Gone are the summer fruits like peaches, berries, and cherries but don’t despair! Just because the bright summer flavors have gone on hiatus for a few months doesn’t mean you’re relegated to months of bland flavors. Quite the opposite in fact because fall is prime apple picking season. One of the best things about apples is that you can change up the flavors to be as bright and sour or soft and sweet as you’d like. With versatility like that, you can create whatever kind of dessert you fancy. My mom loved fall specifically because of all the things she could make with apples, from desserts to baked chips, apples are the fruit you didn’t know you were in love with. These are some of the best baked apple recipes!
The Best EVER Baked Apple Recipes
Before you jump into these recipes, there are a couple of tools that are going to save you some serious time. The first is an apple corer. Yes, you can use a pairing knife and get the same result, but I find that a corer is cleaner and definitely quicker. Grab yourself one here. The next thing that’s super useful is a slicer. Yes, you can use just a good knife, but again, this is quicker. And I find that I feel better having my littles help when they are using something like this rather than a knife. You can also use something like this if you’re going for thicker slices.
Recipe 01: Anything But Basic Baked Apples
Like their name, this dessert is anything but basic. It’s tangy, sweet, and perfect with a heaping scoop of ice cream.
Anything But Basic Baked Apples
Equipment
- Apple Corer or Pairing knife
Ingredients
- 4 large baking apples Rome Beauty, Golden Delicious, or Jonagold
- ¼ c. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ c. chopped pecans
- ¼ c. currants or chopped raisins
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- ¾ c. boiling water
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 375°. While your oven is heating, prepare your apples. Start by washing and drying your apples to remove any coating placed on them during the shipping process. Then using an apple corer or a pairing knife, remove the core but make sure to leave about 1/2" of the bottom intact so that the apples don't spring a leak.
- Next, in a small bowl mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, currants or raisins, and pecans until combined. Then fill each apple with the brown sugar mixture before placing them in a glass baking dish. Last, quarter the butter and place one piece on top of each apple.
- Before baking, pour the boiling water into the bottom of the baking dish and bake, uncovered, for about 30-45 minutes. You want the apples tender but not mushy. When they are done, remove from the oven and spoon some of that juicy goodness over the top before serving with a heaping spoonful of ice cream.
Recipe 02: Momma’s Cinnamon Baked Apples
This recipe is perfect for pairing with pies, oatmeal, and ice cream. Or you can opt to serve them by themselves because yes, they are that good.
Momma's Cinnamon Baked Apples
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 3 tsp. vanilla sugar
- 3 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 6 large apples peeled, cored, and sliced
- 3 ½ Tbsp. water
Instructions
- Begin by heating your oven to 350°F and prepping a 9x13 baking dish by greasing it with butter, then set aside.
- To make the apples, simply mix the brown sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a small bowl until combined. Then put a single layer of sliced apples into the baking dish before sprinkling about a ⅓ of the sugar mixture over the top. Repeat with another layer of apples followed by more of the sugar mixture until both are gone.
- Then bake the mixture uncovered for about 30 minutes before pouring the water over the top of the apples and allowing them to bake for another 15 minutes or until they are tender but not mushy.
Recipe 03: Healthy Baked Apple Crisps
Healthier than what you’d find in the store, these crisps are naturally sweet with that perfect hint of fall.
Baked Apple Crisps
Ingredients
- 3 large apples Honeycrisp, Fuji, Jazz, or Pink Lady
- ¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Before heating your oven, make sure that the racks are in the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Then set the temperature to 200°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Next, wash and core the apples to get rid of the seeds. Once the apples are ready, use your slicer to slice the apples into ⅛" thick slices and set aside. Continue slicing until all the apples are used. Then layer the apples on the baking sheets and sprinkle with cinnamon before placing in the oven and baking for one hour. After an hour, swap the tray's positions so that the one that was in the upper is now in the lower and continue to bake for another hour to an hour and a half. To test if the apples are done, remove one for the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for 2-3 minutes. This will let you see the level of crispiness.
- When you have the desired crispiness, turn off the oven and allow the apples to sit in the oven for at least another hour. Keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
And there you have it! Three delicious ways to enjoy Fall’s best fruit. Whether you like you baked apples with ice cream, by themselves, or as crispy chips, savoring the season’s sweetest fruit is a great way to enjoy the change of weather. Happy Baking!
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