Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce is essentially apple pie without all the fuss. This baked apples recipe will have you looking forward to apple season every year.
Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce Recipe
These baked apples with sauce are apple pie without all the fuss. This is pure comfort food that tastes like home, no matter where you are enjoying them.
This simple fall season recipe was designed to create lots of flavor and taste, with very few ingredients. The cinnamon-laced juices are incredible and have been described by many as heaven on a plate.
Lots of baked apple recipes have you bake the whole apple, adding ingredients only to the cored portion in the middle of the fruit. However, halving the apples (as we do in this recipe) before baking them not only saves cooking time, it allows the fruit to soak up all the amazing maple-ness and cinnamon-y goodness.
You are going to love these.
Take advantage of apple season with a plethora of treats. Between caramel apple crumble, fresh apple bars and upside down apple pie, the possibilities are endless when it comes to enjoying this seasonal fruit.
Ingredients for Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce
Pantry Ingredients
- brown sugar – light or dark brown sugar works fine for this recipe
- ground cinnamon – to get the most flavor out of your cinnamon, make sure yours is fresh
- maple syrup – buy the best you can afford, this really makes the recipe
- table salt
- walnuts – make sure to toast your walnuts before adding
Fresh Ingredients
- Granny Smith apples – I prefer Granny Smith for this recipe because of their tartness, but Gala apples also work great.
- lemon juice – make sure it’s freshly squeezed.
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Once you halve the apples, using a coring tool makes it easy to remove the seeds.
You could also use a knife to remove the core, the coring tool just gives it a uniform and polished look.
How To Make Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce
Step One: Preheat oven to 400o F.
Step Two: Brush cut sides of apples with 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Arrange apples, cut sides up, in a baking dish. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl (you might need more than the recipe calls for depending on the size of your apples); sprinkle cut sides of apples with sugar mixture. Pour maple syrup in bottom of dish.
Step Three: Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more or until apples are tender. Transfer apples to a serving platter.
Step Four: Pour pan juices into small saucepan and stir in remaining teaspoon 1 teaspoon lemon juice and salt; bring to a boil. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring constantly.
Are Apples Healthy?
Apples are in the top 20 of USDA list of foods with the highest antioxidant scores.
The richest concentration of antioxidants is found in the fruit’s skin, which is perfect since this recipe calls for unpeeled apples!
What is the Difference Between Baking Apples and Regular Apples?
Apples we cook with are for the most part larger and are usually tarter than dessert varieties. The level of tartness being the most discernable. A tart apple when mixed with sugar and other ingredients provides a nice contrast in flavor.
Some apples have a firm flesh that does not break down much when cooked.
Recipe Tips
- If your apples are larger than usual, you may need to use extra brown sugar to cover them.
- Test apples with a fork before removing from the oven, they should be tender.
- Good quality pure maple syrup makes a big difference in taste.
- Make sure to toast your walnuts prior to adding them to this recipe.
As you can see the sauce thickens up nicely after a few minutes on the stove.
Pour this luxuriously, delicious sauce over the apples and enjoy.
Serve the apples warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for the most amazing, fall dessert.
Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 large large apples, such as Granny Smith (Gala works too), halved crosswise and cored
- 2 tsps lemon juice, divided
- 2 tbsps light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp table salt
- 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400o F.
- Brush cut sides of apples with 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Arrange apples, cut sides up, in a baking dish. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl (you might need more than the recipe calls for depending on the size of your apples); sprinkle cut sides of apples with sugar mixture. Pour maple syrup in bottom of dish.
- Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more or until apples are tender. Transfer apples to a serving platter.
- Pour pan juices into small saucepan and stir in remaining 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and salt; bring to a boil. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring constantly.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Lena in VT says
Oh my goodness those are beautiful.
Donna says
Ive missed reading your blog while Ive been on ‘hiatus’.
Jennifer says
What do you do with all this food you cook?! You’re too skinny to be eating yourself!
Liz C. says
I’m going to file this one under New Mexico apple season. I love to drive over the state line and buy them by the bushel. đŸ˜‰
Debbi says
My entire family drooled over this for quite awhile. It looks fantastic! Apple pie without the crust, awesome!
Fallon says
I love a good baked apple and this looks like a good baked apple!
Angie says
A question: Why the lemon juice? I know that it is commonly used to prevent apples from oxidizing and turning brown, but as these are going to be smothered and baked anyway, the brownness doesn’t matter.
Not that it’s a big deal, but I wonder how much it would impact the taste.
5 Star Foodie says
These baked apples were fantastic with this maple-walnut sauce!
Miss Meat and Potatoes says
I believe you. I’m in love. In fact I’m so intrigued with these they make me wish it was fall which makes me feel sacrilegious (I don’t really wish it was fall – hello summer!) Thanks for another great one.
Culinary Cory says
The simplicity of this dish really captured my attention. It would make a great dessert of a weeknight dinner party.
June says
Imagine this with homemade cinnamon ice cream? On the other hand it looks like it needs nothing else – YUM.
Dirk in Maine says
Oh these look amazing, going to make them tonight for a small gathering served with vanilla ice cream.
grace says
undeniable fact: I funneled that sauce right down my gullet. amazing, cathy. amazing.
Paula says
Oh my, those are lovely! And, since they are gluten free, they make a great dessert in lieu of pie! Quick question: When did you add the nuts? To the maple sauce? Or did you just sprinkle them on and pour the sauce over everything? Totally yummy!
Julie says
That sauce was just scrumptious!
Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog says
I love the way the apples look with cinnamon on top, before they were baked. I bet they smelled incredible!
Jenn
dawn says
Made these last night…OMG incredible…just like apple pie and no fuss like you said!
HoneyB says
Yum! A nice low-fat dessert….and I love maple syrup (have 2 new gallon’s!). Will have to make this one!
Dominic says
I love the combination of maple syrup with walnuts. Yum.
Paula says
Paula-
I sprinkled the nuts on top after baking and then poured the sauce over them.
Daily Spud says
Oh wow, so simple yet sounds soooo good – apple desserts are my absolute favourite. This is getting bookmarked for when my mother’s apples are ripe – they make the best baked apples ever!
The Teacher Cooks says
Your baked apples look delicious. I am saving this recipe for my classes next year. It would be great for teens that tend to leave out fruits.
Marjie says
I usually quarter my apples and take out the core, and follow pretty much the same recipe as you, although sometimes I brush the apple slices with melted butter first. They are heavenly!
Rachel SdOC says
You hit it on the head when you said apple pie without the fuss. I was thinking this is perfect for when you want some apple pie and don’t feel like making the effort.
Pam says
They look amazing! Actually, so do your fried pickles down below. YUM.
lisaiscooking says
The sauce and crunchy walnuts were amazing on top. I bet a scoop of vanilla ice cream would be pretty fantastic with one of these!
tom tall clover farm says
This recipe must be from your healthy-eating category. đŸ˜‰
pigpigscorner says
What a great way to enjoy apples! Love the sauce!
Kayola says
Making these tonight………..they look de-lish and I swear I can totally smell the aroma….my imagination is good…..and I imagine they are pretty dang tasty!!!!!
Helen says
With Winter fast approaching here this one is certainly going into the recipe book.
Love your recipes your family is so lucky to have such a good cook on hand to spoil them all the time.
Cheers
Helen
theUngourmet says
I love how ooey gooey and delicious these are! I’d love it with a nice scoop of vanilla bean ice cream too!
Now, if I could just get my son to eat his antioxidant rich apple skin we’d be good as gold! đŸ˜‰
Anamaris says
BEAUTIFUL stuff! I StumbledUp on your site, I’ll be back.
Sarah at Candiquik says
Wow – I need a sample of one now! These look delicious. You can make them a bit “naughty” too (like the above comment) and serve w/ cinnamon ice cream or just whipped cream. Yum-my. Thanks for sharing.
Audrey at Barking Mad says
Yum! This would be perfect PERFECT on a chilly fall afternoon! Oh my gosh, I can just imagine how wonderful it smells!
Angela says
This recipe is a MUST! Just made it last night & it was delicious!
The Vicious Vegetarian says
I love baked apples and pears in many incarnations, never thought to do them thusly. Thanks for sharing, definitely giving this a shot ASAP.
Love the blog, can’t wait to try the wine!
Beth says
I tried this recipe on Sunday and it was divine! Thank you so much for posting it! đŸ™‚ The only thing I did differently was use some sugar-free ingredients.
Nopalea says
Those look absolutely delicious! We just went apple picking yesterday and I was looking for something yummy to make. Thanks for the idea!
val says
These were incredibly delicious. A perfect Fall treat!
Toni says
My kids really loved these baked apples!
wilhelmina says
These baked apples are the perfect Fall treat! So cozy and comforting, and the sauce is to die for! Yum!
Cathy says
Yep, baked apples with sauce is definitely a fave!
Lindsay says
These baked apples with sauce were a big hit! I’ll definitely be making them again!
Cathy says
Yeah I can’t think of anything more delicious and easy to make than baked apples! Glad you enjoyed them.
Jane says
So so good..who knew baked apples were so amazing..but the sauce..OMG.
Cathy says
It really is yummy.