Could you peel the apples, so you don’t have to use a knife and fork? thanks
Yes!
I mixed a little chocolate inside the oats, and the results is….surprising :)
Overall in a good way, they mostly melted to the bottom, added a extra layer of flavor to the dessert.