These stuffed Baked Apples are infused with cinnamon and brown sugar from the inside out. Top them with whipped cream or caramel sauce, or enjoy them as a cozy treat all on their own.
These stuffed baked apples taste just like the filling for homemade Apple Pie. You’ll love this easy apple recipe if you love fuss-free fall treats (that you can eat for breakfast or dessert).
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Cozy Stuffed and Baked Apples
These delightfully sweet and buttery baked apples are the BEST fall treat. Just like our Baked Pears Recipe, they’re easy to make, filled with caramelized cinnamon sugar and tangy cranberries, and baked until soft. Next to Apple Crisp, this is one of our favorite ways to use apples while they’re in season.
Serve baked apples for breakfast or at brunch, or as a gluten-free dessert topped with whipped cream and caramel. They never disappoint! Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- Simple Ingredients – You only need 6 ingredients to make delicious baked apples. All the ingredients are gluten-free, with the option to make the recipe dairy-free and nut-free.
- Full of Fall Flavor – Our baked apples are brimming with brown sugar, cinnamon, and cranberries, marrying the best of fall’s flavors in one easy homemade treat.
- Easy to Scale – It’s just as easy to scale the recipe down for two as it is to scale it up for a holiday crowd.
Ingredients
Below is a summary of what you’ll need to make baked apples. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card for the full ingredient amounts.
- Apples – You’ll need 6 medium-sized baking apples. Aim for varieties that are crisp and firm, like Rome Beauty or Granny Smith apples.
- Brown Sugar – Brown sugar imparts loads of caramelized flavor to the apples as they bake.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg – The combination of warm spices brings major fall flavor and really lets the apple shine.
- Dried Cranberries – You can use craisins or raisins.
- Butter – Topping the apples with a spoonful of butter before baking causes the brown sugar filling to caramelize and deepens the flavors. Your apples will turn out extra rich and delicious.
- Walnuts – Add finely chopped walnuts or pecans, if you’d like, to give the topping a bit of extra crunch.
The Best Apples for Baked Apples
The best apples for baking are firm, crisp, and tart varieties like Rome Beauty, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp. Other good options are Jonagold, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, and Braeburn apples.
Pro Tip: Choose round, firm, larger-sized apples. This way they’ll stand upright and you can stuff them with even more delicious filling.
How to Core an Apple
To core an apple, cut out the center using a melon baller or a small paring knife. The key to coring an apple for baking is to keep the base intact. Cutting all the way through will result in the filling leaking out!
How to Make Baked Apples
The process of stuffing and then roasting apples in the oven couldn’t be easier:
- Combine the Filling – In a bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and dried cranberries.
- Core and Stuff the Apples – Core the apples, making sure that you don’t cut all the way through the base (see above). Next, arrange the apples in a casserole dish, and divide the cinnamon filling between the apples. Top each one with butter and sprinkle on the walnuts.
- Add water – pour 1 cup of hot water into the bottom of the dish.
- Bake until the apples are softened, but not mushy. Mine usually take about 45 minutes to an hour at 375ºF.
Pro Tip: Bake the apples in a casserole dish that is large enough to hold the apples without crowding them. We use this 9×12 Casserole.
Common Questions
How long do you bake apples in the oven?
The apples should become slightly soft after 45 minutes to 1 hour in the oven. Baking times can vary depending on the size and variety of apples you’re using.
Can I make this recipe vegan?
Yes, use dairy-free butter to make vegan baked apples instead.
Can I make this recipe nut-free?
Absolutely, leave off the walnuts and add more of the filling mixture in their place, if you’d like.
Can I double the recipe?
Absolutely. Scale the recipe up or down depending on how many apples you have on hand.
How to Serve Baked Apples
Baked stuffed apples are a treat all on their own, but there are so many ways to serve them:
- Baked Apples Dessert – we love them topped with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A generous drizzle of homemade Caramel Sauce makes these apples absolutely irresistible.
- Baked Apples for Breakfast – you can slice up freshly baked apples or warm a leftover baked apple for breakfast the next day. We love to put warm baked apples on Overnight Oats, or Steel Cut Oats. They’re also great over Apple Pancakes.
Make-Ahead
Leftover Stuffed Apples? No problem! They reheat really well and are just as good if not better the following day. Here’s how to store them:
- To Refrigerate: Store the baked apples airtight in the fridge. If you’re making these apples ahead, I recommend preparing the filling and storing it airtight, while leaving the raw apples whole until you’re ready to fill and bake them. This way the apples don’t become brown.
- Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing the baked apples, as they become too mushy once thawed.
- To Reheat: Reheat the apples in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, or until warmed through.
We just know you’ll be baking apples from now until spring after you’ve tasted these. They’re seriously simple yet so tasty!
More Apple Recipes to Try
Try these other tasty ways to use apples: