Elevate your dessert game with these healthy baked cinnamon apples. The fusion of tender apples and fragrant cinnamon, baked to perfection!
These baked apples are not only easy to make, but taste amazing. They use eight wholesome ingredients and are perfect for the entire family!
This post was originally published on August 13, 2020.
Baked apples are the perfect treat when I'm not craving something extra sweet. Sometimes I top them with my homemade caramel sauce!
Ingredients
These healthy baked apples are simple and use easy to find ingredients. Nothing fancy, even though it seems like it! Here is what I use:
- Apples
- Oats
- Pecans
- Coconut sugar
- Molasses
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla
- Sea salt
The best types of apples for baking
When it comes to baking apples, it's really a personal preference with both flavor and texture. Granny smith apples are a popular choice. If you want a sweeter result, use a sweeter apple like a Fuji or Gala.
With texture, some apples bake softer than others. Fuji apples are nice and firm, while Braeburn are softer. So if you don't want a mushy result, make sure to get a nice crisp apple!
How to Make Baked Apples
This is a fairly simple recipe, the hardest part is prepping the apples! To prep them, here is what you do.
- Cut off the ends.
- Core them by scooping out the middle.
- Put on a parchment lined baking sheet ready to be filled!
If you want a tool to core apples quickly, you can try this one:
Once they are prepped, here are the next steps for this easy baked apples recipe:
- Mix filling ingredients.
- Fill the apples.
- Bake.
- Top with ice cream and serve!
Topping ideas
Here are some of our favorite toppings!
- Homemade Granola
- Ice cream
- Chopped nuts
- Shredded coconut
- Caramel Sauce (make it without the pumpkin for a plain flavor)
- Homemade Vegan Whipped Cream
- Crushed pretzels
Tips and Tricks
- You can make these healthy baked apples in halves by cutting the apple in half and topping them with the filling instead.
- Baked cinnamon apples work great for a fun breakfast, a snack or even a healthy dessert!
- If you have leftovers, just store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
- To reheat, you can put them in the microwave or heat again in the oven. Heat at the same baking temp for about 10 minutes or until warmed through.
- You can prep these ahead of time by mixing the filling ingredients. Store them on the counter in an airtight container until ready to use!
Common Questions
They can be! It all depends on the ingredients used and what your definition of healthy is. This recipe uses wholesome ingredients and little sugar, so I look at it as healthy.
The main different is that cooking apples are more tart and less sweet than eating apples. They also tend to be a little bigger in size.
Yep! You just need to be aware that the end result may be a little sweeter since eating apples have more sugar content.
You can do a lot of things! Most common is to cook them down into apple sauce. It's easy to make, and a great use for apples you need to use up. You can also cook them down and use them as a topping for things like in my amazing oatmeal recipe or as a topping for my vegan buttermilk pancakes.
More Apple Recipes
After you finish all of these healthy baked cinnamon apples, try another one of these easy apple recipes:
Healthy Baked Cinnamon Apples
Ingredients
- 4 apples , see note
- ½ cup oats , gluten-free if needed
- 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Vanilla ice cream to top optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F/ 175 C.
- Core the apples and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Mix the oats, pecans, sugar, molasses, cinnamon, vanilla and salt in a bowl until combined and crumbly.
- Fill the apples with the mixture.
- Bake for 30 minutes until browning and the soft to the touch.
- Allow to cool a bit then serve with vanilla ice cream if preferred!
Notes
- The sweeter the apple variety the sweeter the end result will be.
- Use apples that bake firm, like Fuji, for a firm end result. Use those that soften, like Braeburn, for a softer end result.
- To make this nut free, omit the pecans.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Questions or comments? Let me know below!