When the air turns crisp and apples are overflowing at the market, it is time to make these amazing fragrant baked apples. Its core of sweet cinnamon, encased by tender apple is the perfect combination. Think of it as a no-crust apple pie, with the same sweetness from brown sugar and cinnamon and the softness of apples straight from the oven.
These baked apples are easy enough to make on a weeknight, but special enough to serve on the holiday table.
How to make fragrant baked apples
Start by turning on the oven, so that it is heated when your apples are ready to bake, 180C/350F.
Peel and core the apples, see the tip below on my opinion to peel or not.
In a bowl mix cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla sugar.
Cube the butter into small enough pieces so that they can easily fit in the hole of the cored apple.
Stand the apples in an oven proof dish.
Start with a cube of butter and press it into the hole of the cored apple. Then add a small spoon of the cinnamon mixture. Continue layering your apple core until it has reached the top of the apple.
Finish off by sprinkling some more brown sugar on the top before putting the dish into the oven.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the apples are soft.
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and use a spoon to drizzle the butter mix from the apple pan over your apples and ice cream.
Check out the recipe card below for full details and measurements.
Substitutes
To peel or not to peel? I prefer to peel my apples when I bake them, the red skin that I usually admire of a gala apple, does not fair well in the oven, and often comes out looking like a wrinkly old man.
Batch cooking tips
To avoid the apples to brown as you are preparing a whole bunch of them at the same time, dip your cored, peeled apple in a lemon bath and the flesh will stay white. One part water to one tenth lemon juice works wonders.
Variations
For other apple dessert recipes, in times when apples are in season, try my easy puff pastry apple cups, or my apple crumble cup. Also adding apples to your pancakes, give them just the right extra sweetness. I have a version with peanut butter, and one with cinnamon.
Fragrant baked apples
Ingredients
- 2 large red apples
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
- 50 g butter softened
Extra
- 1 tsp brown sugar
Optional extra
- Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Set the oven to 180 °C/350 °F
- Peel and core the apples, see tips below.
- Mix cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla sugar.
- Cube the butter into small enough pieces to fit inside your cored apples.
- Put cored apples into an oven proof dish.
- Layer butter and cinnamon mix into the hole of the cored apples.
- Finish by sprinkling more brown sugar on the top.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the apples are soft.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and spoon the extra butter mix over that has fallen out from the apple.