Baked Cinnamon Apples are filled with the most delicious cinnamon oat crumble with pecans, cranberries, butter, and brown sugar, then baked until perfectly tender. Top with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce for a warm, comforting fall dessert.
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This baked cinnamon apples recipe is an all-time favorite fall dessert -- and for good reason.
Baking brings out the natural sweetness of the apples and makes them perfectly soft and tender.
And the buttery cinnamon oat crumble filling is to die for. It's so soft, warm, and cinnamony, and the top turns ever-so-slightly golden brown and crispy.
It's pretty much an individual apple crisp.
Served warm with ice cream or whipped cream and caramel sauce, it's a warm, comforting dessert for the fall season the whole family will love.
Try these delicious apple desserts next!
- Healthy Baked Apples
- Homemade Apple Pie Filling
- Gooey Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
- Apple Crisp
- Taffy Apple Salad
Why You're Going to Love This
Warm cinnamon apples with all the flavors of apple pie
Fast and easy recipe with simple ingredients
Perfect recipe to make during apple season, the holiday season, or any time
Ingredients
Fresh apples. Gala apples are my personal favorite apple variety for a whole baked apple recipe. You can also use Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith apples.
Oats. I prefer old fashioned rolled oats because they hold their texture well when baked. You can also use quick-cooking oats.
Flour. A little bit of flour holds the crumble mix together and almost turns it into a soft oatmeal cookie :). You can also use oat flour, but the texture won't be quite the same.
Butter. Soften the butter so it's easy to cut into the oat mixture. You can also use coconut oil.
Dried cranberries. If you prefer, roughly chop the dried cranberries for more even distribution. Substitute with raisins or any kind of dried fruit. You may also omit them.
Chopped pecans. Use whatever kind of nuts you love and have. Walnuts or almonds would be delicious. You can also leave them out.
Spices. Cinnamon and ginger give the baked apples an apple pie flavor. You can also use apple pie spice or any of your favorite warm spices.
Sea salt. A pinch of salt brings out all the yummy flavors in the apple crisp topping.
Which Apples Are Best For Baking Whole
Wondering which kind of apple is best for baking whole? Here are a few favorites to choose from.
Sweet apples. Honeycrisp, Gala, and Fuji apples are all great choices if you like sweeter apples.
Tart apples. Granny Smith or Pink Lady apples hold up well when baked.
Not great for baking. Golden Delicious and Red Delicious apples, while great for snacking, can become mushy when baked whole.
How to Make Baked Cinnamon Apples
1. Make the filling.
Stir the oats, flour, brown sugar, pecans, cranberries, cinnamon, ginger, and salt together in a small bowl. Add the softened butter and mix it in with a pastry blender, two knives, or clean hands.
2. Core the apples.
Cut the tops off of the apples and a slice off of the bottom if necessary to keep them upright.
To keep from wasting the apple tops, snack on them or toss them with lemon juice, stash them in the fridge, then chop them up to stir into your oatmeal or yogurt in the morning.
Use a paring knife and a spoon or a melon baller to cut and scoop out the core and seeds, creating a well in the apple. Don't cut all the way through the bottom.
Score the skin vertically a few times around the perimeter of the apple to keep it from splitting during baking.
3. Fill the apples.
Place the apples in a baking dish. Lightly pack the filling into each apple and mound the excess on top.
4. Bake.
Pour water into the baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10-30 more minutes or until tender.
5. Serve and enjoy!
Serve baked cinnamon apples warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce or maple syrup.
Store leftover baked apples in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments until warm or in a 350 degree oven.
Easy Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce
Is that caramel drizzle making you drool? You can make it in under 10 minutes with ingredients you might already have. Click here for the recipe.
Success Tips
For best results, choose a crisp, firm apple that will hold its shape during baking. I like Gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith.
Be careful not to cut all the way through to the bottom of the apple or the filling will fall out.
Bake time will vary depending on the size and variety of apples.
The dried cranberries and/or pecans may be omitted.
FAQs
Gala, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp apples are all great apple varieties to use in this easy baked apples recipe.
No, not only do you not have to peel apples before baking them, but you shouldn't. Keeping the peel on the apple helps them stay together during baking.
Yes. You don't need any special equipment to core an apple -- just a paring knife and a spoon. Use the paring knife to cut around the core and the spoon to dig out the core and seeds. If you have a grapefruit spoon, that will make it even easier!
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📖 Recipe
Baked Cinnamon Apples
Ingredients
- 4 apples
- ¼ cup old fashioned oats
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons softened butter
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- Stir the oats, flour, brown sugar, pecans, cranberries, cinnamon, ginger, and salt together. Add the softened butter and mix it in with two knives, a pastry blender, or clean hands.
- Cut the tops off the apples. If needed, slice a little off the bottom so they sit upright. With a sharp paring knife, cut around the core about ¾ of the way into the apple. Use a spoon or grapefruit spoon to dig out the core and seeds to create a well. Score the skin 4-5 times around the circumference of each apple.
- Place the apples in a baking dish. Lightly pack the oat mixture into the apples and into a mound on top.
- Pour ¾ cup warm water into the baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10-30 more minutes or until tender.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and chopped pecans.
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