Name: Healthy Baked Apples with Cinnamon and Oat Filling
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 6 medium-large apples*; ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats (look for certified gluten-free if needed); ⅓ cup walnuts; 2 tablespoons flax seeds; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; pinch fine grain sea salt; 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

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Tender, juicy and cinnamon-y, these healthy baked apples are my shortcut take on apple crisp…all the cozy goodness with NO peeling or chopping. The apples stay whole, my grapefruit spoon trick makes coring a breeze, and a crumbly oat-walnut filling with a drizzle of maple syrup does the rest. 10 minutes of prep? I’ll take that shortcut!

Baked apples in a pie dish and on a plate, cut in half and topped with ice cream.

Best apples for baking whole?

I know you’re not going to like this answer, but here goes: IT DEPENDS. These are MY favorites and I’ll tell you why so you can make the best decision for you. I also like a combination of tart/sweet, firm/soft or red/green for variety!

Honeycrisp: Wins the award for congeniality for sure. Mild honeyed flavor and crisp texture make these an ideal choice for snacking and a fall harvest salad, and perfect for this baked apples recipe since crisp apples get sweeter when baked and don’t turn to mush.
Empire: A cross between Red Delicious and McIntosh, this variety is great for baking, as the creamy white flesh softens with a combo sweet/tart flavor. Also a good option for making applesauce.
Braeburn: I give this one 5 stars….it bakes up juicy, but not mushy, and it’s my top choice for apple pie bars.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for baked apples: maple syrup, cinnamon, ground flax, walnuts, oatmeal.

Ground Flax: I love the way these add fiber, a nutty flavor, and help hold the filling together.
Walnuts: I love the nutty, crunchy texture…and the omega-3s that walnuts add. For nut allergies, substitute hemp seeds. If both nuts and seeds are a no go for you, just skip them.
Oats: The combination of rolled oats with the nuts and flax is what brings in the apple crisp vibe that I’m so fond of.

Easiest way to core an apple?

Oh, I’m glad you asked! I struggled for years to dig out the woody center and seeds without wrecking the apple (yes, I even bought an apple corer)…until I grabbed my grapefruit spoon. Its serrated edge makes it SO easy!

Close up of a red apple on a cutting board with a grapefruit spoon stuck into the center to scoop out the core.

Make small slits around the stem/core, turning the apple ¼ turn as you go.
Scoop, then go a little deeper and scoop out any seeds or firm core, stopping just short of the bottom.
Break through? It’s OK, I’ve done it plenty of times. The filling stays put and the apple still tastes delish!

Step by Step

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Oats, walnuts and spices in a spice grinder.

Oatmeal mixture finely ground in a spice grinder.

To make the apple filling, use a small spice grinder or a small food processor. If you don’t have any of those small appliances, see my tip below. Mix the nuts and oats together with the cinnamon and ground flax to form a uniform mixture.

Liquid ingredients in a bowl with the ground oat mixture.

Oat mixture for stuffing baked apples in a medium sized bowl.

Place the ground oats/nuts mixture into a bowl, add in the maple syrup and stir until well combined. Set the filling mixture aside.

Step-by-step photos showing the apples being cored, the oat and walnut filling ground and mixed, and the apples stuffed in a pie plate with water.

Place apples that you have cored into a baking dish that will just fit them snugly. The glass pie dish I have works beautifully.
Spoon the filling you put aside into the cavity of the apples.
When all apples are stuffed, pour ¼″ water into the pan.
Bake whole stuffed apples in preheated oven until golden and tender when pierced with a fork.

Debra’s Pro Tips

Edge of a glass pie dish filled with baked apples. A whole baked apple on a white rimmed plate with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream inside and another white plate with a whole baked apple cut in half so you can see the oatmeal cinnamon filling inside. There are whole red apples and crumbs of oats and walnuts strewn around along with a navy striped tea towel.

If the oats are still whole in your stuffing mixture, pour the ¼″ of apple cider or warm water slowly over the filling instead of into the pan, so it softens them on the way down.
A warm, steamy oven is the best way to cook and soften your apples…so don’t skip the step that adds water (or use apple juice or cider) to the pan before baking.
Choose a baking dish that fits the apples snugly to aid in the steaming process.
The larger the apples, the more space you can carve out for the yummy cinnamon oat filling. Just be sure to add a bit to the cooking time to give the whole apple time to get soft.

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📖 Recipe

Close up of baked apples, stuffed with oatmeal in a glass pie plate.

Healthy Baked Apples with Cinnamon and Oat Filling

Author: Debra Klein

Healthy baked apples stuffed with a cinnamon, oat and walnut filling and baked until soft and juicy. No butter and no refined sugar, just a touch of maple syrup. A cozy vegan, gluten-free dessert, breakfast or snack I'd be happy with any day!

5 from 89 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Course Breakfast & Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 167 kcal

Video

Equipment

Ingredients

Ingredients:

▢ 6 medium-large apples*
▢ ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats look for certified gluten-free if needed
▢ ⅓ cup walnuts
▢ 2 tablespoons flax seeds
▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
▢ pinch fine grain sea salt
▢ 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Instructions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Prepare apples. Wash and core. I find it easiest to do with a grapefruit spoon. If you don't have one, a knife works well too. Place in glass or ceramic baking dish.
Place oats, nuts, flax, cinnamon and salt in coffee grinder, blender or food processor and pulse until well mixed and crumbly. It’s OK if some of the oats are still whole.
Transfer mixture to a small bowl. Pour in the maple syrup and stir until well combined.
Evenly distribute oat mixture into apple cavities and then pour in water to ¼" up the side of baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until apples are soft. If your apples are bigger, cooking time will be longer. Baked apples are finished when you can easily stick a fork into them.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

APPLES: the larger the apple, the more filling you can squish inside. There is enough filling for 6 large apples. If your apples are smaller, you may not need so much.

Apples can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Serve them cold, bring them to room temperature OR gently heat in a 325°F oven for 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1appleCalories: 167kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 2gFat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 26mgFiber: 6gSugar: 23g

Note

The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag me @dkhealthcoach on Instagram so I can see it!!

Categories

Dessert Gluten Free No Oil Oatmeal Rosh Hashanah Snack Thanksgiving Vegan Apples

Comments

5 from 89 votes (83 ratings without comment)