Spiced Baked Apples with Raisins and Walnuts

Baked apples are a favorite fall dessert. They feel like a sweet treat but require very little sugar, making them basically healthy. 

Especially when fall hits, baked apples are one of our favorite desserts. They’re sweet enough to count as an actual treat – and to more than satisfy an after-dinner craving – but they require very little sugar, making them basically healthy. 

As for baking the apples, we like to take them to the point where they soften just enough so that you don’t need a knife to indulge, but they still hold their shape and retain a little crispness. For that reason, and because they are super-sweet, we like Fuji apples. Fujis are expert at keeping their shape in the oven while yielding just-soft-enough insides.

Adding a little brown sugar, raisins, walnuts, and warm spices takes these Spiced Baked Apples with Raisins and Walnuts over the top. You will pull the baking dish out of the oven to find a syrupy sauce pooling in the bottom of the dish. This is perfect for drizzling over the apples if you don’t eat it with a spoon first. Of course, that is totally acceptable, because this is fruit we’re talking about!

If, by strange chance, you have baked apples left over, these are wonderful to keep in the fridge for a quick after-school or after-dinner treat. With or without ice cream.

Spiced Baked Apples with Raisins and Walnuts

¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup raisins
¼ cup walnut pieces
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 fuji apples
½ cup water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, toss together the sugar, raisins, walnuts, and spices. 

Use a paring knife to cut the tops (stem end) off the apples. Use the knife and a melon baller or a small spoon to core the apples, leaving about 1 inch of the bottom intact, so that the filling will not fall out. 

Arrange the apples in an 8-inch-by-8-inch baking dish. Stuff them with the sugar-raisin-walnut mixture. Pour the water around the base of the apples. Loosely cover the apples with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, and spoon the sauce in the bottom of the pan over the apples. Serve on their own, or with Greek yogurt or ice cream, or a drizzle of cream.