Easy baked apples with buttery cinnamon sugar and toasted nuts take just 10 minutes to prep before your hot oven does the rest. They are a quick, no-fuss treat the whole family will love. Baked cinnamon apples give all of the flavors of apple pie in a very easy-to-make dessert, perfect for celebrating apple season!
Stuffed apples are so versatile. Many types of baking apples work well in this recipe; just make sure they are larger in size to hold the stuffing and that they’re an apple variety you enjoy eating. The apple can be as sweet or as tart as you like! And if you want even more complexity, you can use more warm spices like ginger or cardamom. For more easy apple desserts, try my apple pancakes, apple crisp, and French apple cake.
Ingredients
Apples — you need 4 large apples. They should be able to stand up and not topple over. Make sure fresh apples that are firm and free of soft spots.
Sugar — brown sugar adds a hint of molasses and a caramelized flavor to the whole baked apples.
Nuts — you need chopped, toasted walnuts or pecans for crunch. I have a simple tutorial for how to toast pecans if you need it!
Cinnamon — apples and cinnamon are such a classic fall combination! Ground cinnamon adds warmth and cozy flavor.
Butter — butter melts into the apples as they bake, adding richness and flavor.
Water — water is a must so the apples don’t burn and dry out in the oven. Make sure the water is hot before adding it to the pan.
How To Make Baked Apples
1. Core the apples (tips for how to do this below). You want a well that will hold the filling, so don’t go through to the bottom.
2. Roughly chop and toast the nuts.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and additional spices like grated nutmeg if using.
4. Add the pecans to the filling mixture and set aside.
5. Fill all the apples with the brown sugar mixture.
6. Top each apple with 1 tablespoon of butter. Place the stuffed apples in an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish and pour the hot water into the dish. Bake the apples at 350°F for about 50 minutes. The apples should be tender but not falling apart.
What Are The Best Apples For Baking?
A variety of apples work well for baking! I love a sweet apple like Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady, and Cortland for this baked apple recipe. If you love tart flavors, you can use Granny Smith apples for more of a sweet-tart flavor.
Choose a large, firm baking apple that you also enjoy eating. Check to make sure it doesn’t wobble when set on the counter: It needs to be able to stand up straight so it does not fall over in the oven.
How To Core An Apple
To core an apple, all you need is a sharp, small paring knife and a cutting board. Or, use an apple corer!
- Wash and dry the apples and set one on a cutting board.
- If using a paring knife, cut around the stem so you have an opening about 1 inch in diameter. Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the center with the seeds.
- Do not cut all the way through the apple.
- You can also use an apple corer! Just keep in mind that it will go through the bottom of the apple. I like to cut the bottom of the core off and pushit back into the apple like a little plug so all of the yummy filling stays inside!
What To Serve With Baked Apples
It can be tempting to devour cinnamon baked apples the moment they come out of the oven, but they will be piping hot. Let them cool until they are comfortably warm before eating them. Here are some serving ideas that enhance the baked apple experience!
- Drizzle caramel sauce, maple syrup, or honey generously over the warm apples.
- Add a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Serve with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Make-Ahead And Storage Tips
Stuffed apples are really quick and easy to make, but to save some time, you can core and stuff the apples up to 12 hours in advance, cover, can refrigerate them until you’re ready to bake. I reccomend drizzling the centers of the cored apples with a little bit of lemon juice if prepping them in advance.
If you have leftover baked cinnamon apples, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. They are best served warm, so heat up leftovers before digging in. To reheat, pop the apples into the oven at 350°F or into the microwave until heated through. Add a little water or apple juice to the dish so the apples don’t dry out while reheating.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Choose large apples: They are easier to fill and can hold more brown sugar mixture than smaller apples.
- Add vanilla: I love to drizzle the apples with about 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract after filling each with the brown sugar mixture (in step 3).
- Add more spices: To add even more depth and spice, you can add spices such as ground nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, cloves, and/or ginger to the brown sugar mixture.
- Don’t forget to add water: Adding liquid to the baking dish is important for preventing the apples from burning and drying out. You can also use apple cider or apple juice instead of water.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you don’t need to peel the apples for this recipe, and I actually don’t recommend removing the peel. The skin becomes very soft in the oven and helps keep the interior of the apples moist.
You can, but I don’t recommend freezing them because they become quite mushy after thawing.
Yes, you can make these easy baked apples in a Crock Pot. Follow the recipe as written, but instead of placing the stuffed apples into a baking dish, arrange them in your slow cooker. Add the water to the slow cooker and cover the pot. Cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours or on High for 2 to 3 hours until they are as tender as you want them.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this baked apples recipe, then don’t forget to rate it, and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Baked Apples Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 4 large apples
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (73g)
- ⅓ cup pecans or walnuts chopped and toasted (38g)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons butter (57g)
- 1 cup water very hot (240mL)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Set aside.
- Use a round teaspoon to scoop out the center of each apple, leaving ½ inch or more of the bottom. The well you create should be about 1 inch in diameter.
- Fill each apple with the brown sugar mixture, and top each with 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Place the apples in an 8—or 9-inch square baking dish and carefully pour the hot water into it.
- Bake the apples for about 50 minutes. The apples should be softened and tender but not falling apart.
Notes
- Choose large apples: They are easier to fill and can hold more brown sugar mixture than smaller apples.
- Add vanilla: I love to drizzle the apples with about 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract after filling each with the brown sugar mixture (in step 3).
- Add more spices: To add even more depth and spice, you can add spices such as ground nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, cloves, and/or ginger to the brown sugar mixture.
- Don’t forget to add water: Adding liquid to the baking dish is important for preventing the apples from burning and drying out. You can also use apple cider or apple juice instead of water.
Came out looking just like the photo. Great recipe! I used larger apples (went picking last week) so I had to add a few minutes to the cooking time. I turned the over off and left them in the cooling oven for 15 minutes and that did the trick. Delicious!
Excellent result….if only I had removed the stickers 🤅so embarrassed
This was so delicious and incredibly easy! We were debating on how to eat it though. I did the fork and knife method, while my brother practically ate it whole.