I love these cinnamon baked apples with a crave-worthy brown sugar and oat crumble topping. Our recipe is super easy to make, delicious, and perfect for any occasion.
When the cooler weather hits, our family makes baked apples. They are easier than apple pie but taste just as delicious! My family’s recipe bakes apples cut in half and then adds a delicious oat crumble topping (like what we add to this apple crisp!).
I love these easy baked apples warm with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce when I have it in the house. For more fall-worthy apple recipes, see our apple cobbler or these five-minute skillet cinnamon apples!
Key Ingredients
- Apples: I love using firmer apples for baked apples, like Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji. These hold up well and keep their shape when baking.
- Cinnamon: Apples and cinnamon are a match made in heaven! I dust the cinnamon over the apples and add it to the oat topping for a double dose of cinnamon flavor.
- Brown Sugar: I love the rich flavor of brown sugar in this dessert. If you don’t have brown sugar, try substituting it with maple syrup or other sugars like coconut or granulated.
- Butter: I usually bake with unsalted butter, but salted butter is fine, too. If you use salted butter, omit the extra salt from the topping.
- Flour: We’ll combine all-purpose flour with oats and melted butter to create our crumble topping. If you need a gluten-free option, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
- Oats: I recommend rolled oats, but instant oats will work in a pinch. Avoid using steel-cut oats, as they won’t soften properly during baking.
How to Make Cinnamon Baked Apples
My oat topping for these baked apples comes straight from our popular apple crisp recipe. It’s super simple: just flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Honestly, you could put this topping on anything, and it would taste amazing, but when you blanket apples with it, it’s so good!
I like to bake my apples cut in half. You could stuff the topping down the middle of the apple, but by halving them, you can use more delicious topping. And trust me, we want a high topping-to-apple ratio here!
Here’s how easy it is: Start by halving each apple (I used honey crisp, but any firm and sweet apple should work), then use a spoon to remove the core and seeds. Line the apple halves up in a baking dish and sprinkle a little brown sugar and cinnamon over them.
Now for the baked apple topping: Melt some butter in a saucepan, then dump in flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt (I do it all in the saucepan, so there are fewer dishes to wash!).
Divide the topping between the apple halves, pressing down gently, and they’re ready to bake.
Slide them into the oven, then grab your ice cream and maybe some salted caramel sauce. That’s it! An easy dessert for tonight that’s totally worthy of your friends and family (or the holidays)!
Easy Baked Apples
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
These cinnamon baked apples are so simple to make. They just might beat apple pie! We bake the apples after cutting them in half, which allows us to add more topping.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
3 medium firm, sweet apples, like Honeycrisp or Fuji
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for apples
8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (98g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (84g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Vanilla ice cream and homemade caramel sauce, optional for serving
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter or spray a baking dish large enough to fit 6 apple halves with non-stick cooking spray.
2Cut each apple in half from stem to end and use a spoon to scoop out the core, seeds, and stem.
3Arrange the apple halves in the baking dish with the flesh facing up.
4Scatter over 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon over the apples.
5Make the topping. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat, then stir the flour, oats, brown sugar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and salt into the melted butter. (Doing this directly in the saucepan reduces the number of dishes.)
6Divide the topping between the apples, lightly pressing it down onto the apples.
7Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover the apples, then bake for another 20 to 30 minutes until the apples are soft and the topping has browned.
8Serve with a scoop of ice cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce, or leave them plain.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: The apples can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They can be reheated in a warm oven or the microwave.
- Gluten-free: To make this gluten-free, substitute your favorite gluten-free flour mix or oat flour for the all-purpose flour called for in the recipe. Also, make sure the oats you use are labeled gluten-free.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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Can I put water in bottom of baking pan?
I’m afraid my pan will cracke otherwise.
Sure!