Decadent & Easy Baked Apples with Cinnamon Oat Crisp (Vegan)
These incredibly satisfying Baked Apples are a dream come true for fall dessert lovers. Each apple is baked to a perfect tender and moist consistency, then generously stuffed with a warm, comforting, and irresistibly crunchy yet soft cinnamon oat crisp filling. Imagine the sweet, spiced aroma filling your kitchen as these beauties bake to golden perfection. For an ultimate indulgence, serve them warm with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream and a luscious drizzle of rich caramel sauce. It’s a truly decadent yet surprisingly simple treat that captures the essence of autumn in every bite.
For a long time, the magic of baked apples remained a mystery to me. I’d seen them in cookbooks, heard friends rave about them, and even admired photos of their rustic charm. While I’ve experimented with related delights like homemade baked apple chips and savory-sweet baked pears, the classic baked apple somehow eluded my kitchen adventures. That, dear readers, has all gloriously changed, and I’m here to share the delicious revelation!
The moment I took my first bite into one of these warm, inviting apples – perfectly cooked and brimming with a hearty, spiced oat crisp, then crowned with melting ice cream and cascades of warm caramel sauce – I understood exactly what I had been missing. It was an instant connection, a feeling of cozy autumnal bliss. This dessert perfectly encapsulates the warmth and comfort of the season, making me 100% ready to welcome fall with open arms and a spoon in hand. They are truly an unforgettable experience!
If you’re as enamored with apples as I am, be sure to explore more of my irresistible apple dessert recipes. Dive into the comforting layers of my apple cranberry crisp, savor a slice of classic vegan apple pie, or enjoy the convenience of my delightful apple pie bars. Each recipe offers a unique way to celebrate this beloved fruit.
Why You’ll Adore This Baked Apples Recipe
- Perfectly Soft and Tender Apples. The transformation of these apples from firm, crisp fruit to a luxuriously tender, moist, and juicy dessert is truly magical. You can visually track this delightful change in the images, but the real testament is in the taste. The baking process brings out their natural sweetness and softens them to an exquisite melt-in-your-mouth texture, making them incredibly inviting.
- Irresistible Cinnamon Oat Crisp Filling. The heart of these baked cinnamon apples lies in their incredible oat crisp filling. Crafted with wholesome old-fashioned oats, warming spices, and a touch of sweetness, it’s akin to a quick, gourmet granola. This filling manages to remain delightfully crisp on the inside, providing a wonderful textural contrast, while simultaneously becoming warm and fragrant, infusing every bite with comforting flavor.
- Classic Warm Fall Flavor Profile. The oat filling is lovingly spiced with ground cinnamon and nutmeg, two quintessential fall spices that evoke feelings of warmth, comfort, and nostalgia. This aromatic blend enhances the natural sweetness of the apples, creating a harmonious and deeply satisfying flavor that makes these baked apples the epitome of a cozy autumn treat.
- Effortlessly Elegant Dessert. Despite their impressive appearance and rich flavor, these baked apples are surprisingly simple to prepare. With straightforward steps and readily available ingredients, you can whip up a show-stopping dessert that looks sophisticated but requires minimal effort, perfect for weeknight cravings or special gatherings.
Essential Ingredients for Perfect Baked Apples
Crafting these delectable baked apples begins with selecting high-quality ingredients. Each component plays a crucial role in achieving the perfect balance of flavor and texture. For precise measurements, please remember to scroll down to the comprehensive recipe card below.
- Apples: The star of the show! I highly recommend using a combination of sweet and tart apples for the best flavor complexity. Varieties like Gala or Honeycrisp offer a lovely sweetness, while Granny Smith apples provide a delightful tartness that perfectly complements the sweet filling. Their firm texture also holds up well during baking.
- Old Fashioned Oats: These provide the ideal texture for our crisp filling. Unlike quick oats, old-fashioned (rolled) oats maintain their shape and offer a satisfying chewiness and crunch. Steel-cut oats or instant varieties will yield a significantly different, less desirable texture for this recipe.
- Flour: I’ve successfully used an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend, making this recipe accessible for those with dietary restrictions. However, traditional einkorn or whole wheat flour can also be substituted, adding a slightly nuttier flavor and increased fiber. The flour helps bind the crisp mixture and contributes to its crunchy texture.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: These aromatic ground spices are the heart and soul of the warm, cozy fall flavor profile. Cinnamon offers a sweet, woody warmth, while nutmeg adds a subtle, earthy undertone, creating a truly inviting and classic combination that perfectly marries with the apples.
- Coconut Sugar: A wonderful natural sweetener that provides a caramel-like depth of flavor, enhancing the overall sweetness of the apples and crisp without being overly cloying. You can also use brown sugar for a similar rich taste.
- Sea Salt: Just a pinch of fine sea salt is essential. It balances the sweetness, brightens the flavors of the spices, and elevates the entire dessert, ensuring no flavor note is left behind.
- Chopped Pecans: An optional but highly recommended addition for those who love extra texture and a nutty depth. Pecans provide a buttery crunch that beautifully contrasts with the soft apples and crisp. Walnuts can also be a good substitute.
- Coconut Oil: Used in its melted form, coconut oil binds the oat crisp ingredients together, creating that desirable crumbly yet cohesive texture. It also imparts a subtle richness and helps the crisp brown beautifully in the oven. Melted vegan butter can be used as an alternative.
Step-by-Step: How to Craft Baked Cinnamon Apples
Creating these delightful baked cinnamon apples is a straightforward process that yields incredibly rewarding results. Follow this simple overview to guide you through the preparation. For more comprehensive and detailed instructions, including exact measurements and helpful tips, please scroll down to the complete recipe card below.
- Prepare Your Apples with Precision. Begin by carefully washing and drying your chosen apples. Using a sharp knife, slice off the very top portion of each apple (this creates a stable base and opening). Next, employ a melon baller or a sturdy apple corer to scoop out the core and all the seeds, creating a neat cavity in the center. It’s crucial not to core all the way through the bottom of the apple, as you need a solid base to hold your delicious filling. Arrange the cored apples upright in a baking dish, ensuring they fit snugly but aren’t overcrowded.
- Whip Up the Aromatic Filling. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients for your crisp: the old-fashioned oats, flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, coconut sugar, and a delicate pinch of sea salt. If you’ve decided to include chopped pecans for an extra layer of texture and flavor, stir them in at this stage. Once the dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed, pour in the melted coconut oil. Use a fork or your clean hands to work the oil into the mixture until it forms a delightful crumble texture. The mixture should be moist enough to hold together when lightly pressed but still crumbly, not overly wet.
- Stuff and Bake to Perfection. Now comes the satisfying part: spooning the prepared oat crisp filling generously into the center of each cored apple. Pack the filling tightly, ensuring each apple gets a hearty portion, and leave some mounded on top for that beautiful golden crisp. If you’ve added pecans, try to ensure they are nestled within the oat mixture and not directly exposed on the very top, as this can prevent them from burning during baking. Place the stuffed apples into your preheated oven and bake for approximately 35 minutes. After this time, gently test the softness of an apple with a fork. You’re looking for an exterior that is soft and slightly wrinkled, while the interior flesh should be tender yet still offer a very slight, pleasant crispness. If you prefer them even softer, continue baking for an additional 5 minutes, checking regularly.
Expert Tips for the Best Baked Apples
Achieving perfectly baked apples with an exquisite filling is simple with these helpful tips and tricks. Pay attention to these details to elevate your dessert from good to absolutely phenomenal.
- Choosing the Best Apples for Baking: While I enjoy a delightful mix of Gala and Granny Smith apples for a balanced flavor, Granny Smith apples are truly my personal favorite for baking. Their inherent tartness creates a magnificent counterpoint to the sweet, spiced oat crisp stuffing. This tangy-sweet combination is simply divine. Firm apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Braeburn also hold their shape beautifully during baking, ensuring your apples don’t turn mushy.
- Core with Care, Not All the Way Through: When coring your apples, it’s paramount to remove the central core and seeds while leaving the bottom intact. Think of it as creating a perfect, deep well for your filling. If you core all the way through, your delicious oat crisp will simply spill out into the baking dish, losing its delightful structure and making for a messy presentation. A melon baller or a small paring knife can give you excellent control for this task.
- Protect Your Pecans from Burning: If you’ve opted to include chopped pecans in your cinnamon oat crisp filling, it’s a wonderful choice for added crunch and flavor. However, nuts can burn easily when exposed directly to high oven heat. To prevent this, ensure that any pecans are well-integrated and covered by the oat mixture, ideally nestled within the apple cavity. This keeps them toasty and flavorful, not charred.
- Achieving the Perfect Softness: The ideal baked apple is tender enough to cut with a spoon, but still retains a bit of structure. Begin checking for doneness around the 30-35 minute mark by gently piercing an apple with a fork. It should feel soft with minimal resistance. If you prefer an even softer, almost melt-away texture, continue baking in 5-minute increments until desired tenderness is reached, but be careful not to overbake into mush.
- Let Them Rest Briefly: While it’s tempting to dive right in, allow your baked apples to rest for about 5-10 minutes after removing them from the oven. This brief resting period allows the apples to reabsorb some of their juices, resulting in a more moist and uniformly tender texture, and also makes them safer to handle.
Delightful Serving Suggestions
These baked cinnamon apples are absolutely incredible served warm, straight from the oven. The contrast between the hot, tender apple and cold toppings is simply divine. For the ultimate dessert experience, I highly recommend pairing them with a generous scoop of your favorite creamy vegan vanilla ice cream. The ice cream will gently melt into the warm apples, creating a luscious, velvety texture. Finish with a lavish drizzle of rich, sweet caramel sauce for an extra layer of decadence.
Speaking of caramel sauce, if you’re seeking a truly exceptional one, you must try my homemade vegan caramel sauce. It’s so incredibly delicious, I confess I’m often tempted to simply enjoy it by the spoonful straight from the jar – a testament to its irresistible flavor! Thankfully, I usually manage to resist that urge long enough to pour it generously over these baked apples. The buttery sweetness of the caramel complements the spiced apples and crisp filling like a dream, making this dessert truly unforgettable.
More Irresistible Apple Recipes to Savor
If you can’t get enough of the versatile and delicious apple, you’re in for a treat! Explore more of my cherished apple-infused recipes, perfect for any time of year.
- Fluffy Apple Streusel Muffins
- Warm Spiced Apple Cider
- Comforting Apple Pie Overnight Oats
- Delicious Apple Pie Pancakes (Flourless!)
Baked Apples Stuffed with Cinnamon Oat Crisp (Vegan)
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Ingredients
- 5-6 medium apples, such as a mix of Gala/Honeycrisp and tart Granny Smith for balanced flavor and texture
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats, crucial for the perfect chewy-crisp texture (do not substitute with steel cut or instant)
- ½ cup all purpose gluten free flour mix, or einkorn/whole wheat flour for a different flavor profile and binding
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, for that essential warm fall spice
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, to complement the cinnamon and deepen the flavor
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar, or brown sugar, for a caramel-like sweetness
- Pinch of sea salt, to balance and enhance all the flavors
- ¼ cup chopped pecans, optional, for an extra nutty crunch and texture
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, or melted vegan butter, to bind the crisp and add richness
Instructions
Baked Apples Stuffed with Cinnamon Oat Crisp (Vegan)
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Thoroughly prepare the apples by first washing them. Then, carefully slice off a small portion from the very top of each apple to create a stable base and a wider opening. Using a melon baller or an apple corer, meticulously scoop out the core and all the seeds from the center of each apple. Ensure you create a sufficient cavity for the filling, but remember the crucial tip: do not go all the way through to the bottom, as the delicious crisp filling needs a firm base to sit in. Place your prepared apples upright in a sturdy baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients for your oat crisp: the old fashioned oats, flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, coconut sugar, and a pinch of sea salt. If you’re incorporating chopped pecans, now is the time to gently stir them into this dry mixture. Once all the dry components are well combined, drizzle in the melted coconut oil. Use a fork or your clean hands to thoroughly mix everything until it achieves a lovely crumble or crisp texture. The mixture should feel moist and cohesive enough that you can press it together between your fingers, but not overly wet or sticky, maintaining its delightful crumbly nature.
- Generously spoon the prepared cinnamon oat crisp stuffing into the center cavity of each apple. Pack the filling tightly to ensure it remains in place and allows for a satisfying amount in every bite. Feel free to mound some on top for an extra golden crisp layer. If you’ve included pecans, take care to ensure none are directly exposed on the very top of the filling, as they can burn easily in the oven.
- Place the baking dish with the stuffed apples into your preheated oven and bake for approximately 35 minutes. After this initial baking time, carefully remove the dish from the oven and test the softness of an apple. You want the apple’s exterior to be beautifully soft and slightly wrinkled, while the interior flesh should be tender but still retain a slight, pleasant firmness or “crispness.” If you desire an even softer apple, you can bake for an additional 5 minutes, checking frequently to prevent over-baking.
- Once baked to perfection, the apples will be very hot. Carefully remove them from the baking dish. For the ultimate indulgence, serve them warm with a generous scoop of your favorite vegan ice cream and a luscious drizzle of homemade vegan caramel sauce, if desired. Enjoy this delightful and comforting fall dessert!
Notes
Storage & Reheating: Leftover baked apples can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, gently warm them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, or in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10-15 minutes, until heated through. The crisp might soften slightly upon reheating, but the flavors will remain delightful.
Make Ahead: You can prepare the oat crisp filling in advance and store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. The apples can also be cored a few hours ahead of time and kept in a bowl of lightly salted water with a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent browning, then patted dry before filling and baking.
Variations: Feel free to experiment with other spices like a pinch of ground ginger or cardamom for a different flavor twist. You can also swap pecans for walnuts or omit nuts entirely if preferred. For an extra touch of flavor, a tablespoon of dried cranberries or raisins can be added to the crisp filling.
If you try this comforting and delicious Baked Apples Stuffed with Cinnamon Oat Crisp recipe, please let me know your thoughts and how you enjoyed it in the comment section below! You can also tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #jessicainthekitchen! For even more exclusive recipes and behind-the-scenes glimpses, follow me on Instagram AND on Snapchat: jessinkitchen. Happy baking!
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