No, not that kind of getting baked, silly! I’m talking about apples! Remember how I said that I was slacking in the apple recipe making/baking department in comparison to some of my fellow food bloggers? Well, slow and steady wins the race and I’m making a go at the apple recipe cooking finish line (if there is such a thing?). Because I used only one apple in my previous recipe and still have a million (not a lie) left in my crisper, I wanted to find a dish that would call for the usage of multiple apples. Hence, I scoured the internet and did hours of research (total lie) until I found this gem…
Getting Baked Apples
Adapted from SimplyRecipes.com
Serves 4
- 4 large good baking apples (I bucked the trend and used McIntosh apples, which is not recommended for baking)
- 1/4 cup of rolled oats
- 1 TBSP of evaporated cane juice (I used Florida Crystals, feel free to use dry sweetener of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- sprinkle of nutmeg
- 14 raw almonds, chopped (you could use pecans, walnuts or no nuts)
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped (dried apricots, raisins, dried figs would be good here, too)
- 1 TBSP of peanut butter (I used Trader Joe’s Valencia Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds)
- 3/4 cup boiling water
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and dry your apples. Using an apple corer or paring knife, remove the cores to 1/2 inch of the bottom of the apples. Be careful not to cut all the way through to the bottom (I confess, I did this once)! Then, use a paring knife to widen the cavity and a spoon to scoop out the seeds. It’s a tad tricky at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. Make the cavity about 3/4 inch to an inch wide.
2) In a small bowl, combine the oats, evaporated cane juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, almonds and dried cranberries.
3) Place the apples in an 8 x 8 baking dish. Fill each apple with the mixture and then dot the top of each apple with 1/4 of the TBSP of peanut butter.
4) Pour the boiling water into the baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the apples can be easily pierced with a knife, but not mushy. While the apples are baking, be sure to baste the apples with the dish juices (I repeated this three different times).
5) Serve hot!
These baked apples were like whoa! I couldn’t believe how good they tasted for something that was so simple to make. I really liked the fact that even though the apples were stuffed with goodies like cinnamon, nutmeg and dried cranberries, the natural sweetness of my personally picked produce still shined through. And, the McIntosh apples stood up quite well in the oven. They came out tender and did not fall apart. So take that, you online apple experts (whoever the heck you are)! This is one of the best DPAABs (dessert-parading-around-as-breakfast) I’ve had in a long time. While it’s quite similar in taste to the healthified fruit crisp I made a few weeks ago, the sheer fact that I was eating a whole piece of baked fruit made this dish stand out from anything else I have ever made. Plus, having to eat this dessert/breakfast with a fork and knife made me feel as if I was having an entire meal, versus just a snack.
And because this is a healthy food blog and I like to give recipes my own little twist, I decided to substitute the brown sugar for evaporated cane juice and reduce the amount. And to make the dish even heartier, I decided to add one of my favorite foods, oatmeal! Instead of dabbing the tops of the apples with butter, I used a natural peanut butter. It’s less greasy and adds more flavor to the recipe. The original recipe called for serving this dish with vanilla ice cream, which is a tremendous call. However, I didn’t have any on hand (just cookies and cream 
) and figured a dollop of thick greek yogurt would be the next best thing. You could also drizzle some honey or agave nectar over the entire apple for some additional sweetness, but my apples didn’t require it. Plus, I had some of the oatmeal mixture leftover, so I sprinkled some over the greek yogurt. I’m not gonna lie, it was a stroke of genius on my behalf…just sayin’.
Who says eating food can’t get you high?
Random question: Is there a recipe or dish that you are intimidated to make? Or, what is the one recipe you’ve been dying to make but just haven’t had the chance to do so?
Namasté,
Nicole
Hi, I'm Nicole and welcome to Healthy Chow. My last name is Chow and this is my journey to living a life that is healthy and well-balanced. That being said, I thought Healthy Chow would be an appropriate name for my blog! I love to eat, I'm growing my love to cook and I'm in love with family, yoga and creating my own jewelry. This blog was started as a way to remind myself (and the world) that there isn't just one definition of healthy. We each just need to find our own meaning. Please join me as I find mine.
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BEYOND scrumptious apple recipe!
There IS a recipe of that sort for me… and I just tried it today – stay tuned
those look delicious
I loved baked apples – such a great fall dessert
you should be totally proud, your baked apples are so gourmet! mine are usually much more boring
but seriously, arent they delicious?! for a quick shortcut, sometimes i just cube an apple, cover it in cinnamon, toss it in the micro and get a quasi-baked apple 
only when i am lazy of course, like 90% of the time!
That is a DPAAB if I’ve ever seen one! I’ve never had STUFFED baked apples. That’s pretty brilliant–and I bet the baked goodness would taste GREAT if you were, um, baked.
I LOVE the addition of peanut butter! I will definitely be making this recipe
.
Holy Apple yumminess, I have apples that are just sitting in my kitchen waiting to be eaten. I think I may attempt this recipe over the weeend.
These look incredibly delish! I’ve been meaning to try making stuffed peppers for years but somehow I never have a whole pepper hanging around for that long…
oh my gosh, i’m drooling and totally want one RIGHT now
that’s GRANATAPFEL!!! that is a traditional german christmas recipe!! its so yummy. i nearly died after seeng this post. i want one like right now!
enjoy them!!!
loads of love
Hi Neela – is that what it is? Cool! I will make you some and mail them to Singapore
You’re the cutest!
Oh my goodness. That recipe is great. I am so excited you posted this because I have been craving apple pie, but have no time to make one!
This was so easy, Kaytee! But don’t tell anyone – it tastes like it was cooked for hours on end
i’ve never seen baked apples with nut butter before – genius!!!
HAHA! Thanks Lynn! I love being a smarty pants
I could definitely go for some baked apples right now–especially with almond butter!! I’m allergic to raw apples so baked is how I eat ‘em!!
Oh right! I forgot about that, Allie. So yes, this would indeed be perfect for you!
Yum-o-goodness! What does “taste like whoa” mean? lol! I’m assuming it tastes…eye-poppingly, tongue-twistingly good!
I’m scared of making my own risotto…I know I got tutorials from my cooking class at Zucca, but I’m still scared of getting a whole packet of arborio rice and then messing up!
Hi Sophia, ‘taste like whoa’ just means something is to the extreme or something is that great. It’s silly really! But yes, those apples were amazing! You don’t need to be scared of anything. Everything you touch seems to turn to gold – no lie!
Mmmm, I wish we still had some apples left so I could make these! I love how they’re packed with goodness and topped with pb!
I have some more apples if you want them, Kerstin! Thank you
You are so nice!
I have been having a baked apple (or microwaved if I’m lazy!) just about everyday mixed together with vanilla Greek yogurt. It is sinfully good, and super healthy! I am going to try it with peanut butter next…good call!
I made a rice noodle dish I have been meaning to make last night. It was great! What took me so long?!
Hi Shannon – It’s funny how we wait so long to do something and in reality, it’s so easy. Please try it – it’s sooooo gooood!
Those look great!
Glad to find another Boston blogger – I’ll add you to my blogroll! =D
Thanks Allison! Thanks for visiting! Your blog is very cool, too.
OH WOW!!!! I want to get baked! lol Apple Baked! I love the poof
I want to make a vegetable terrine but I’m nervous! They’re just so pretty I feel like I’d mess it up.
Hi Katharina, hehehe – glad you liked the title. Ohhh, a veggie terrine? Sounds amazing…can’t wait to see the pics when you do make it…
LASAGNA! There’s just something about it that reads “I am difficult to make” kind of thing. I’ve got some Italian easy cookbooks like Giada, but I never have made lasagna. You think I would of made it dozens of times, but just because I’m Italian doesn’t mean I’m the pasta queen.