Easy Baked Apples with Cinnamon
These baked apples deliver a warm fruit dessert without making pastry. Oats, pecans, and dried fruit fill each apple before it enters the oven. I assemble these while clearing the dinner counter on Sunday evenings. The recipe makes four individual servings with cider juices spooned over the tops.
Why This Works
The whole apple holds its own filling, keeping preparation straightforward. Oats absorb moisture while pecans add texture to the center. Dried fruit brings chewy pieces throughout the cinnamon and nutmeg mixture. Melted butter or ghee coats the filling before baking.
Cider surrounds the apples and collects their juices as they soften. Basting carries that liquid over the exposed fruit and filling. The supplied nutrition lists 320 calories and 2g protein per serving. Each serving is one stuffed apple with its share of pan juices.
How It Comes Together
The listed timing is 15 minutes prep and 50 minutes cooking. That gives a stated total of 1 hour 5 minutes. The directions allow 45 to 60 minutes of baking. Apple size and variety affect timing, so check tenderness before serving.
Mix the filling first, then hollow the apples without cutting through their bottoms. Prepare the tops, stand the apples upright, and add lemon juice. Pack the filling into each cavity before pouring cider around the apples. Bake and baste, then spoon the reduced liquid over each serving.
What You Need
Choose four similarly sized apples so they soften at roughly the same pace. Firm baking varieties such as Rome or Granny Smith hold their shape well. Use a baking dish that holds them upright without excessive empty space. Keep a spoon nearby for basting during cooking.
- 4 large baking apples
- 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup raisins, dried cranberries or other dried fruit (roughly chopped)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons butter or ghee (melted)
- 3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
- 1/2 lemon (cut into wedges)
How to Make It
Keep the bottom intact while removing the core and seeds. Work gradually with the knife or melon baller instead of digging straight through. If leveling an apple, remove only a thin slice from its base.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a mixing bowl, combine the old fashioned oats, chopped pecans, chopped dried fruit, coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and melted butter or ghee, stirring until fully incorporated.
- Using a paring knife or melon baller, core each apple from the top to create a cavity approximately 1.5 inches wide, ensuring the bottom of the apple remains intact.
- Peel a 1/2-inch strip of skin around the top perimeter of each apple to prevent splitting, and slice a thin portion off the bottom if needed to ensure stability.
- Arrange the apples upright in a baking dish and squeeze the lemon wedges over the exposed top flesh.
- Pack the oat mixture tightly into the cored cavities of each apple.
- Pour the apple cider or apple juice into the bottom of the baking dish surrounding the apples.
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, basting two to three times with pan liquids, until the apples are tender when tested with a fork.
- Spoon the reduced syrupy pan juices over the apples prior to serving.
How to Serve It
Serve each apple in a shallow bowl to catch the warm pan juices. Let it stand briefly before eating because the center holds heat. A spoon helps collect the filling and softened fruit together. Cut the apple in half first if that makes eating easier.
Vanilla ice cream adds a cold contrast to the warm fruit. Plain Greek yogurt offers a tangier topping with less sweetness. Either option can go beside the apple just before serving. These additions aren’t included in the supplied calorie and protein values.
Leftovers and Storage
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days at 40°F or below. Place the apples in shallow, covered containers with their remaining pan juices. Refrigerate within 2 hours rather than leaving the baking dish out overnight. Store any ice cream or yogurt topping separately.
Place one apple in a microwave-safe bowl with some saved juices. Cover loosely and microwave for 60 seconds, then check the center. Continue in 30-second intervals until the filling reaches 165°F. Let it stand briefly, then spoon the warm juices over the top.
Quick Notes
Test the apple flesh with a fork rather than judging only the filling. The fork should enter easily while the apple still holds together. Begin checking at 45 minutes and continue baking as needed.
- Preserve the apple bottoms so filling stays inside during baking.
- Avoid hollowing the walls too thinly, which can weaken the apples.
- Use whichever listed dried fruit is already available to avoid another purchase.
- Measure and mix the dry filling ingredients ahead to shorten assembly.
- Chop dried fruit into small pieces so it distributes throughout the filling.
- Use apple juice instead of cider in the same 3/4 cup amount.
Easy Swaps
Keep replacement amounts consistent so the filling still fits inside four apples. The original ingredients and directions remain listed above. Substitutions and different dried fruits can change the supplied nutrition values.
- Use chopped walnuts instead of pecans for a different nut flavor.
- Choose certified gluten-free oats when making a gluten-free version.
- Replace butter or ghee with melted coconut oil for a dairy-free version.
- Choose chopped dried apricots instead of raisins, using the listed dried fruit quantity.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a mixing bowl, combine the old fashioned oats, chopped pecans, chopped dried fruit, coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and melted butter or ghee, stirring until fully incorporated.
- Using a paring knife or melon baller, core each apple from the top to create a cavity approximately 1.5 inches wide, ensuring the bottom of the apple remains intact.
- Peel a 1/2-inch strip of skin around the top perimeter of each apple to prevent splitting, and slice a thin portion off the bottom if needed to ensure stability.
- Arrange the apples upright in a baking dish and squeeze the lemon wedges over the exposed top flesh.
- Pack the oat mixture tightly into the cored cavities of each apple.
- Pour the apple cider or apple juice into the bottom of the baking dish surrounding the apples.
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, basting two to three times with pan liquids, until the apples are tender when tested with a fork.
- Spoon the reduced syrupy pan juices over the apples prior to serving.
Common Questions
Do I need to peel the whole apple?
No, remove only the strip around the top described in the directions. The remaining skin helps the apple hold its shape. Keep it intact around the sides and bottom.
Can I use steel-cut oats?
They aren’t a direct replacement for the listed old fashioned oats. Their texture and cooking requirements differ. Use the specified oats for this baking method.
Why did one apple finish before the others?
Different sizes and varieties soften at different rates. Check each apple individually near the end of baking. Remove tender apples carefully if the remaining ones need longer.
Keep the apple bottoms intact and baste during baking. Check the flesh for tenderness before serving. Save the pan juices with leftovers for reheating.
— Emily
