Baked Apples (Oven or Slow Cooker)

My absolute favorite way to say “hello” to fall weather is with old-fashioned baked apples. This baked apples recipe goes back 40+ years. In fact this was originally posted to foodie and wine way back in October 2015!

These babies are juicy, delectable, and a crowd pleaser. Anything that goes well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream has to be good.

Baked Apples

This recipe is easily adaptable to suit individual tastes. For those who haven’t seen the light, you can skip adding the nuts or oatmeal to their filling. 

It’s also adaptable in its preparation method. You can use an oven, microwave, or slow cooker to make these apples. 

Key Ingredients

The ingredients to make whole baked apples are pretty much the same ingredients required to make an apple crisp.

• Apples: There are quite a few apple varietals that work well. See the “best apples” section below for an extensive list.
• Brown Sugar: I don’t recommend replacing brown sugar with white sugar. You can, but the flavor won’t be as rich.
• Salted Butter: you can replace it with unsalted butter if you prefer. Add a pinch of salt to the mixture to compensate for its lack in the butter.
• Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves bring the spice.

Optional Filling Ingredients

Dessert recipes aren’t known to be overly adaptable, but this one is! Throw in any of the following with high success!

• Oatmeal – I highly recommend making baked apples with oats, but if you don’t care for oatmeal, you can leave this ingredient out. 
• Nuts – baked apples are delicious with or without nuts. If you want to throw some in walnuts, pecans, almonds, and pistachios, all work well.
• Dried Cranberries – the perfect addition during the Christmas season! Use a green apple to have a red and green-themed after-dinner treat.
• Raisins – I prefer raisins in the drinkable form (a.k.a. wine), so I omit them most of the time. But it’s easy to mix some in for those who enjoy them.
• Maple Syrup – add a tablespoon or two of maple syrup to get the icon maple flavor.
• Misc – a bit of cardamom or orange zest will elevate your baked apple game! 

How to Make Baked Apples 

I tested 3 different ways of making baked apples to see which options deliver the best results. Regardless of your route, I’m confident you’ll be happy with the results. 

Oven Baked Apples

Using the oven is the method I prefer because it’s the one I grew up with. Making apples in the oven tends to caramelize the apple better than the slow cooker or microwave. It’s my tried and true version. Here’s a quick overview of the required steps to make:

1. Mix the filling ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Core the apples with a sharp knife or apple corer. Do not break through the bottom side of the apple; otherwise, all the filling and juices will fall out when cooking.
3. Place the apples in a baking dish and spoon each apple with the filling mixture. Press down as you go to really pack it in.
4. Pour a cup of water into the bottom of the dish and bake for 30-45 minutes, until soft and tender. The time will depend on the size of the apples and the final texture you prefer. 
5. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Microwave Baked Apples

Making baked apples in the microwave is, by far, the quickest way to make this apple dessert. The prep work is the same as making oven baked apples, but you’ll cook for only 3-5 minutes in the microwave instead.

Crockpot Baked Apples

To make slow cooker baked apples, you prepare them like the oven baked apples, but you place them in a slow cooker instead of a baking dish. They’ll take 1.5-2 hours to make on high or 3-4 hours on slow. It’s a fantastic “hands-off” method.

The Best Apples for Baking 

Certain apples are preferred for baking because they hold their shape and provide a good balance of sweetness and tartness. Tip: The larger the apple, the more stuffing you can fit inside!

Here are my favorite apples to use when making baked apples, and caramel apple pie bites:

• Honeycrisp – Known for its sweet, slightly tart flavor and crisp texture, Honeycrisp apples are a great choice.
• Granny Smith – This apple is the best option if you prefer a tart flavor and firm texture that holds up well under heat.
• Fuji – Known for their natural sweetness and dense texture, Fuji apples hold up well under heat, so you’ll end up with firmer apples instead of mushy ones.
• Misc – other popular varietals are Braeburn, Jonagold, and Pink Lady.

How to Core an Apple

You can make this dessert with or without an apple corer. A sharp knife may be easier. 

Apple Corer: Use the corer to remove the majority of the core. Make sure you only go about 85% of the way down so you don’t poke a hole in the bottom of the apple. I then use the corer to dig out more of the center, starting at the top, to allow for more filling. A small spoon also helps to remove. 

Paring Knife: Insert the knife into the top of the apple and cut in a circular motion around the outside of the core. Use a small spoon to scoop out the flesh.

How to Serve Baked Apples

Anything that goes well with an apple pie will pair well with a baked apple. These finishing touches complement the warm apples nicely:

Ice Cream: Vanilla is the most popular flavor, but imagine how good caramel, coffee, or chocolate would be.

Caramel Sauce: Make a batch of homemade caramel sauce or grab some at the store to make baked caramel apples! Drizzle some on before serving. 

Whipped Cream: Whipped cream is a given for a warm fall dessert. 

Warm Beverage: Nothing beats baked apples with warm coffee, hot cocoa, or apple cider!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Baked Apples Be Make-Ahead? You can prep these apples up to 24 hours before baking. I recommend coating the apple flesh with lemon juice to prevent it from turning an unsightly brown color. Since you’re starting with cold ingredients, you must add about 5 extra minutes to the baking time.

What apples to avoid? Avoid using soft and mild-flavored apples. Think Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, McIntosh and Gala.

Can I Make Vegan Baked Apples? To make a vegan dessert, replace the butter with vegan butter. No other edits are required.

More Dessert Recipes

Here are a few more of my favorite Fall Dessert Recipes to check out.

Another fall favorite, loaded with cinnamon, is this delicious cinnamon bread pull aparts.

This recipe was originally posted in October 2015, but was updated in August 2024 with new photos and additional text.

Baked Apples – Oven or Crockpot.

Delicious Baked Apples loaded with oatmeal, brown sugar, butter, nuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This recipe for baked apples is perfect for the fall season.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 apples

Calories: 344kcal

Author: Darcey Olson

Cost: $8

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Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tbsp salted butter (*Note 1)
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup all-purpose Flour, slow cooker version only (*Note 2)
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ cup rolled oats (*Note 3)
• ¼ cup chopped nuts
• 4 baking apples (*Note 4)
• 1 cup water

Instructions

OVEN BAKED APPLES

• Preheat the oven to 375˚F.

• Add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to a small mixing bowl and mash with a fork. If the butter is hard you can use a handheld or stand mixer. Stir in the oats and nuts. Set aside.

• Core the apples with an apple corer or paring knife and small spoon. Make sure to keep the bottom 1/4th of the apple intact so the filling doesn’t spill out the bottom. Transfer the apples to an 8″-9″ casserole dish.

• Use a small spoon to divide the filling evenly between the apples. Press down on the filling as you go to make room for as much filling as possible.

• Add the water to the bottom of the casserole dish. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, until soft but not mushy. The total time will depend on the size and type of apple you’re using.

• Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

SLOW COOKER APPLES

• Add the butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and mash with a fork. If the butter is hard you can use a handheld or stand mixer. Stir in the oats and nuts. Set aside.

• Core the apples with an apple corer or paring knife and spoon. Make sure to keep the bottom 1/4th of the apple intact so the filling doesn’t spill out the bottom.

• Use a small spoon to divide the filling evenly between the apples. Press down the filling as you go to make room for as much filling as possible. Transfer the apples to a slow cooker.

• Add the water to the bottom of the slow cooker. Let cook for 1.5 – 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low. The total time will depend on the size and type of apple you’re using.

• Remove from the slow cooker and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Note 1 – If using unsalted butter add a pinch of salt to make up for the lack of it in the butter.
Note 2 – Only needed for the slow cooker version. It helps the filling firm up.
Note 3 – Omit the nuts or oatmeal if you don’t care for these ingredients.
Note 4 – Best apples to use: Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, Braeburn, Jonagold, and Pink Lady

Nutrition

Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 277mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 451IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg