Add Stuffed Baked Apples with caramel sauce to your list of naturally gluten free desserts. Savvy gluten free cooks keep a short list of recipes like this in every category to keep their meals, snacks and desserts interesting. If you think cooking gluten free is boring, start those lists now.
These oven baked apples can easily be made away from home and kids can make them. I encourage you, and them, to start creating a list of easy gluten free treats. These are on my fall and winter list. Serve them to end any seasonal meal like Pesto Meat Loaf, Salisbury Steak with onion gravy or Italian Chicken Cacciatore.
Ingredients
A plain baked apple is easy enough for a warm snack without stuffing or caramel sauce. If you're calling it dessert, spend a few minutes on the presentation and voila. That's all it takes!
- Apples - They're the star of the show so try different ones. I guarantee everyone in your house will not like the same kind, unless you live alone. Top choices are Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Arlet, Rome or Empire.
- Brown sugar - If you like apples then you know they don't really need sugar. Add as little or as much as you like.
- Pecans - Nuts add a little protein and a little crunch.
- Cinnamon - I'd say this is mandatory but it's your apple, you get to decide.
- Butter & whipping cream - This is for the optional caramel sauce.
See recipe card for complete ingredient list and exact amounts.
Instructions: Vary the Look
Serve your baked apples in one of three ways.
- Cut the top off, core the apple then put the top back in place.
- Core the apple whole, without cutting off the top. Stuff and serve as directed.
- Make a smaller portion size by cutting whole apples in half right through the core. Carefully remove the core, heap a generous amount of topping over each half and bake as directed.
Substitutions and Variations
The space in the center of the apple is small but a tiny bit of filling can transform an ordinary baked apple into a dessert worthy of company. Substitute or vary the basic cinnamon-sugar combo as you like.
- Add nutmeg and cloves for a pumpkin spice variation.
- Replace the nuts with raisins or dried cranberries.
- Substitute the filling below with some homemade gluten free granola.
- If I have leftover streusel topping in the freezer (from when I made rhubarb streusel muffins or cranberry orange muffins) I'll definitely use that.
Get The Tools
This simple apple corer tool, or an easy to hold apple corer, is one of those infrequently used tools you're happy to have when you need it. I also use my grapefruit knife with it's serrated edges and slight curve to help remove the core.
Top Tip: Food Rule #1
Rule #1 is Eat Food. Keep whole food in mind and teach the young people, in your house and your life, to cook with real food (not edible food-like substances with long ingredient lists). There are many jobs kids can do in the kitchen and it's up to you to help them find the ones they think are fun. In my experience there may be lots of sugar at first, but overtime they will want to cook what I call real food.
Recipe FAQs
Firm apples such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Arlet, Rome or Empire are best for baking. Soft apples, like Macintosh apples, will become applesauce in thirty minutes while other varieties are more likely to split open. Be adventurous and try a few different ones to find what you like best.
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Stuffed Baked Apples with Caramel Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 firm apples choose from Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Arlet, Rome or Empire
Filling
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 teaspoon butter
Baking
- ½ cup boiling water
Easy Caramel Sauce
- 6 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ cup whipping cream
- 3½ tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Slice the top off of each apple and set aside.
- Using an apple corer or grapefruit knife carefully remove the core leaving the bottom of the apple intact.
Filling
- Combine brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Spoon filling into apples and top each one with 1 teaspoon of butter.
- Sprinkle any remaining filling over the apples. Place tops on apples.
- Pour boiling water into the bottom of the dish.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes depending on the variety of apple.
Make Caramel Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes stirring a few times.
- Drizzle over baked apples and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
More Apple Recipes
We can buy apples year round but in the fall they're at their peak. You have the biggest selection and the freshest apples, that's the time of year to make all your apple recipes. These are some of my favourites.
More Naturally Gluten Free Desserts
Many gluten free cooks lean into cooking with real food and stay away from ultraprocessed foods as best they can. That includes dessert too.
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