Sweet Spiced Baked Apples Recipe

Mother nature gave us a fabulous gift in the form of apples, one of the most versatile fruits and so conveniently packaged. They can spruce up a salad, serve as a snack, or double as a dessert, all while providing boasting fresh, juicy flavor. This sweet spiced baked apple recipe will satisfy your sweet tooth with the natural sweetness of juicy apples along with a medley of warm spices. As an added bonus, the scent of these apples will also fill your home with an irresistibly sweet, warm, and comforting aroma — it really is a win-win with this recipe.

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "This is a classic recipe that is super simple to make. I love highlighting fruit as a dessert, and these are always a hit when I serve them." So, grab your best apron and read on to learn how to make these delicious baked apples.

To make this recipe, we'll of course need some apples. "I like using Honeycrisp apples for this recipe but Fuji, Gala, and Pink Lady are all good choices," Hahn shares. Then we'll need some brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, chopped walnuts, butter, and boiling water. "Pecans can be used instead of the walnuts here and if you want to make the recipe vegan, you can substitute standard butter with dairy-free without any taste difference," Hahn explains.

Our prep time is speedy so go ahead and preheat the oven to 375 F. After the apples are washed, place them on a cutting board and using an apple corer tool, press down hard around the stem. Twist the tool and then pull it out to release the core. Try and not cut all the way through so that there is a little bit of apple left on the bottom. "If you don't have an apple corer tool, you can use a paring knife to cut around the stem and remove it," Hahn shares. Place the apples in a small baking dish.

We're going to be stuffing our apples with a delicious cinnamon sweet mixture and this will only take a few minutes to prepare. Grab a small bowl and add in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and walnuts. Now spoon in some of the mixture into the open area we created in each apple. Cut the butter into 4 equal pieces and place a piece on top of the filling on each apple.

Now the apples are ready to go into the oven — brace yourself for the amazing aroma happening soon. To create some steam and keep the apples from drying out, add the boiling water to the baking dish before popping them into the oven to bake for 30 minutes. "When the timer goes off, pull the pan out and stick a fork into one of the apples to see if it glides in easily," Hahn advises. "Depending on the size of your apples they may need 5 or 10 more minutes. We don't want them mushy, so a little firmness is perfect."

Once the apples are perfectly baked, pull them from the oven and decide how you want to serve. These sweet treats are delicious as-is, but you can also enjoy them topped them with vanilla ice cream or even whipped cream. Now that's a wholesome dessert!