Stuffed Baked Apples (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Easy and delicious Stuffed Baked Apples! These healthy 4-ingredient baked apples are stuffed with gluten-free granola and topped with brown sugar and vegan butter! This simple and customizable dessert recipe is perfect for a last-minute crowd-pleasing treat that has all the warm and cozy fall vibes!

Baked apples are one of the simplest and easiest desserts to make! Another perfect way to use your peak apple season abundance of sweet, crisp apples, and made with barely any additional ingredients, just like this applesauce and apple butter! Customizable for whatever you have on hand, and this recipe is gluten-free and vegan, so everyone in the family can enjoy one of these warm and cozy delicacies! Whether you're making one for yourself or a large batch for a crowd, these stuffed baked apples will be a staple in your fall baking routine!

What Are Old-Fashioned Baked Apples

Baked apples are definitely considered an old-fashioned dessert. Just whole apples, cored, and stuffed with a filling that can be a combination of oats, brown sugar, nuts, dried fruits, butter, and spices. Cooked apples are already a hard sell for me, and semi-cooked mushy oats and nuts didn't sound like the vibe I was going for. So instead of basically stuffing the apples with oatmeal (as it bakes, it turns to oatmeal since the oats absorb some of the moisture from the apple and butter), let's stuff them with crunchy gluten-free granola!

Why These Are The Best Gluten-Free Baked Apples

With just 4 ingredients (5 if you want to get fancy), you only need apples, gluten-free granola, a little brown sugar, and vegan butter. You get to choose your favorite allergy-free, gluten-free granola using certified gluten-free oats, so you know it will have all the delicious flavor you already love. The granola stays crispy and crunchy, the perfect complement to the soft, tender extra extra-sweet apple! These stuffed baked apples are:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
• Oil-Free
• Naturally Sweet & Sugar-Free Options
• Kid-Friendly
• Quick, Easy, Simple 4 Ingredients
• Customizable & Scalable For Crowds
• Healthy Dessert Fall, Winter, & Holidays

Ingredients for Stuffed Baked Apples

• Apples: You'll want an apple that is crisp and slightly tart, but leaning more toward the sweet side. Look for apples that are large, tall, and wide, with a flat bottom so that they stand up easily in your baking dish. will do. I used Jazz apples when I made this recipe.
• Gluten-Free Granola: If you want to go homemade, I suggest my homemade gluten-free cinnamon apple granola or caramel apple granola. If you want to go with store-bought, make sure the granola is made with certified gluten-free oats and, if needed, is nut-free since this recipe is allergy-free!
• Brown Sugar: You only need about 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar to top the apple. You can keep it sugar-free with sugar-free brown sugar Swerve.
• Vegan Butter: Literally just a tablespoon, divided between the four apples. It helps crisp the brown sugar top when the apples are baking and seeps down to make things nice and cozy.
• Apple Cider or Water: You need about ½ of liquid in the bottom of your baking dish. You can use water, but a fun way to add more flavor is to use apple cider or even apple juice to the bottom instead! You can also add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the liquid you use!

Other Great Apple Varieties For Baking

Whether you just went apple picking or you're headed to the grocery store, you'll want to stock up on crisp apples that won't get too mushy when baked. Some other great varieties to use besides Jazz apples are: Gala, Honey Crisp, Evercrisp, Cosmic Crisp, Jonagold, Jonathan, Braeburn, or Pink Lady. These will all hold up in high temperatures without getting too mushy and give you the best sweet apple flavor.

How To Make Stuffed Baked Apples

1. Wash and dry your apples before using a sharp knife to cut a circle on the top of the apple, outlining the core, before slicing further into it and lifting the core out. Continue to hollow out the core without piercing the bottom of the apple so that the hole is large enough to stuff with the filling. (You can also use an apple corer to help you out!)
2. Now pack the hollowed-out cores with your chosen gluten-free granola. Really press it in there so that the granola is not loose, but packed tightly.

3. Add just enough brown sugar to cover the exposed granola core.
4. Finally, add a ¼ teaspoon of softened vegan butter to the top. Smush it over the sugar with your finger.

5. Pour the liquid into the bottom of the pan, just so the bottoms of the apples remain moist, about ¼ inch.
6. Bake the stuffed apples in the oven at 375°F for about 40-50 minutes, depending on how soft you want the baked apples to be. Allow them to sit for about 10 minutes before serving with your favorite vegan ice cream or vegan caramel drizzle!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Baked apples really depend a lot on the size of the apples you use. From the amount of filling you'll need to baking time. Baked apples are more of an outline recipe than an exact formula.
• For a softer apple, bake the apples for about 50-60 minutes, but not too much so that they are mushy and falling apart. They should retain their structure and be able to stand up and be sliced.
• I prefer a firmer apple that retains its crisp bite, so baking mine for about 40-45 minutes was perfect.
• The amount of liquid you need in the bottom of the pan depends on the size of your pan. You're not boiling the apples; they should not be submerged.
• If you want to get even deeper apple flavor, you can bast the apples while they're in the oven with the juice or cider that you use in the bottom of the baking pan!
• You can enjoy these healthy baked apples warm from the oven or serve them with vegan vanilla ice cream, vegan caramel, coconut whipped cream, or just a dash of cinnamon!

Storage Instructions

You can store leftover baked apples in a closed container in the fridge for about 3 days. You can reheat them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warmed through. You can also pop the apples in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes until warmed through if you need to reheat a batch!

More Gluten-Free Apple Recipes:

• French Apple Cake
• Apple Cider Doughnuts
• Apple Fritter Bread
• Apple Cinnamon Muffins
• Apple Cobbler
• Classic Apple Crisp
• Crustless Apple Pie
• Apple Cinnamon French Toast

Print

This is your sign to go apple picking this weekend and load up on some fresh peak peak-season apples for a healthy and easy dessert you can enjoy every night of the week!

So tell me:

+ Do you like baked fruit?

———————————————-

Stay connected:

Facebook: Strength and Sunshine

Twitter: @RebeccaGF666

Instagram: @rebeccagf666

Pinterest: RebeccaGF666

TikTok: @strengthandsunshine