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By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Sources checked 5 November 2026
Baked apples are the dessert that makes the whole kitchen smell like autumn. Whole apples are cored, filled with chopped walnuts, a little honey and cinnamon, and baked until soft enough to cut with a spoon. Ten minutes of work, then the oven does the rest.
Serve them warm with the juices from the dish and a spoon of thick Greek yogurt, or on their own.
Portion: 1 apple each · Difficulty: Easy · Diet: Vegetarian, gluten-free (contains tree nuts and dairy)
Baked apples with walnuts and cinnamon
Ingredients
- 4 medium firm apples about 180 g each, such as Braeburn, Jonagold or Granny Smith
- 50 g walnuts chopped (a scant 1/2 cup)
- 2 tbsp honey 42 g
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon 2.6 g
- 15 g butter 1 tbsp, cut into 4 pieces
- 100 ml water
- Optional: a pinch of ground cloves or cardamom a little grated lemon zest
- To serve optional: Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
- Core the apples with an apple corer or a small knife, leaving the bottom 1 cm in place so the filling stays inside. Widen the opening at the top to about 3 cm. With the tip of the knife, score a thin line through the skin around the middle of each apple so it does not burst.
- Mix the walnuts, honey, cinnamon and any optional spices in a small bowl.
- Stand the apples in a small baking dish. Press the filling into the cavities and pile the rest on top. Put a piece of butter on each apple and pour the water into the dish.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, spooning the juices over the apples once or twice. They are ready when a skewer slides in easily but the apples still hold their shape. If the walnuts darken too fast, cover the dish loosely with foil.
- Let them rest for 5 minutes and serve warm, with the juices from the dish spooned over.
Nutrition per serving
Per serving, 1 filled apple, calculated from USDA FoodData Central for each ingredient.
| Energy | 236 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 2.5 g |
| Fat | 11.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 35.7 g |
| of which sugars | 27.7 g |
| Fibre | 5.5 g |
| Salt (added) | 0 g |
Data: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Apples, raw, with skin (FDC 171688); Nuts, walnuts, english (FDC 170187); Honey (FDC 169640); Spices, cinnamon, ground (FDC 171320); Butter, without salt (FDC 173430). Apples are calculated at 180 g each without subtracting the core, so the values are slightly high. Optional spices, lemon zest and yogurt are not included. Most of the sugar comes from the apples themselves; the honey adds about 8.6 g per apple. Carbohydrate is USDA “by difference” and includes fibre.
Swaps and variations
- Dairy-free: use 1 tbsp coconut oil or a light olive oil instead of butter.
- Less sweet: halve the honey; ripe apples are sweet enough on their own.
- Dried fruit: mix 2 chopped dates or a spoon of raisins into the filling.
- Other nuts: almonds or hazelnuts work the same way.
- Pears: firm pears, halved and cored, bake in about 30 minutes.
Storage and reheating
Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm them in the oven at 160°C for 10 minutes, or eat them cold with yogurt for breakfast.
Related
- Recipes: Baked figs with Greek yogurt and honey · Pomegranate, walnut and parsley salad · Pumpkin soup with ginger and turmeric
- Encyclopedia: Apples · Walnuts · Cinnamon · Honey
- Diet: Mediterranean diet · 7-day Mediterranean meal plan
FAQ
Which apples are best for baking whole?
Firm apples that keep their shape, such as Braeburn, Jonagold, Granny Smith or Pink Lady. Soft, floury apples tend to collapse in the oven.
Do I need to peel the apples?
No. The skin holds the apple together while it bakes. Scoring it around the middle stops it from splitting.
Can I make baked apples ahead?
Yes. Fill them a few hours before and keep them in the fridge, then bake when you need them; add 5 minutes to the baking time if they go in cold.
This recipe is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice. Nutrition values are estimates calculated from standard databases and will vary with your ingredients.
