Apple-Crisp Baked Apples Recipe

If you’re an “apple-a-day” person, this recipe is for you. It brings together the best of two fall sweet treats in one irresistible dessert: baked apples stuffed with apple crisp and a classic crumble topping. There’s no better excuse to make that annual trip to the local orchard.

Apple-Crisp Baked Apples

Yield: 5 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the crumble topping
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons ghee, melted

For the filling and apples
1 tablespoon ghee
9 apples; 4 of them peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons honey, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup apple juice

Optional: Ice cream or coconut whipped cream, for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Make the crumble topping
Mix together the almond flour, pecans, and salt in a medium bowl. Add vanilla, maple syrup, and ghee, and mix to combine. Set aside.

Make the filling
Heat ghee in a large skillet and sauté 4 chopped apples until they begin to soften. Add in honey, cinnamon, lemon zest, and vanilla, and simmer, stirring often, until the apples are cooked through. Stir in dried cranberries and remove from heat.

Assemble the apples
Slice the tops off and scoop out the insides of the 5 remaining apples, leaving about a ½-inch thickness on the sides and bottoms. Place the apples in a pie or baking dish and fill with the cooked filling. Top each apple with the crumble topping. Pour apple juice into the bottom of the baking pan and place in oven to bake until the apples are soft and the topping is golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Serve warm, and, if desired, drizzled with honey and a dollop ice cream or coconut whipped cream.

Photo credit: Paul Delmont