When it comes to the perfect autumn/winter comforting dessert, then these juicy Cinnamon Baked Apples hit the spot. An easy one dish dessert that can just be thrown in the oven, and great for serving a crowd. Warm, soft and buttery cinnamon apple slices served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream is all you need on a cold evening.
We can't get enough of apple desserts. A must when apple season comes around, but when you can't be bothered to go to the effort to make a pie or a crumble, these baked apple slices will satisfy that sugary apple dessert craving. Just 6 ingredients and only 30 minutes in the oven and you will have yourself a hearty dessert that the whole family will love.
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What are baked apples?
Baked apples can either be sliced, chopped or whole apples that are baked until they are juicy and tender and they melt in your mouth. They are usually covered in butter, cinnamon and some kind of sugar. You can top with them a crumb or just leave them as they are.
Why you will love it
- A simple and delicious apple dessert
- They take less than 5 minutes to prepare
- Easy to make vegan
- Kids love them
- Lots of different ways to serve it
- A great way to use up lots of apples
- Easier than making apple pie or crumble
Ingredients needed
- Apples - the star of this dessert. You really can use any apples for this recipe, however we used golden delicious. It really depends on if you prefer tart or sweet apples.
- Butter - used to create a nice buttery sauce for the apples.
- Maple syrup - whilst the baked apples themselves are lovely and sweet, we wanted to add a little extra sweetness. Maple syrup not only adds sweetness, but a lovely flavour too. You could swap it for honey instead.
- Cinnamon - cinnamon and apples is just a perfect match. You could swap it for ginger or nutmeg, or use a mixture of all three.
Butter - melted butter coats the apple slices beautifully and makes a nice sauce to drizzle over the apples when serving. - Cornstarch - you could leave this out, but we find that it helps to give the sweet sauce that comes from cooking the apples a little more thickness.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step by step
One: Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 Slice the apples into thin wedges.
Two: Put the apples in a baking dish and add all the other ingredients. Mix well and bake for 30 minutes.
Ways to use baked apples
The great thing about baked apples is that there are so many different ways to use them. Here are some of our favourite:
- Serves with vanilla ice cream or custard for a simple and hearty dessert
- Put on top of porridge or overnight oats.
- Serve on waffles or pancakes for a warming weekend breakfast.
- Mix in to yoghurt for a snack.
FAQ
Whilst this isn't the healthiest dessert with the butter and maple syrup, I wouldn't say it is particularly indulgent. The majority of the sweetness comes from the apples themselves, and the maple syrup just adds to that a little. Apples are rich in antioxidants, dietary fibre and vitamins A, C and K.
You want the apples to be nice and soft, but also not mushy. They should feel a little tender when you check them with a knife. After 30 in the oven, we found that they were perfect. It does depend on your oven though, so check them as they may need a little longer. If you prefer your apples with a bit of crunch, then you can always cook them for a little less.
If you want to make a vegan version of this dessert, then make sure to use maple syrup rather than honey and swap the butter for either a vegan alternative, or you can use coconut oil.
We served ours with a really good quality vanilla ice cream, however there are lots of options when it comes to how to serve it. You could serve it with frozen yoghurt (or even yoghurt straight out of the fridge), custard or cream. Try not to serve it with anything with too strong a flavour, as you want the flavour of the cinnamon apples to shine through.
We love making a big batch of these to keep to add on breakfast, desserts and snacks. You can keep them in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days for best freshness. If you want to freeze them, you can put them in a freezer container and they will keep for around 6 weeks.
Once they are fully defrosted, you can reheat them in the oven or microwave, or heat them through in a pan.
If you are serving these to small children that are weaning, then we would suggest making a few changes. Make sure the apples are sliced to a manageable size and then leave the maple syrup out and add a little water.
More apple recipes
If you’ve tried this baked apples recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Cinnamon Baked Apples
Ingredients
- 4 apples
- 60 g butter
- 4 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 Slice the apples into thin wedges.
- Put the apples in a baking dish and add all the other ingredients. Mix well and bake for 30 minutes.
Notes
- If you want a little more sauce to serve the apples with, then mix around 50ml of water in to the apples before putting them in the oven.
- You can swap the cinnamon for nutmeg or ground ginger, or use a mixture of all three.
- Add some extra crunch by sprinkling them with crushed pecans.
- A little sprinkle of brown sugar on top of the apples before they go in to oven adds some extra flavour.
- Take these baked apples to the next level with a drizzle of caramel sauce before serving.
- You can swap half the apples for pears for something a little different.
Carrie Robinson
Oooooo... these would be perfect for topping ice cream or pancakes with! :)
Tara
Oh wow! The apples look incredible, especially paired with that vanilla ice cream. I love how easily they come together. Definitely a perfect dessert for the holiday season.
Emily Liao
This dessert turned out perfectly! Loved how easy it was to make and the flavors were spot on.
Sarah Holt
This sounds amazing! Something I could eat any time of day for sure :)
Kechi
This recipe looks phenomenal! Love the how it sounds, and how it looks, right on time for Thanksgiving. We are going to happily enjoy this; thanks so much for sharing!
Traci
Easy and delicious! Love the simplicity of your baked apples...will make again :)
Natalie
Easy, delicious and always a winner at my house. I will give your recipe a try. Looks yummy!
Katherine
I still have a few zillion apples from my apple trees left. The kids will love this tonight!
beth sachs
Delicious with greek yogurt for breakfast!
Dionne
I wondered what to make with a big bunch of apples in my kitchen. Well, this is it - this recipe is perfect!
Jeff Albom
Excellent recipe. I love that it is gluten free. This is dinner dessert for the whole family.
Clara
Easy desserts are high on my list and cinnamon baked apples are are a family favorite. Looking foward to making these for dessert tonight.
Luci
Yum! I love any apple dessert so I'm excited to try your Cinnamon Baked Apples! I might even make them for Thanksgiving dessert because I know everyone would love them!
Sarah James
Your Cinnamon Baked Apples look delicious. You've got me craving cinnamon and apple with maple syrup and ice cream.
Jacqueline Debono
I haven't had baked apples for ages! Now you've got me craving them. And yes, so many yummy ways to use them!
Sue
My mom used to make baked apples but she left them whole. They always seemed to bake unevenly. Your version looks easier to make and eat!
Emmeline Kemperyd
This is such a great simple dessert for this time of year! Just love it!
Jacqueline Meldrum
Apples & cinnamon go so well together, but it was the ice cream on top that did it for me. Yum!
Chris Collins
Cinnamon and apple is a match made in heaven, so this is right up my street!