It’s hard to resist a great apple dessert; after all, we all love a good apple. Most apple recipes hide the main ingredient, the apple, under all kinds of toppings like pie dough, biscuits, or crumbles. Not this recipe, these Apple Cider Baked Apples are defiantly the star of this dessert. Imagine a delicious cider glazed apple filled with cranberries and pecans.
apples and cinnamon the best dessert combination ever
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Baked apples are a classic dessert and so simple to make. These whole-baked apples are tender and spicy with a sweet, crunchy filling inside. Simply slice down the middle of the apple to reveal the chewy cranberries and crunchy pecans flavored with honey and cinnamon.
With so many apple varieties to choose from it’s hard to know which ones to use for baking. Check out this guide to find out the best apples for baking.
Did you know there are over 100 varieties of commercially grown apples, plus all the wonderful tiny apple orchards that grow their own varieties you won’t find in a store? So, it boils down to where you live and what apples are available to you.
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What to look for in a baking apple
Basically, you want an apple that will keep its shape and not turn mushy when baked. When baking whole apples for this apple recipe, you want a nice firm apple that holds all the filling inside but will bake up soft.
These are the best baking apples
My two favorites
Fuji – mildly sweet and a little tart
Gala – mildly sweet
These apples also work if they are available to you
Cosmic Apples – sweet and tart. Read about this versatile apple.
Granny Smith – a tart green apple
Honey Crisp – nice and sweet
Braeburn – mildly sweet
Jonathan – sweet and tart
Cortland – sweet and tart
Apples are one of my favorite fruits, and I love to bake apples when apples are in season and at their freshest. Baking whole apples is really easy, and I guarantee your kitchen will smell amazing while the apples are baking, then just imagine eating a juicy warm baked apple dessert. They taste amazing.
Baked Apple Ingredients
- Apples (medium size) I used Honeycrisp apples
- Apple Cider
- Moscato or a sweet wine
- Honey
- Butter
- Pecans
- Dried cranberries
- Cinnamon
How to make baked whole apples
Step 1. Prepare the filling first by finely chopping the pecans and cranberries with the cinnamon.
Step 2. Mix apple cider and Moscato together for the glaze
Step 3. You need to make a space in the apples for all the sweet filling. A melon baller works perfectly to core out the center of the apples.
Step 4. Next, with a vegetable peeler, peel the apples halfway to the middle.
Step 5. Spoon the chopped cranberries and pecans into the apple center.
Step 6. Next, spoon the honey inside the apples; just let it drizzle deep down into the center of the apple.
Step 7. Sprinkle the apples with cinnamon then spoon some of the apple cider glaze over the top, and pour the rest into the bottom of an 8″ x 8″ baking dish.
Step 8. Bake the apples for 1 1/4 hours. While the apples are baking, occasionally spoon the glaze over the apples to keep them moist and flavorful.
Step 9. Once the apples are done move to a serving plate. Heat the remaining apple pan juices with the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until thickened, and spoon over the apples for a delicious sauce.
Baked in all its glory a delicious Gala baked apple filled with pecans and cranberries sweetened with honey and topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon and a warm apple cider glaze.
Our favorite apple recipes
For all the apple lovers
- Spiced Apple Cider Oatmeal Bread just says fall and apples. Filled with sweet cider and warming spices this easy oatmeal bread is a favorite.
- Apple Cranberry Galette is just like a pie only easier. What could be better than sweet apples and tart cranberries wrapped in a flaky pie dough?
- Cranberry Winter Fruit Salad with Apples and Pomegranates is a delicious salad bursting with color and flavors. This is a perfect salad to add to your holiday table.
- We love this old-fashioned favorite Apple Dumpling Recipe for individual serving in ramekins.
- Bake this rustic Maple Apple Cake that we make in a cast iron skillet. It’s simple and super tasty.
- Apple Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream Frosting are always a fall favorite, and they are so easy to make.
More to make and eat
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Apple Cider Baked Apples
Ingredients
- 4 apples, medium-sized Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Cortland
- 4 tablespoon dried cranberries
- 4 tablespoon chopped pecans
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 4 tsp honey
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/4 cup Moscato wine or a sweet wine
- 1 tsp butter
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon plus extra for sprinkling on the apples
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. An 8” x 8” x 3” pan is required
- Using a melon baller remove the stem and core the apples to remove the seeds. Next, peel the apples halfway down to the center of the apple so the bottom still have the peel on it. Place the apples in the baking pan.s
- Finely chop the dried cranberries and pecans with the cinnamon. Spoon this mixture into the cavities of each apple, packing down the mixture.
- Spoon one teaspoon of honey into each apple.
- Sprinkle the tops of the apples with cinnamon.
- Mix the apple cider and Moscato wine together and spoon some of this mixture over the apples to coat them, and then pour the remaining mixture into the baking pan.
- Bake the apples uncovered for about 1 ¼ hours. After a half-hour carefully remove the baking pan from the oven and spoon the pan juices over the apples then continue baking until the apples are tender. Spoon the pan juices over the apples a few more times until done.
- Test the apples for doneness by inserting a knife into an apple to see if it is tender.
- Remove the apples to a serving dish, and then pour the juices from the bottom of the baking dish to a small saucepan. Add a teaspoon of butter to the pan and cook the apple juice for about 10 minutes on low until thickened. Pour the thickened juice over the apples.
- Serve the apple while warm.
Notes
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Nutrition
First published: November 12, 2019, Last updated: Sept. 29, 2022, for better readability.
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About Jere’
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
The apple cider glaze really makes these baked apples special!