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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.


 

All about these Baked Apple Slices..

Baked apples, or cooked apples, can refer to sliced, chopped or whole apples that are baked with brown sugar and a cinnamon spice blend until tender and juicy. Slicing makes this dessert easy to enjoy. Serve warm with some cold vanilla ice cream for the ultimate fall treat! 

  • Quick recipe: 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: 

Ingredients needed to make baked apples laid out on the counter.

Notes on some ingredients:

  • 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.

How to make (step-by-step)

How to make baked apples, showing slicing the apples and coating in the cinnamon mixture.
  1. Step 1: 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.
  2. Step 2: Combine the apples with the spices.
  3. Step 3: Spread the coated apples evenly into a baking dish.
  4. Step 4: 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.
  5. Step 5: Bake until tender. Be sure to stir every 15 minutes during baking to avoid drying out the top layer.
How to make baked apples, showing adding apples to baking dish and then topping with slices of butter before baking.

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. 

FAQ’s:

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.

More Fall Recipes:

Easy Baked Apples

4.98 from 37 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Serene
A combination of sweet and tart apples are baked with a cinnamon spice blend until soft and caramelized. Serve with cold vanilla ice cream for a cozy Fall dessert.
Baking dish filled with baked apples swimming in a cinnamon spiced syrup and topped with vanilla ice cream.

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

Instructions 

  • Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350℉ degrees.
  • Prepare Apples: Peel the apples, cut and remove the core and cut into slices about 1/3-1/2 an inch thick.
  • Combine Ingredients: Add the apples to a large bowl or you can mix right in a pie dish, or 2 quart baking dish. Add the light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. If using a bowl, spoon the apples into a pie dish or 2 quart baking dish.
  • Butter: Cut the butter into small squares, and place them over the top of the apples.
  • Baking: Bake for 30 minutes, stirring after the apples have baked for 15 minutes. This prevents apples on the top from drying. Bake until the apples are tender and soft.
  • Serve: Remove and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

  • Apples: use a combination of sweet and tart apples. 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.
  • Apple slices: slice the apples into 1/3 to 1/2 inch sizes, if the sliced too thinly they won’t hold their shape during baking. 
  • Bake time: test the apples texture after 30 minutes, if they have too much bite left and you want them softer bake in additional 5 minute increments to get desired texture. The longer they bake, the softer they become. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 50mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 33g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Recipe first published October 2, 2018. Updated August 26, 2022 with new information and images.

Photography by the talented @ModernFarmhouseEats.


Welcome to my kitchen!

Welcome to the House of Yumm!! My name is Serene. I’m the food photographer, recipe developer, and official taste tester around these parts.

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