Cinnamon Baked Apples

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Baked Apples with brown butter cinnamon streusel topping are a favorite fall dessert. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce

Baked Apples on plate with ice cream and salted caramel sauce

Baked Apples In Fall 👍

I am feeling the fall vibes and that means it’s time to start baking! Fall baking is my favorite. I love pumpkin (pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin chocolate chip bread, pumpkin muffins, etc.) BUT I also love apple everything! I just made apple cinnamon muffins and now I want all of the apple things!

Baked apples are the perfect way to kick off fall. They are easy to make and your house will smell AMAZING while they are in the oven.

Baked apples have always been one of my favorite fall desserts, but this recipe is extra special because of the brown butter cinnamon streusel topping. Oh yes, you are going to love these apples.

Baked apples with cinnamon streusel topping

Best Apples To Use

You want to make sure you use an apple variety that holds up after being baked. Honeycrisp is my personal favorite, but feel free to use any of the following apples.

  • Honeycrisp
  • Granny Smith
  • Jonagold
  • Braeburn
  • Fuji
  • Rome Beauty

Honeycrisp apples for baked apples recipe

Streusel Topping

Baked apples are traditionally cored and stuffed, but I like to core the apples and cut them in half so I can top them with streusel topping.

This streusel topping it is extra special because it is made with brown butter, vanilla, brown sugar, oats, pecans, flour, and spices. Your apples will thank you!

I like to add pecans to the streusel topping for an extra crunch. Walnuts also work well. If you need the recipe to be nut free, you can leave them out.

The baked apples are basically individual apple crisps but so much more fun! Mini desserts are always so fun to serve, especially during the holidays. Everyone will love the presentation and of course the taste!

Baked apples with vanilla ice cream

How to Make Baked Apples

  • Cut the apples in half from stem to end. Use a melon baller or small spoon to scoop out the apple core and seeds. Dig deep enough so there is a little room to “stuff” the apples with the filling. Remove the apple stems.
  • Pour the hot water in a large cast iron skillet or baking dish. Arrange the apples in the baking dish with the flesh facing up. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the apples. Divide the streusel topping between the apples, pressing down so it doesn’t fall out.
  • Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake the apples for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Bake for 30-40 more minutes or until the apples are soft and the topping is golden brown. You want the apples to be soft, but not mushy.
  • Remove from the oven and serve warm. I highly recommend serving the warm apples with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce. SO good!

How to Store

Baked apples are best the day they are made, served warm right out of the oven, but you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to three days.

To reheat a single baked apple, place the apple on a plate and heat in the microwave for about one minute. If you want to reheat several baked apples at the same time, you can reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees F until warm throughout.

More Apple Recipes:

Baked Apples with brown butter cinnamon streusel topping and ice cream
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Cinnamon Streusel Baked Apples

Baked apples topped with brown butter cinnamon streusel topping are the perfect dessert for fall and Thanksgiving!
5 from 5 votes

Ingredients
  

For the brown butter cinnamon streusel topping:

For the apples:

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Place butter pieces in a medium skillet. Melt the butter over medium heat, swirling it in the pan occasionally. The butter will foam and pop, so be careful. Continue to swirl the pan often. Remove pan from heat once the butter starts to brown and smells nutty. There will be small brown bits on the bottom. The butter should be an amber color. Pour butter into a medium bowl.
  • Add the vanilla extract and brown sugar to the brown butter. Stir until smooth. Add the flour, oats, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir until combined. Set aside.
  • Cut the apples in half from stem to end. Use a melon baller or small spoon to scoop out the apple core and seeds. Dig deep enough so there is a little room to "stuff" the apples with the filling. Remove the apple stems.
  • Pour the hot water in a large cast iron skillet or baking dish. Arrange the apples in the baking dish with the flesh facing up. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the apples. Divide the streusel topping between the apples, pressing down so it doesn’t fall out.
  • Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake the apples for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Bake for 30-40 more minutes or until the apples are soft and the topping is golden brown. You want the apples to be soft, but not mushy.
  • Remove from the oven and serve warm with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 114mg, Potassium: 163mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 329IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1mg

Have you tried this recipe?

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Maria

I'm Maria and my husband is Josh. We share a love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. We enjoy creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly. We love sitting around the table with good food, good conversation, and good friends and family! Our kitchen is always open!
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  1. i’m thinking… your panzanella salad for dinner + these amazing looking baked apples for desert = absolute autumn perfection. thanks so much for sharing!  would you have a suggestion for a substitute for butter in this recipe?

    1. The perfect meal! The brown butter is so good in this recipe, but if you don’t want to use it, melted coconut oil is a good option.

  2. can you make this recipe ahead and store it in fridge or freezer, then gently reheat in oven at the time of serving?

  3. 5 stars
    I made these when we had our neighbors over for dessert. They were delicious and compliments were all positive. I baked them in a cast iron skillet. I left them in the skillet for about 15 minutes, and the bottoms of the apples turned black from the skillet. Thankfully I was able to remove the blackened skin before serving them. I’ll make them again using a baking dish.

  4. I just made these baked apples for dessert tonight, & they were amazing! Since we’re empty nesters, I cut the recipe in half & used two large apples. (Since I baked them in a cast iron pan, I found they started to get dark after about 40 minutes). This recipe will be on repeat in our house. Thanks so much for generously sharing your tasty recipes!
    It’s also a joy to see your cute sons & all the adventures they go on. They are blessed to have such an involved dad who is introducing them to many wonderful activities. And you live in a very beautiful area.

  5. 5 stars
    I forgot to rate this recipe. And I should mention that using two apples for two of us provided dessert for two nights.