You can smell that crisp, cool, fresh scent in the air… fall has arrived! And I’m SO pumped.
And it’s not just because I’ve already chugged down the sugary, caffeinated perfection of one too many pumpkin spice lattes.
With the beginning of the new season, all kinds of fun activities will soon follow.
There is so much to look forward to within these next few months: hayrides, cornstalk mazes, bonfires, haunted houses, pumpkin carving, and my personal favorite, apple picking!
The local orchards here in western Pennsylvania are already bustling with the buzz of excited autumn enthusiasts, both young and old.
I still have yet to visit, but there’s plenty of time left to fill the trunk of car with pounds upon pounds of different pomme varieties.
To the excitement of my friends and family, my kitchen will be working overtime with the tasty promise of applesauce, pies, cobblers, and even smoothies and cocktails!
But my latest obsession is this recipe for baked apples.
Filled with a medley of dried fruits and nuts, and baked in a lovely Jacuzzi of cider, this treat will warm you better than any cable knit scarf you’ll soon be sporting.
You can easily substitute any mix of your favorite nuts, dried fruits, and warming spices for this recipe.
Freshly ground cloves and nutmeg, or dried dates and figs, would all be great choices.
You’ll love this even more if you serve it with a huge dollop of freshly whipped cream, or one of our own recipes for homemade ice cream.
Ready to make a batch now? Go get yourself a freshly brewed cup of PSL, and meet me in the kitchen for some autumn-themed fun!
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Baked Apples with Dried Fruit and Nuts
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Got a surplus of fall apples? Give this baked recipe a try. Nuts, sugars, & spice combine to give you a taste enjoyed by so many.
Ingredients
- 6 apples (any variety)
- 1/3 cup walnuts
- 1/3 cup pecans
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 cup dried apricots
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (divided in half)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into 6 pieces)
- 1 cup apple cider
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a large baking pan with raised sides with cooking spray.
- Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each apple so they will stand up straight in the pan. Slice the tops. Using a corer or a melon baller, remove the center and the seeds from the fruit. Carefully remove most of the flesh to create a “bowl,” leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh around the sides and bottom. Avoid creating a hole at the bottom, or breaking the apple.
- Place the apples in the prepared baking pan.
- In a food processor, combine the nuts, dried fruit, 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt. Pulse until roughly minced.
- Stuff each apple with the mixture, letting it overflow slightly outside of the apple for a rustic look.
- In a small bowl, combine the cider and the other 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Mix until the sugar is dissolved.
- Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the liquid over each apple. Pour the remaining liquid in the pan.
- Top each apple with a slice of butter. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the apples are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Place the apples in bowls and pour any extra sauce over them. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, and a dash of cinnamon.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: stuffed apples, fall, autumn, dried fruit
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Prep
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Evenly coat a large baking pan with raised sides with cooking spray. A cast iron pan would also be a good option.
Set out all ingredients needed: apples, nuts, dried fruit, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, butter, and cider.
Step 2 – Cut and Core the Apples
Using a sharp knife and sturdy cutting board, cut a thin slice from the bottom of each apple to ensure they will stand up straight in the pan, without wobbling.
Slice the tops. Using a corer or a melon baller, remove the center and seeds. Remove most of the flesh from the inside, creating a “bowl” for the filling, leaving about 1/4 inch border of flesh.
Be careful when coring – you don’t want to the fruit to break.
You can discard the seeds, but keep the extra flesh to use for homemade applesauce!
Place cored fruit in the prepared baking pan, leaving some room between each piece of fruit.
Step 3 – Make the Filling
In a food processor, combine the nuts, dried fruit, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse until roughly minced.
Step 4 – Fill the Fruit
Using a small spoon, stuff each piece of fruit with the mixture, pressing down gently. Let some of the filling pour out onto the tops for a rustic appearance.
Step 5 – Make the Liquid Mixture
In a small bowl, combine the cider and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar.
Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the liquid mixture over each apple.
Pour the remaining liquid in the pan.
Step 6 – Top with Butter and Bake
Cut the butter into 6 even pieces. Top each with a thin slice of butter.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the apples are tender enough to be pierced by a fork.
Remove from the oven.
When using smaller apples or when making a smaller batch, this is an ideal treat to throw into a convection style toaster oven – making this recipe studio apartment friendly.
Step 7 – Serve
Place each apple in a bowl, and pour the remaining sauce on each fruit.
Serve plain, or with whipped cream or ice cream. Garnish with a dash of cinnamon.
A Baked Apple a Day…
It may not keep the doctor away, but it will certainly keep you happy this fall.
Stuffed with a spicy, nutty mixture and baked with cider, these autumnal pommes will surely become best buddies with your jack-o’-lanterns, fall leaf wreaths, and pumpkin pie-scented candles.
And if you decide to add a splash of bourbon with the cider mixture… then we’re really celebrating this season!
Happy fall, y’all.
What are your best fruity recipes for the cooler months? How would you change up the filling or sauce? Share your best ideas in the comments below.
For more autumnal apple recipes, try the following:
- Citrus Caramel Roasted Apples and Pears
- Stuffed Acorn Squash with Apples, Nuts, and Cranberries
- Rustic Apple Tartlets
- Caramelized Apples and Onions
Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on September 24th, 2015 by Jennifer Swartvagher. Revised and expanded on October 2nd, 2017 by Nikki Cervone.
*Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Nikki Cervone
Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
Baked apples! I haven’t eaten these since I was a child, when we’d often receive the surplus from the neighbor’s fruit trees. Ours would be filed with cinnamon and raisins too and would always be served with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.
Definitely one of the more delicious ways of ensuring you get your 5-a-day!
Ice cream is a great addition.
I have a weakness for anything with baked apples and cinnamon! Just reading this recipe had me smelling the amazing scent of this. We are going apple picking over the next few weeks and this is a recipe I am 100% going to try out!
We are going apple picking at the end of the week. Baked apples are definitely on the menu for dessert this weekend.
This recipe just screams fall to me! I’ve already started decorating my home, planning orchard and pumpkin patch visits, and have finally started collecting recipes to kick it into gear. This is perfect. I think making this after a nice brisk walk would really instigate fall comfort mode. This recipe seems really easy to follow, making it something I think a family could enjoy making together.
Baking is definitely my favorite part of fall.
OhhhMyyyGoshhhh that recipe sounds so yummy! I always have cravings for apple pies and apple turnovers which aren’t the healthiest.. but this recipe sounds soo healthy because of all the nuts and berries! I definitely wouldn’t have thought of baking apples without using some type of flour or dough. I know my kids, who love apples, would appreciate a new dessert like this! And as a mother, I wouldn’t have to worry to much about how healthy it is for them which is a plus!
They are delicious and healthy too!
These look really good and I bet they smell good too. I’ve never thought of baking apples. Now you’ve got me wanting to make apple pies too. I’d love to have an apple tree to pick from myself.
The house smells great when these are in the oven. Yum!
Oooh, these sound heavenly. And very similar to the baked apples my mother made when I was little. The only real differences — she’d chop up the good bits from the top of the apple and what was scooped out from the inside and mix that in with everything else. And then she’d add a crumble topping, making it just a little more decadent.
That sounds delicious. I might have to add a bit of crumble next time I make these.
Now I know Autumn has arrived! Delicious baked apples, my favorite fruit with some caramel, nuts and a cinnamon twist. Yummm. The only thing that would make that better would be a splash of Port Wine (but that’s my little secret 😉 ).
You’ll definitely find me in the kitchen doing this recipe next week
Mmmm….the addition of port wine sounds lovely.
I have tried baking apples once. With a recipe like this, I know when I make it again the taste will be better. Although I wish I lived near an apple orchard. My favorite type to eat is the granny smith. Already I am seeing stores stocking up on taffy apples. Perhaps I could make my own version using baked apples as a twist?
My local store is chock full of the candied and caramel varieties. So tempting!
These loo great! I have tons of apples, we have 8 trees in the yard. I have been making crisp and apple sauce, etc. These looks so good I can practically smell them!
In the fall, there is nothing that quite gets me in the seasonal spirit like the smell of apples cooing with different spices.
When the kids get home, I will be showing them this recipe. They love to help!
I love the Fall season the best, because of all the rich colors and flavors. I make baked apples periodically throughout the year, and made some fairly recently, but I love that this recipe incorporates dried fruit and nuts, as well as butter and cinnamon, for a nice healthy twist. I would serve these for either a dessert or snack.
These are great for dessert or snack time. Healthy and delicious!
We get plenty of apples in my area at this time of year as well.
The wife likes to make and freeze pies with them, but to be honest I am a little tired of pies plus I am trying to stop eating too many deserts!
This looks like a great idea for an alternative after meal snack, looks pretty healthy too.
Like pie without the crust!
Looks absolutely delicious but I can feel my blood sugar rising just reading about it! Moderation I guess. I love apples but i have to eat baked goods sparingly.
You can tweak the recipe according to your dietary needs — Stevia works just as well to add a little sweetness.
One of my favorite things about fall is that I get to make more baked apples, it’s kind of a seasonal “dish” for me. I know it sounds kind of generic, but it tastes really good eitherway. This recipe looks good!
How I love baked apples I can remember as a child my mama making them. She would use the red apples take a pairing knife, and cut out the core. She would then pack the apple with brown sugar, and butter. I can still smell how good the kitchen would smell as they baked. The taste was amazing so sweet,warm, and juicy.
Many of our childhood memories stem from favorite foods or spending time in the kitchen with a loved one.
This seems like such a delicious recipie for this fall, though I could do without the rasins. I can’t wait to try it with fresh walnuts from my grandma’s trees. Perhaps a bit of melted chocolate will go nicely to the side of this.
Oh, cool. This sounds really good. It’s another item on the very short list of things I can get my picky eater to eat. I have baked some for here before, but not like these. I usually just add a bit of butter and some cinnamon, but these look fantastic. This recipe is definitely worth a try.
I like making this kind of stuff, but especially as the weather gets colder. It makes the whole house more cozy and warm with such delicious aromas. Don’t you think?
Mmm, baked apples. It’s been too long since I had one. I like to pair mine with pears (apologies for the wordplay) and drizzle with a little honey for an extra special treat. Hadn’t thought of trying dried cherries or apricots before, though. I bet they make it super delicious.
We went apple picking on Saturday and this looks like the perfect way to use up our harvest. I bet these will smell divine while they are baking. I will definitely be giving these a try. We got a few different kinds, so I will have to try them all out to see which variety works best.
This is a perfect fall recipe! I plan on taking my girlfriend to the apple orchard very soon, so I know what I’ll be doing with my harvest! Also, I enjoy eating healthy and this recipe looks like it could be a very delicious, yet healthy alternative to dessert/breakfast. I was looking over the recipe in awe that it didn’t include cinnamon until I saw the last step. Apples and cinnamon are too good together and I know I’ll definitely add cinnamon as the last step suggests.
Step 6 actually has you combining the nuts, dried fruit, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the food processor. At the end you can garnish with additional cinnamon if you’d like.
Have you tried using the microwave for this? Or anyone? It probably wouldn’t turn out as good, but it would be a great alternative if you are crunched for time! It’s easy regardless. I have done something similar before but squeezed some lemon all over it. I think it brings out a hint more of flavor (but I also just really love lemon).
I have never tried using the microwave with this recipe. Thanks for the tip about the lemon juice. I will have to try that.
I’ve never had baked apples before! I mean.. not whole ones at least. This looks cool. I might try this as a side snack for my sister’s birthday party. Thanks!
The smell of baked apples remind me of childhood. My mom used to make if for me as a healthy dessert. She only seasoned them with sugar and cinnamon, though.
I think I’m gonna repay the favour and make the baked apples for her! I love this recipe. Quite simple, but healthy and tasty! I’m not very good with cooking, but I think I’ll manage making those. Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks for this post! This is definitely a healthy treat that can go a long way in terms of diversity and level of sweetness. The use of nuts gives added benefits to the already healthy treat of a baked apple.
Yummy!!! This looks SO incredibly delicious!! I am so hungry now!! I guess I will make it for Christmas for our family party!! Can’t wait! 🙂
I have never had a baked apple this way…usually it has cinnamon and sugar added. This is an interesting take on apples….and the filling contains all my favorites. Apples are a huge favorite in my household, it not only brings good health but the smell is out of this world. Apples are great in any season..love them!!!
This looks amazing! I’m particularly drawn to them because I have allergies to fresh fruit and some nuts, it’s to do with the pollination process or something but when the fruit is cooked or preserved I can eat them so these something like this would be perfect for me! I love cinnamon too so I would have to cover the apples in it-yum!
I love any kind of cooked apples! Just last night I cooked the last two small apples with sugar. It is simply delicious. I will have it in pies, with ice-cream or just like that. This is surely an interesting recipe that I have never seen before and I will try it out soon. Thanks.
I’ve never had baked apples before and I am yearning to try them. I’ve never been u-pick orchard before either, but I’d love to research my area and find a place as soon as possible. I love apples so much. It’s fair to say that they are my favorite fruit and mostly all of my go to snacks include them. I eat them with peanut butter, in my ice cream, fried, or baked and covered with powdered sugar. I can’t wait to try this recipe. I can already smell the beautiful aroma! What a treat these will be.
I never considered putting fruit inside of fruit. Fruitception?!… Jokes aside, I tried a baked apple recipe yesterday that required an apple corer, which I didn’t have. So instead I used an apple slicer and tried to force the apple together to no avail. After looking at this recipe, it looks like I need to invest in a corer, so that I can finally have some tasty baked apples.
This sounds like an awesome little snack to make. When it comes to healthy foods I am always glad to hear of new ways to combine foods and make things that you might not see everyday, and this is perfect for that. Apples are pretty cheap here this of year too, so I can certainly see myself using this one. I know I have a lot of walnuts and almonds lying around, so I am good there. Thanks for sharing, and I will be having this one soon.
I have tried baked apples before, but the person who made them didn’t make them the way that you did. However, it’s one of the most delicious dishes I have ever tasted and I am not the kind of person that’s open to new food. I’ll copy down and give it to my mom to get creative with this weekend, thank you very much for sharing this amazing recipe.
We went to the grocery store today, and realized they had a huge sale on a variety of produce. We ended up with three 5 pound bags of apples for less than $4. Looking for recipes to make with them before they go bad, and I think this one will be added to the list, though I think I will leave out the apricots.
Oh my goodness these look delicious. What a great harvest time treat! Personally, I would use some mulled mead instead of the apple cider, mostly for that sweet honey taste. I like the addition of the dried fruit and nuts, which give it a little extra nutrition and a bit of protein. I shared this with one of my friends already. I’m going to a potluck this weekend, and I think I’ll be taking a bunch of these.
These are are to die for!!! The vanilla ice cream really does top them off. Don’t cheap out on the brand either. These are worth GOOD ice cream.
★★★★★