Baked Apples Stuffed with Oatmeal & Brown Sugar
Dressed up with a scoop of ice cream, baked apples are a crowd-pleaser — a good one to have in your back pocket for gluten-free and vegan guests, too.
Serves4
If I’m not feeling like making something elaborate and just want an easy, warm dessert to end an evening, this is where I turn: baked apples. Scoop out the core and stuff the insides with a mix of oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The baked apples soften into a spoonable treat while the brown sugar melts down into a caramel syrup.
The only thing that could make this simple autumn dessert even better would be a scoop of ice cream on the side. Naturally.
My mom made this dessert all the time when we were kids, and we loved it. Besides the straight-up oatmeal and brown sugar mix, she would sometimes add nuts, raisins, or even a scoop of cream cheese or peanut butter as an extra-special treat. For my brother and me, this was the most decadent treat imaginable; while I’m sure my parents loved having a fairly wholesome dessert with which to satisfy their sugar-loving children.
Looking for an even faster treat? Here are 7 tips for making baked apples in the microwave.
I appreciate this dessert even more now that I’m grown. It still satisfies a weeknight craving for something warm and sweet, but I’ve also made a double batch for an easy dinner party dessert. Dressed up with a scoop of ice cream, a dollop of crème fraîche, or a drizzle of chocolate sauce, baked apples are a crowd-pleaser — and it’s a good one to have in your back pocket for gluten-free and vegan guests, too.
P.S. Any leftover apples make a fantastic breakfast the next day. I should know — I’ve eaten enough of them!
More apple desserts we love:
Oatmeal-Brown Sugar Baked Apples
Dressed up with a scoop of ice cream, baked apples are a crowd-pleaser — a good one to have in your back pocket for gluten-free and vegan guests, too.
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 4
medium apples, such as Jonagold, Fuji, or Honeycrisp
- 1/4 cup
packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup
old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon
ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon
unsalted butter, cut in 4 pieces
- 1 cup
hot water
Optional extras:
Orange zest, lemon zest, grated ginger, candied ginger, raisins or other dried fruit, chopped nuts, cream cheese, mascarpone, peanut butter, Nutella
For serving:
ice cream, crème fraîche, whipped cream, coconut whipped cream
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the lower-middle position of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.
Remove the core of the apples, cutting to within a half-inch of the bottom of the apple and creating a well roughly 3/4-inch wide. This is easy to do with an apple corer, but can also be done with a melon baller, grapefruit spoon, or a paring knife.
Place the brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and any extras in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Divide this mixture between the apples, packing the wells firmly.
Arrange the apples in a baking dish (like an 8x8-inch Pyrex dish), and top each one with a pat of butter. Pour the water into the bottom of the dish and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the apples are soft and the brown sugar has melted into a syrup, 20 to 30 minutes more. You can test the apples by poking a paring knife through the oatmeal mixture and into the interior of the apple; it should slide into the apple easily with no resistance. The skin on the apples will also become wrinkled and soft by the end of cooking. Serve with a scoop of ice cream, crème fraîche, or whipped cream.
Recipe Notes
Gluten-free baked apples: Be sure to use a gluten-free brand of oatmeal if making this for someone with a celiac or gluten intolerance.
Vegan baked apples: Skip the butter and serve the apples either plain or with coconut whipped cream.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days and can be reheated in the microwave or eaten cold.