I used to make baked apples for my 11 year-old when she was a toddler. She’s always been my “selective” eater, and when I picked up on the fact that there was another food that she was keen on, I quickly jumped on board. My baked apples have come a long way from then; back in the day I’d slice an apple, sprinkle it with cinnamon and throw it in the microwave. Today’s new recipe is a “grown up” version of the tried and true favorite.
Baked apples stuffed with oatmeal are a deliciously seasonal dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast, after school, sent in lunches or even as dessert. Top them with a dollop of nut butter or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The hardest part is hollowing out the apples, and the rest of the prep takes minutes and leaves your home smelling super fall-like.
How to hollow out the apples:
First off, you can definitely core these if you prefer. The only issue is that you then have a hole that goes all the way through the apple. I prefer to hollow out the apple to leave a wider opening for the yummy filling. After a few tries, I found myself much quicker. There is a definite learning curve, but it’s quick, I promise.
- Picture your apple as a pumpkin for carving purposes.
- Use a knife to cut around the top of the stem. Make a “circle”, keeping in mind that you want to remove as much of the core as you can.
- Go around a second time if you need to and try to push the “circle” out with your knife. I also tried to use a spoon (after cutting with the knife) and this worked well, too.
About the recipe:
- Feel free to swap out the raisins for pecan pieces, and swap the raisins for unsweetened dried coconut if you prefer.
- I use my pie dish to bake them in since it helps them not roll around.
- The “granola” makes too much for the stuffing. Save it and serve it with the apples once they are baked.
- 5-6 apples tops hollowed out
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 3 TBSP coconut oil melted
- 2 TBSP maple syrup plus more if desired
- 1 tsp cinnamon
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Preheat oven to 350 F.
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In a medium bowl, mix oats, raisins, walnuts, coconut oil, maple syrup and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Hollow out the tops of the apples and place in a baking dish (see notes). Fill apples with oatmeal mixture, stuffing in as best as you can. Drizzle a few drops of maple syrup on top of oatmeal if desired. Loosely place a piece of foil over the tops of the baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
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Serve warm as is, or with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of nut butter.
Interestingly enough, some of my kids actually liked these better cold vs. hot. I’m a warm apple girl! Either way, I hope you love these baked apples stuffed with oatmeal as much as we do!
Other fall recipes you may enjoy
How to Build a Fall Board with Trader Joe’s Products
Gluten Free Sweet Potato Biscuits
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