By Claire Peretta

When the weather begins to chill, and the leaves wither and crisp, our seasonal clocks chime and we all begin craving cozy fall flavors. However, we don’t always have the time, ingredients, or energy to make the dishes we’ve been pining for. But what if we told you there was a way to get that apple crisp taste with just a handful of ingredients you may have lying around the house? And what if we told you this recipe takes less than an hour? Stuffed baked apples have been trending recently for being a simple, easy, and customizable dessert that perfectly embodies the autumnal palate, from nutty and sweet, to tart and spiced.

Today, we’ll be sharing an “apple crisp” version of the newly beloved stuffed baked apples, written by recipe developer Allison Mattina. These apple crisp stuffed baked apples are sweet, tender, and cinnamon-spiced, supported by a buttery, nutty, oat filling. This dessert is warm, comforting, and easy to make, perfect for the cooling weather. Follow the recipe below to try ‘em out!

Ingredients:

• 4 apples, medium sized
• 4 tbsp. chilled, unsalted butter
• ½ cup oats, old-fashioned
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

Optional Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. finely chopped walnuts & pecans
• Vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce to top

Directions:

1. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut the very top of the apple horizontally so as to level it out and make the interior accessible for coring. If desired, you can also choose to cut the apple in half vertically and core it that way.
3. Next, using a small melon baller (or spoon if you don’t have one), core each apple, scooping out a little bit of their interior to form a cavity. Be careful to leave the bottom of the fruit intact and to save enough of the apple’s flesh on the sides so that it doesn’t fall in on itself when baking.
4. To make the filling: combine all dry ingredients, including the cinnamon, both sugars, flour, salt, oats, and nuts. Once this is done, add the butter, using your fingers to massage everything together. Do this thoroughly, until you can divide the mix into four separate balls. Stuff each apple with an equal amount of filling.
5. In a metal baking dish, place each apple, filling the bottom of the pan with an inch of water.
6. Finally, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, and place it in the oven to bake for an initial 25 minutes. Afterward, discard the foil and bake again for an additional 30-40 minutes until the filling looks golden brown and the apples tender (this will vary depending on the size of the apples used).
7. Now, while these stuffed, baked, “apple crisp” renditions will deliver a delightfully warm, nutty, and sweet flavor all on their own, you can decorate them further by serving them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce to enhance their salty-sweet taste!

Now, don’t forget, these stuffed baked apples are incredibly customizable! People have used pumpkin pie filling, cheesecake filling, and even savory flavors like ground meat and cheese; it’s all up to you! So, don’t let this recipe fool you, this dish is extremely versatile.

Enjoy!