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Apple Crisp Baked Apples

Apple crisp baked apples are tender, caramelized apple halves stuffed with a buttery cinnamon-sugar filling and topped with a golden oat crumble. The oven-baked topping turns clumpy and crisp while the apple skin caramelizes around the edges.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Apples
  • 6 medium apples Honeycrisp or Braeburn
  • 0.25 cup apple cider or water For baking dish
Cavity filling and butter
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar For apple cavities
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon For apple cavities
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter Cut into 6 pieces for apple cavities
Oat crumble topping
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar Packed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.33 cup cold unsalted butter Cubed
Serving
  • 1 vanilla ice cream
  • 0.25 cup caramel sauce For serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep the baking dish
  1. Preheat oven to 375F. Pour apple cider or water into the bottom of a baking dish.
Core apples and fill cavities
  1. Core apples from the top, leaving the bottom intact, to create a cavity about 1-1/2 inches wide. Keep each apple upright as you remove the cores.
  2. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon for the cavity filling. Place a pinch into each apple cavity, then add a piece of butter to each cavity.
Make oat crumble and top apples
  1. Make oat crumble by combining rolled oats, all-purpose flour, packed brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture turns clumpy.
  2. Pack crumble into and over the top of each apple. Press lightly so the topping adheres to the apples.
Bake and serve
  1. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375F until the apples are tender and the crumble is golden. Let them cool for 3-5 minutes so the topping sets slightly.
  2. Serve immediately with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Drizzle caramel over the apples right before eating.

Notes

For best crisp crumble, use cold cubed butter and avoid overmixing—stop once the mixture is clumpy. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a 350F oven or toaster oven until warm, since the topping softens as it sits. Freezing is not recommended because the crumble texture degrades. If you want a lighter option, use reduced-sugar caramel and swap half the brown sugar in the crumble for an equal amount of a brown-sugar substitute suitable for baking.