Growing up I remember my grandfather making baked apples. I loved watching him core the center of the apples and fill them with all sorts of goodies. He was especially fond of raisins. As a child I liked raisins but they weren’t my favorite thing in the world. It’s more like I tolerated their existence. But magically once they were inside a soft, tender cinnamon-kissed baked apple the were transformed into something special. A baked apple just wouldn’t have been the same without them.
Beyond raisins and a cinnamon-y syrup, I’m really not sure what my grandfather filled those apples with but they truly were such a treat. They weren’t something he made often which made them even more special. The other day I was telling Maddy about Great Pop Pop’s apples and almost immediately she wanted to make them. Despite fond memories of enjoying baked apples as a child, I had never made them as an adult. I’m not sure why but it’s apple season so I felt it was time to give it a try. Besides, who am I to deny the culinary wishes of a nearly 4-year-old?
Baked apples are one of the simplest autumn treats you’ll ever put together. You can fill them with whatever you’d like. Raisins, brown sugar and spices? Sure! How about adding pecans or walnuts for a bit of crunch? For my version, I used what I had on hand. I filled mine with oats, raisins, brown sugar and warm autumn spices. A pat of butter tops it all off and these beauties are ready for the oven.
The intoxicating aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg wafted through our home and the girls couldn’t wait for those apples to emerge. Once the apples were done, the girls could hardly contain themselves as I told them they had to wait for a while for them to cool just a bit so as to not burn their tiny little tongues. In the end, a new generation of baked apple lovers were born.
Enjoy!
~K
One Year Ago: Shirley Temple All Grown Up
Two Years Ago: Mulled Apple Cider
These baked apples filled with warm autumn spices, oats and raisins make for a quick, easy warm treat.
Ingredients
- 4 large apples
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- dash of cloves
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup hot apple cider
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Core out the center of each apple nearly to the bottom but making sure not to go through the other side. Peel the apple skin just from the top of the apple, about 1/4-1/2 inch down all the way around depending on the size of your apple.
- In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, raisins, oats and orange zest until evenly combined. Divide the mixture among the centers of the 4 cored apples, pressing the mixture into the cored apple a bit. Place the filled apples into an 8x8 glass baking dish. Place a 1/2 tablespoon of butter on top of each apple.
- Pour the hot apple cider into the bottom of the baking dish and cover apples with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until tender. After 20 minutes of baking remove foil then continue baking apples until done. Serve immediately topped with the apple cider syrup from the baking dish, if desired.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I never thought of putting oats in the middle of a baked apple, brilliant and delicious. My Mom always made baked apples for us. Love this recipe.
Oooo, I love love baked apples! Love the spiced oatmeal idea!
OH YUM! never did this before and never had one, so on my to-do list this goes!
What a great memory to start wit your own kids!! I haven’t had a baked apple since I was little, either, so this Fall I should probably remedy that. Loved this post 🙂
I love that you put oatmeal in them. These would be great for breakfast.
Since I am a complete apple lover, this recipe makes me smile. It really does scream Fall, and is a perfect cozy treat! Yum, Hugs, Terra