Easy Baked Apples Recipe (VIDEO)
These stuffed Baked Apples are infused with cinnamon and brown sugar from the inside out. Top them with whipped cream or caramel sauce, or enjoy them as a cozy treat all on their own.
These stuffed baked apples taste just like the filling for homemade Apple Pie. You’ll love this easy apple recipe if you love fuss-free fall treats (that you can eat for breakfast or dessert).

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Baked Apples Video
Watch Natasha make delicious baked apples stuffed with buttery cinnamon sugar filling. You’ll love how amazing your house smells while the apples sizzle in the oven.
Cozy Stuffed and Baked Apples
These delightfully sweet and buttery baked apples are the BEST fall treat. Just like our Baked Pears Recipe, they’re easy to make, filled with caramelized cinnamon sugar and tangy cranberries, and baked until soft. Next to Apple Crisp, this is one of our favorite ways to use apples while they’re in season.
Serve baked apples for breakfast or at brunch, or as a gluten-free dessert topped with whipped cream and caramel. They never disappoint! Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- Simple Ingredients – You only need 6 ingredients to make delicious baked apples. All the ingredients are gluten-free, with the option to make the recipe dairy-free and nut-free.
- Full of Fall Flavor – Our baked apples are brimming with brown sugar, cinnamon, and cranberries, marrying the best of fall’s flavors in one easy homemade treat.
- Easy to Scale – It’s just as easy to scale the recipe down for two as it is to scale it up for a holiday crowd.

Ingredients
Below is a summary of what you’ll need to make baked apples. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card for the full ingredient amounts.
- Apples – You’ll need 6 medium-sized baking apples. Aim for varieties that are crisp and firm, like Rome Beauty or Granny Smith apples.
- Brown Sugar – Brown sugar imparts loads of caramelized flavor to the apples as they bake.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg – The combination of warm spices brings major fall flavor and really lets the apple shine.
- Dried Cranberries – You can use craisins or raisins.
- Butter – Topping the apples with a spoonful of butter before baking causes the brown sugar filling to caramelize and deepens the flavors. Your apples will turn out extra rich and delicious.
- Walnuts – Add finely chopped walnuts or pecans, if you’d like, to give the topping a bit of extra crunch.

The Best Apples for Baked Apples
The best apples for baking are firm, crisp, and tart varieties like Rome Beauty, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp. Other good options are Jonagold, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, and Braeburn apples.
Pro Tip: Choose round, firm, larger-sized apples. This way they’ll stand upright and you can stuff them with even more delicious filling.
How to Core an Apple
To core an apple, cut out the center using a melon baller or a small paring knife. The key to coring an apple for baking is to keep the base intact. Cutting all the way through will result in the filling leaking out!

How to Make Baked Apples
The process of stuffing and then roasting apples in the oven couldn’t be easier:
- Combine the Filling – In a bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and dried cranberries.
- Core and Stuff the Apples – Core the apples, making sure that you don’t cut all the way through the base (see above). Next, arrange the apples in a casserole dish, and divide the cinnamon filling between the apples. Top each one with butter and sprinkle on the walnuts.
- Add water – pour 1 cup of hot water into the bottom of the dish.
- Bake until the apples are softened, but not mushy. Mine usually take about 45 minutes to an hour at 375ºF.

Pro Tip: Bake the apples in a casserole dish that is large enough to hold the apples without crowding them. We use this 9×12 Casserole.

Common Questions
The apples should become slightly soft after 45 minutes to 1 hour in the oven. Baking times can vary depending on the size and variety of apples you’re using.
Yes, use dairy-free butter to make vegan baked apples instead.
Absolutely, leave off the walnuts and add more of the filling mixture in their place, if you’d like.
Absolutely. Scale the recipe up or down depending on how many apples you have on hand.

How to Serve Baked Apples
Baked stuffed apples are a treat all on their own, but there are so many ways to serve them:
- Baked Apples Dessert – we love them topped with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A generous drizzle of homemade Caramel Sauce makes these apples absolutely irresistible.
- Baked Apples for Breakfast – you can slice up freshly baked apples or warm a leftover baked apple for breakfast the next day. We love to put warm baked apples on Overnight Oats, or Steel Cut Oats. They’re also great over Apple Pancakes.

Make-Ahead
Leftover Stuffed Apples? No problem! They reheat really well and are just as good if not better the following day. Here’s how to store them:
- To Refrigerate: Store the baked apples airtight in the fridge. If you’re making these apples ahead, I recommend preparing the filling and storing it airtight, while leaving the raw apples whole until you’re ready to fill and bake them. This way the apples don’t become brown.
- Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing the baked apples, as they become too mushy once thawed.
- To Reheat: Reheat the apples in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, or until warmed through.
We just know you’ll be baking apples from now until spring after you’ve tasted these. They’re seriously simple yet so tasty!
More Apple Recipes to Try
Try these other tasty ways to use apples:
Baked Apples Recipe

Ingredients
For the Baked Apples:
- 6 medium baking apples, *
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries, (craisins or raisins)
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped, optional
- 1 cup hot water
To serve (Optional):
- Unsweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
- Caramel Sauce, (Try our recipe for easy homemade Caramel Sauce)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp nutmeg and stir with a fork. Stir in 1/3 cup dried cranberries and set aside.
- Wash and core the apples using a melon baller, or small paring knife, leaving the base intact to keep the filling in – don't cut all the way through! Place apples in a casserole dish just big enough to hold the apples without them touching.
- Divide the filling evenly between apples. Top each stuffed apple with 1/2 Tbsp butter, top with walnuts if using, and sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon mixture. Set apples into a 9×13 or 9×12 casserole dish.
- Pour 1 cup hot water into the casserole dish and bake at 375˚F for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until apples are soft (but not mushy). Baking time can vary by the type and size of apples you are using. My Jonagold apples (pictured here) were perfect after 45 minutes but I've had larger Braeburn apples take 1 hour.
Hi Natasha,
First of all, I love looking through (a.k.a. “drooling over”) your recipes; they’re the BEST—my unbiased opinion. I’ve been searching for an apple dumpling recipe, and the closest I’ve found is your baked apple recipe. Even though I imagine it’s got to be similar to the dumpling recipe (but with a crust of some sort, and some other mysterious ingredients), it’s just not the same thing. I’m wondering if you could perhaps clue me in on what the actual differences might be, and I’ll do the rest. Thanks in advance, and how you stay so trim with all the yummies you’re always cooking!
You’re so welcome! Good to know that you like this recipe, thanks for sharing that, Sue.
Hi Natasha – I LOVE your recipes, they are always a success!!! When I make these baked apples, instead of hot water, I use apple juice! Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
Hi Julie! Thank you for the feedback. So glad you enjoy my recipes. 🙂
Hi Natasha just wanted to know if that’s you giving prizes on YouTube saying to message you in telegram?
Hello there, that’s not me. I don’t have any giveaways or a telegram account for that.
Looks delicious! I know there are many kinds of baking apples, but I wonder what sort you used for this recipe? Thanks
Hi Oksana, you may use Rome Beauty or Granny Smith apples.
I added your Baked Apples to my Thanksgiving menu. Yum. Just wondering if I’ll be able to give your new cookbook as Christmas gifts?
That’s great. They’re perfect! Unfortunately, the cookbook won’t be ready for this Christmas. Fall 2023 is the release date.
These baked apples were the perfect fall treat. We added a drizzle of your homemade caramel sauce and a dollop of ice cream, and my kids are begging me to make these again!
That’s wonderful, Andie! Thank you for sharing.
Have you tried these in an air fryer (perhaps at lower temp)? Hate to run big oven for 2 people. LOVE baked apples!
I have not tested it but I think it could work. Let us know if you experiment.
This is a super easy recipe and I love the flavor, thank you so much for sharing
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved it.
Mmmm!!! They are amazing!! I’m not a big fruit dessert person, but man, I sure love these apples!! Perfectly tender & delicious!
I’m so glad to hear that, Kristyn. Thank you for the review.
I make baked apples and soak my raisins in rum before I put them in the stuffing. I also add a few pats of butter in the water. delicious.
Sounds good and delicious!
I am diabetic but will make them this way until someone can tell me how to cut the sugar or use a sugar substitute to make them better for me.
If in UK Bramley Apples are good for this and other apple dishes
I add crumbled marzipan and serve with vanilla sauce. It’s heaven on earth. Perfect for cold weather evenings:)
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi Natasha,
I made these tonight for desert with the caramel sauce and whipped cream and they were a hit! I substituted chopped pumpkin and sunflower seeds for the walnuts because my husband has a, anaphylactic nut allergy but I still wanted the texture of nuts in the apples. They were absolutely delicious! Thank you!
I’m so glad this was a hit, Jean! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Just made these and they were amazing! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Pat! Glad you liked it.
Love your chocolate and rich icing meant to say chocolate cake
Thank you, Mary. Glad to hear that!
Hii. Its look like soo yummy. Can you share video recipe?
Hi Nigar, yes this is so yum! However, I don’t have a video tutorial for this but hopefully, we can do it in the future.
I will make these for my dinner for my the 17.
I hope you and your family will enjoy this recipe!
I so want to make these when I go home. Thanks for such a great recipe.
I hope you love this recipe, Cindy!
OMG this was so good, I used vegan butter and made vegan whipped cream and it was delicious. Thank you very much.
You’re welcome, Kathlene! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I think in order to make it less sugary, (LOVE that it’s gluten-free) I will use either maple syrup or dates to make it just as sweet. I will also experiment with different types of apples. Thank you so much for sharing your God-given talent with us!
You’re welcome! Thank you for that awesome and thoughtful review!
This baked apple recipe was great, but it was a bit too sweet for my tastes. Next time I will try it with half the amount of coconut sugar.
Hi Jessica, you can use less sugar but it also makes a big difference what type of apples you are using. I like using a crisp apple that is a little tart – they seem to taste best when they are baked.
They’re the best. Love them.❤🍎
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Rebecca!
Hi – this looks amazing! I was wondering if you have tried it in a slow cooker? I was thinking I would just line the apples tight in the bottom and make it 3-4 apples deep. You could have ice cream or whip cream to top it with? Any suggestions on how to make this work? Or do you think they would fall apart? It would be a great desert for large family gatherings.
Hi Jamie! I haven’t tried that and can’t really say without experimenting! They may get soggy if stacked since there will be a lot of moisture leaking down and between the apples. the may flatten under the weight over the apples above it as well. I would love to know how it turns out if you do experiment however!
Hi Natasha! I can’t find any other place to ask you a question so I will just ask you here (although this recipe looks absolutely scrumptious and I will be making this very soon) but off the subject I need a new set of knives and I was wondering if you had any recommendations. Thanks so much!
Hi Tammy! That is not a problem! You can follow this link HERE for some of our favorite kitchen items!
Natasha, you got me at this one!
Thank you!! They are so good!
OMG so good have a good Christmas LOL 🙂
Thank you for sharing, Anthony. Merry Christmas!
Delicious! I added some walnuts to the filling and served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. The perfect fall treat!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you love it!
HI Natasha. I was planning to make these apples tomorrow and have a question. If I don’t have a nutmeg, can I substitute it? And instead of whipping cream can I use vanilla ice cream on top?
Thank you for your wonderful work and beautiful pictures! Amazing recipes!
Hi Nata, you can omit the nutmeg and it would still turn out great and ice cream = YES! I think ice cream is just as good as whipped cream 🙂
Can almonds be substituted for the walnuts in the baked almonds? (Allergies to walnuts and pecans to be considered)
Hi, yes you can definitely sub with your favorite nuts. You can also leave the nuts out completely and it would still be tasty.
These apples were delicious! I want to add a warning to those who doesn’t know, like I didn’t. If you are baking in a glass baking pan, DO NOT add water after it has been baking for a bit. I made that mistake. There was only a little bit water left because it evaporated, so some of the apples by the corner of the pan were not sitting in water any more, and I thought I should add a bit more water. HUGE Mistake! My glass baking pan blew up in my oven in to little pieces making a pretty big mess! I thought it would be OK since there was already water in the pan, but I guess the water temperature difference was too high. Soooo, make sure you have enough water in the pan when you put it in the first time. Don’t say no one warned you! LOL.
Hi Larissa, Oh no!! My sister had a similar experience with a different recipe. Did you use a larger pan that you needed more water?
Hi Natasha,
Another great recipe! (and I added 1/2 tsp apple pie spice for a spicierflavor).
Also, through my experience, if any needed water must be added to the glass baking dish, the water should be very hot. This will help to prevent a glass dish from shattering, as cold water and hot glass do not mix well.
Hi Robert, thank you for sharing that we us, we appreciate it!
These baked apples are my husbands favorite! Thank you for the recipe!
You are very welcome 😁. They are a great addition to any dessert table.
How long could the apples stand prepared (i.e. cored and stuffed with filling sans butter) before baking? We’re headed up to a cabin with friends and our family is first in line to make dinner. I was hoping to be able to prep the apples as much as possible, but wonder if they could be stuffed around 4-5 hours before baking. Probably not?
Hi Marta, I always make and bake them right away because of the color change that can occur but if you cover and keep the apples chilled after assembling, I think it will work out ok. Sounds like a fun trip and what a cozy treat on a cabin trip!
Hi Marta, If you rinse the cored apples with lemon juice inside and store them in a locking freezer bag they won’t brown. Store the prepared filling in a lidded storage bowl for easy transport.
Omg mmmmm wow Natasha these look really way good and yummmm love baked apples have not had 1 in ages this totally screams fall and winter job well done sweetheart
They really are a treat in Fall and Winter! Thanks Tzivia 🙂
Np my pleasure girl cannot wait and especially with butter mmmmm
Just made this and its soooo delicious!!!! Reminds me of fall and thanksgiving. Yum!
Yana, thank you for such a nice review, I’m glad you liked them 😁.
I made these last night and we devoured them! The recipe yielded a bunch of carmel so these apples were SMOTHERED in it!😋😍
I’m wondering how this would taste if I used this apple recipe and wrap it in a buttery crust…? 🤔
Thank you for yet another delicious and simple recipe.
I’m so happy you liked the recipe! 🙂 Your idea of wrapping the apples in crust sounds delicious. Let me know if you try it!! 🙂
I made this for my birthday which was on the 14th of october and i loved this! It really is delish.
That’s awesome and happy birthday!!!
Ah those apples are the perfect fall dessert!!! Love it! It just sounds like a comfort dessert in a chilly cozy night! I will have to make this one night next week! Thank you for another great dish, Natasha! 😉
Absolutely! Warm baked apples on chilly evening sounds completely perfect! 🙂
Made these baked apples today, and they were delicious! However, I thought they were just a little too sweet. My sister and I debated on adding some apple crisp type filling to the inside, and maybe a little less sugar… I don’t know, I’ll have to try it! But either way, they were a hit and everyone love them! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Maria, you can use less sugar but it also makes a big difference what type of apples you are using. I like using a crisp apple that is a little tart – they seem to taste best when they are baked.
Natasha, as always simple and delish! Thank you for your ideas and recipes.
Thank you Delia for your sweet comment 🙂
Hubby LOVES apple pie but is gluten free; these were a great alternative! Why hadn’t I thought of this before?? I made them with some apples, I think honey crisps, that our siblings brought us from Idaho a couple weeks ago. They were DELISH! Need to grab some vanilla ice cream (@ sam’s ;D) on the way home to kick them up a notch. Thanks for the great recipe! Keep the GF recipes coming!
I’m so happy you discovered this gluten free treat and enjoyed it!! Yes do try it with vanilla ice cream or the whipped cream with caramel sauce. It really takes these over the top!! 🙂
Gorgeous photos! Can’t wait to try!
Thank you Sara! 🙂
These are so simple and look SO delicious! Baked apples just scream fall!
Thank you Karly, we devoured all of them in one evening 😋. I can’t wait to make them again.
These look incredible!! Apples, yes, but not health food (because I want DESSERT)
Oh goodness I feel like this one is the best of both worlds! You can totally satisfy the dessert craving by adding whipped cream and caramel sauce or serve them as is for a lighter treat. They are so good!!
hi natasha, what happened to the canning recipes you said you were going to post this year? i was so looking forward to those =).
Hi Lily, it didn’t work out. We canned the peaches too late (and although they turned out really good), we had to give them a chance to sit before opening them and by then it was just too late, so it’ll be next year. Also, we didn’t have a ton of cucumbers this year and I was hoping to get another pickle recipe in. It just didn’t work out… Oh well. 🙂
=( ohhh ok, i understand but the cucumber recipes i will be looking forward too so yeahh hopefully next year then =).
These look awesome and we cannot wait to use up our fall apples!! Thanks!
Thank you Katie! 🙂
I’m with that girl 👆🏻Snapchat made me come here too. But I will definitely be making these apples. I love baked apples. My mom made them for us all the time when I was younger.
Oh how awesome!!! Isn’t it great how food can bring back memories? I just love that!!
Guilty here too! Saw the snap and HAD to see what goodness you prepared! It sure looks scrumptious! Gotta have it… Now, to find someone to make this for me 🤔 Lol!
Ha ha!! Yes! Another one!!!! lol. I hope you find a willing cook quick! 😉
These look so delicious, my mom use to make stuffed Apples with farmers cheese, cinnamon and sugar, they were so yummy.. Gotta give these a try…
Oh wow I hadn’t considered adding farmers cheese! Sounds awesome!!
I will be making theses for sure they look Devine !!!
Thanks Laurie! 🙂 I hope you love them 🙂
Wow these apples look AMAZING!! I will give them a try this weekend! perfect for this weather 😉
We had our first frost of the season last night and although I’ve made this twice in the last week, I’m planning the next batch already. I agree, they are so perfect for the weather! 🙂
Oh my!!! The pictures are mouthwatering!! 😋😋😋 I was thinking of baking an apple pie but didn’t want to mess with the whole dough thing..will make these for brunch tomorrow!!
Oh girl and these are sooo much easier than baking a pie. They come together so quickly! 🙂 Thank you for that awesome compliment 🙂
Made these for brunch this morning. I can’t find words to describe how yummy they were. 😋😋 and they’re so easy to make. Thank you for your amazing recipes!
I’m so happy to hear that!!! Thank you Inna 🙂 🙂 🙂
I’m not a big fan of baked apples but THIS I want to try 😋😋
I hope you LOVE them!!! 🙂
Snapchat made me come here haha Not disappointed!
YAAAAASSSS!! lol. That just made my day 🙂 My ploy to lure you worked. ha ha!!
Nice Recipe
Thank you!