Cider-baked apples with dried cranberries are whole apples cored, stuffed with cranberries, and baked in spiced cider until tender and glossy. The cooking liquid reduces into a cinnamon-flecked sauce spooned over each apple with toasted walnuts. Four warm, comforting desserts straight from the oven.
SERVES 4
Ingredients
4 large apples
½ cup dried cranberries or cherries
¼ cup palm sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ cups apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
¼ cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
Coconut oil for greasing baking dish
Preparation
1.В В Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Using a vegetable peeler, remove a strip of apple peel from the top of each apple. Remove the stem and core of each apple using a melon baller, being careful not the cut all the way through the blossom end.
2.В В Place the apples in a greased eight-inch square baking dish. Divide ¼ cup of the dried cranberries evenly among the apple cavities. Mix the palm sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and then sprinkle in and around the apples. Add the cider, cinnamon sticks, and the remaining ¼ cup of dried cranberries to the baking dish.
3.В В Bake the apples until they are tender when pierced with a paring knife or skewer (45 to 55 minutes), brushing the apples with the cider several times during baking. (Be careful not to overbake; the apples or the skins will split.)
4.В В Transfer the apples to individual serving bowls. Pour the cooking liquid with cinnamon sticks and cranberries into a small saucepan, bring to simmer over medium-high heat, and cook until it thickens and measures about one cup (7 to 10 minutes). Spoon some of the sauce over each apple, sprinkle with the walnuts, and serve, passing the remaining sauce separately.
Pro Tips
- Peel a strip from the top of each apple and don't core through the base — the hollow needs to hold the cranberries without leaking in the pan.
- Brush the apples with the cider repeatedly during baking. That basting is what glazes the skins and keeps the fruit syrupy rather than dry.
- Watch the timer carefully — overbaked apples split their skins and collapse. Tender when pierced is the exact moment to pull them.
- Reduce the pan juices into a proper sauce afterwards. It's the best part — thick, cinnamony, and far too good to leave in the dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which apples work best?
Large, firm baking apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. They hold their shape in the oven and balance the sweet cider beautifully.
Can I use dried cherries instead?
Yes — dried cherries are a wonderful swap and give the tart-sweet filling a slightly different, more grown-up character.
Can I make them ahead?
Bake ahead and rewarm gently in the oven, basting with the reserved sauce. They're best warm, straight from the dish.
What do I serve with them?
A spoon of coconut cream or vanilla custard alongside is lovely, though the cider sauce and walnuts are honestly enough.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1. В В Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove a strip of apple peel from the top of each apple.
- Remove the stem and core of each apple using a melon baller, being careful not the cut all the way through the blossom end. 2. В В Place the apples in a greased eight-inch square baking dish.
- Divide ¼ cup of the dried cranberries evenly among the apple cavities.
- Mix the palm sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and then sprinkle in and around the apples.
- Add the cider, cinnamon sticks, and the remaining ¼ cup of dried cranberries to the baking dish. 3. В В Bake the apples until they are tender when pierced with a paring knife or skewer (45 to 55 minutes), brushing the apples with the cider several times during baking. (Be careful not to overbake; the apples or the skins will split.) 4. В В Transfer the apples to individual serving bowls.
- Pour the cooking liquid with cinnamon sticks and cranberries into a small saucepan, bring to simmer over medium-high heat, and cook until it thickens and measures about one cup (7 to 10 minutes). Spoon some of the sauce over each apple, sprinkle with the walnuts, and serve, passing the remaining sauce separately.
