Classic Baked Apples are an easy, comforting dessert. Filled with pecans, cinnamon, raisins, butter and brown sugar, our baked apple recipe is perfect for lazy afternoons.
In this recipe
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Our favorite baked apples
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To use the best apples
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Apple varieties for baking
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Variations on Baked Apples
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Baked apples in the microwave
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
I was in New England a few weeks ago at the height of apple picking season. I guess they’re all down now, but our apples here in Northern California are at their peak. There are so many great strains on the market to choose from!
We first posted this recipe in 2006 during another trip east to visit my goddaughter and her family. A group of us went picking apples and came home with so many that we spent a week cooking them into pies, chips and those fabulous baked apples.
The best apples for baked apples
The girls and I used Rome Beauties, an apple variety that’s particularly good for baking this way. We based our recipe on a Joy of Cooking recipe with butter and brown sugar and spiced it up a bit with chopped pecans and raisins.
Growing up there was always baked apples served with a generous helping of vanilla ice cream, a combination I highly recommend.
Simple tip!
For more information on which apple varieties are best for baking, check out our guide to apples.
The best varieties of apples for baking
- Granny Smith (green and tart)
- Rome Beauty (red, slightly sweet and sour)
- Honey crispy
- Braeburn (firm and tangy sweet)
- Jonagold and Jonathans
- pink woman
- Melrose (cross between a Jonathan and a Red Delicious)
- Winesap (spicy tart and thick-skinned)
- Golden Delicious (yellow, sweet, soft, and thin-skinned)
- Corland (related to the McIntosh, crisp and slightly tart)
- Gala (mild and sweet, use less sugar)
Variations on Baked Apples
- Use non-dairy butter to make them vegan.
- Vary up the spices, use pumpkin pie spice instead.
- Try nutmeg, clove, or a sprinkling of cayenne pepper for a little heat.
- Add dried cherries or cranberries instead of raisins.
- Use other nuts, like walnuts or hazelnuts.
Prepare baked apples in the microwave
If you are short on time, you can “bake” your apples in the microwave. Prepare the apples as instructed in the recipe. Place them in a deep, microwave-safe saucepan with a lid. Microwave for 4 minutes and check on the apples. When done, they’ll be tender and a little mushy, but not mushy. Depending on the size and variety of the apples, as well as the power of your microwave, you may need to microwave them for a total of 10 minutes.
More easy apple dessert recipes
- Apple pie bars with crumble topping
- Simple baked apple slices
- Apple Carrot Cupcakes
- caramel apples
- apple chip
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Baked Apples
Rome Beauty is the apple variety that’s best for baking and worth looking for if you’re making baked apples.
ingredients
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4 big good baked appleslike Rome Beauty, Golden Delicious or Jonagold
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1/4 Cup Brown sugar
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1 teaspoon Cinammon
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1/4 Cup chopped pecans, Optional
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1/4 Cup Currants or chopped raisins
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1 tablespoon butter
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3/4 Cup Boil water
method
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Preheat oven:
Set your oven to 190°C.
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Cut holes in apples for stuffing:
Wash and dry apples. Using a sharp paring knife or apple corer, core out the apples, leaving the bottom 1/2 inch intact.
If using a paring knife, first cut out the stem area and then use a small metal spoon to scoop out the seeds. Cut the holes so they are about an inch wide.
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Fill apples, then brush with butter:
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, redcurrants or chopped raisins, and chopped pecans (if using) and stir.
Place the apples in a casserole dish and fill each apple with the sugar filling mixture. Put a dollop of butter (a quarter of the tablespoon indicated on the ingredients list) on top of the sugar.
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Bake al dente:
Pour the boiling water onto the bottom of the casserole dish. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 30 to 45 minutes until apples are cooked through and tender but not overcooked and mushy.
When done, remove the apples from the oven and baste them with the juice from the pan.
Delicious with a side of vanilla ice cream.
My helpers – Reilly and Alden, Piper, Teddy and George.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 191 | calories |
| 3g | Fat |
| 44g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
