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Cider Baked Apples

  • Author: Laura Bolton
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 50 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
  • Yield: 6 Servings (1 apple each) 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups apple cider (1 cup reduced)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 6 firm baking apples (look for smallish, sweet/tart varieties such as Liberty, Empire, Cortland, Braeburn, Pink Lady etc.)
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp (packed) dark brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour*
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter,* cubed
  • 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts (or sub. almonds, walnuts or pecans)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Add the apple cider to a skillet and bring to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down to medium, add the vanilla, and continue to simmer until the cider has reduced by about half, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, cut the tops off the apples, set the tops aside, and use a sharp knife or a grapefruit spoon to remove the core. Leave a bit of the bottom intact (about 1/8-inch or so – just enough to keep the filling from spilling through.) Place in a pie pan or baking dish, spaced a bit apart. Drizzle with the lemon juice.
  4. Make the filling: Stir together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small mixing bowl until combined. Use the back of a fork to mash the butter into the sugar mixture, until incorporated. Add the nuts, and use your fingers to crumble the mixture together.
  5. Fill each apple core with the crumble mixture, and top with the apple tops. Pour the reduced apple cider into the bottom of the baking dish and bake until the apples are cooked through, about 40-50 minutes, depending on size and variety. Baste a few times with the cider while baking. The crumble filling will nearly dissolve into a thick, gooey sauce, studded with hazelnuts. Serve the apples warm with the reduced cider sauce along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or pair the leftovers with yogurt for a breakfast treat.

Notes

Special Diets: I’ve had success using both vegan butter (Earth Balance) and almond flour for vegan and gluten free versions.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Baked Apple (includes filling and cider sauce),
  • Calories: 192g,
  • Fat: 6.8g,
  • Carbohydrates: 34.74g,
  • Fiber: 3.8g,
  • Protein: 1.6g

Keywords: cider baked apples