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Desserts

Baked Apples with Cinnamon & Walnuts

TIME

65 min

DIFFICULTY

Easy

SERVINGS

4

CALORIES

210 kcal

CARBS

33 g

PROTEIN

2 g

FAT

9.5 g

Z Baked Apples with Cinnamon & Walnuts

About this recipe

Baked apples have a long history in home cooking: an 1890 cookbook describes cored apples filled with sugar, cinnamon, and butter, then baked with water in the dish. This adaptation adds walnuts and a measured amount of maple syrup for a warm fruit dessert with a gently spiced filling.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT

Baking softens the apples into a warm, spoonable dessert. Walnuts add texture to the cinnamon-maple filling. Individual apples make four clearly defined portions.

Ingredients

Makes: 4 servings, with one filled apple and one-quarter of the pan juices per serving.

  • 4 medium Honeycrisp apples, skin on (approximately 800 g whole; 680 g edible weight after coring)
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped walnuts (40 g)
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup (30 ml / approximately 40 g)
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter (14 g), softened
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon (2 g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml)
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (15 ml)
  • ½ cup water (120 ml), for the baking dish

Nutrition note: Estimates include the entire filling and all the pan juices. Ice cream, cream, yogurt, and other accompaniments are not included.

Preparation

Time: Allow approximately 65 minutes total: 15 minutes of preparation, 35–45 minutes of baking, and 5 minutes of cooling. Active time is approximately 15 minutes.

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C), with a rack in the center. Select a baking dish that holds the four apples upright with a little space between them.
  2. Wash and dry the apples. Working from the stem end with a small knife and a melon baller or teaspoon, remove the stems, seeds, and core. Create a cavity approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide, leaving the bottom ½ inch (1 cm) intact to hold the filling. Keep the skin on.
  3. Check the prepared weight: aim for approximately 680 g total edible apple, or 170 g per apple. Brush the inside of each cavity with an equal share of the lemon juice.
  4. In a small bowl, mix the walnuts, maple syrup, softened butter, cinnamon, and vanilla until evenly combined.
  5. Place the apples upright in the baking dish. Divide the filling equally among the four cavities, pressing it in gently. Spoon any remaining filling over the openings rather than discarding it.
  6. Pour the water into the bottom of the dish, around the apples rather than over the filling. Loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil.
  7. Bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil, avoiding the hot steam, and spoon a little of the pan liquid over each apple. Continue baking uncovered for 10–20 minutes, until the flesh yields easily to a small knife but the apples still hold their shape. If the filling browns before the apples are tender, cover loosely again.
  8. Let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer one apple to each serving dish and divide all the pan juices equally among the four portions. Serve warm.

Tips

  • Choose apples of similar size so they soften at a similar rate. This recipe uses Honeycrisp; other varieties may soften faster or collapse more readily.
  • Remove all the seeds and tough core while keeping the base intact. Do not push an apple corer completely through the fruit.
  • Chop the walnuts finely enough to fit comfortably inside the cavities.
  • Use apple tenderness rather than the timer alone to judge doneness. Larger or firmer apples may need additional baking time.
  • The pan juices will be light and spoonable, not a thick caramel sauce. They are part of the measured recipe.
  • No additional topping is needed; the walnuts, cinnamon filling, and baking juices provide the finish.

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