Easy Baked Apples

Name: Easy Baked Apples
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 3 pounds apples (peeled, cored, sliced (favorites include Honeycrisp, Gala, and Granny Smith)); 1/2 cup light brown sugar; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1/8 tsp salt; juice from 1/2 a lemon; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 tbsp unsalted butter

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Simple baked apple slices are made with fresh, sweet and tart apples and a warm cinnamon spice blend. While these apples bake they create their own spiced caramel sauce that is perfect for drizzling over the top. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect cozy Fall dessert.

Baking dish filled with baked apples swimming in a cinnamon spiced syrup and topped with vanilla ice cream.

Sliced & Spiced

When fall rolls in and brings that cool, crisp air, there’s something magical about warm baked apples.

Whether you’re serving them whole or sliced, they turn out tender, juicy, and absolutely full of cozy, cinnamon-spiced goodness. For this recipe, I like to keep things simple by slicing the apples, making them easy to eat and perfect for a family dessert.

And when you pair these sweet, caramelized apples with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream—well, that’s the ultimate fall treat right there. Trust me, you’ll be reaching for seconds before you know it!

Why We Love this REcipe

Quick: 10 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of baking makes this a perfect easy family dessert recipe.
Simple ingredients: this recipe uses mostly pantry ingredients. This is a great dessert recipe to use those fresh Fall apples.
Easier than pie: this dish is everything you love about homemade apple pie without the hassle of a pie crust!

Ingredients Needed

Apples: use a combination of sweet and tart. Best options include: Honeycrisp (sweet), Gala (sweet), Granny Smith (tart).
Lemon: the lemon juice adds a bit of acidity to help balance out the sweetness of the dish.
Spices: this recipe uses cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Other spices you may like to try include: ginger, allspice, cardamom.

Variations

Add-ins: Stir in some raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped pecans for extra texture.
Spice it up: Add some nutmeg, cloves, or even a pinch of chili powder for a bit of heat.
Instead of butter you can use coconut oil making this a dairy-free, vegan recipe.
Lemon: Swap this out and use orange juice instead.

Apple Varieties

Here’s some popular apple varieties for baking, including their flavor profiles and textures after baking:

Granny Smith: Very tart with firm texture; holds up well in baking.
Honeycrisp: Sweet-tart balance; stays fairly crisp but softens slightly.
Golden Delicious: Mildly sweet; softens considerably but not mushy.
Braeburn: Sweet with tart, spicy notes; stays firm after baking.
Pink Lady: Sweet with a tart edge; firm and holds its shape.
Jonagold: Sweet-tart blend; softens slightly but holds shape.

How to make Baked Apples Step-By-Step

Find the complete recipe card below with measurements and full instructions.

How to make baked apples, showing slicing the apples and coating in the cinnamon mixture.

Peel and core the apples. Then slice, make sure the slices are 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. If the slices are too thin they will bake too quickly and turn to mush.
Combine the apples with the spices.

How to make baked apples, showing adding apples to baking dish and then topping with slices of butter before baking.

Spread the coated apples evenly into a baking dish.
Lay the cubes of butter on the very top before baking, this helps to create that luscious cinnamon caramel sauce that you want to drizzle over the top.
Bake until tender. Be sure to stir every 15 minutes during baking to avoid drying out the top layer.

Serving

These baked apples are perfect with vanilla ice cream or caramel drizzle for dessert.
Try them over oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast, or serve as a sweet side with pork chops.
Leftovers? Chop them up for apple crisps or pie filling

Expert Tips

Size of the Slice: cut into slices about 1/3 to 1/2 an inch thick. If the slices are too thin they will very quickly turn to mush during baking.
Stir during baking: set a timer to stir every 15 minutes during the baking, this helps ensure that the top layer doesn’t dry out during the bake time. Simply stir around and spoon some of the sauce over the top to keep everything tender and moist.
Don’t overbake: the cooked apples should still have a little bite to them and not be baked so long that they become overly soft and mashed.

Baked Apple FAQs

What are the best apples to use?

A combination of apples for a sweet, tart flavoring works best. Some options include: Honeycrisp (sweet), Gala (sweet), Granny Smith (tart).

Do the apples turn mushy?

No! You control the texture by keeping an eye on the baking time. Check at 30 minutes and continue in 5 minute increments from there. The longer they bake the softer they will be.

Are baked apples still healthy?

Cooked or baked apples still retain most of their nutritional value, they may lose some of their vitamin C however. Keeping the skin on will help retain the fiber of the apple since the fiber is found in the skin.

Bowl of baked apples served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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