Slow Cooker Baked Apples Recipe

Slow Cooker Baked Apples is an easy and delicious dessert made in the crockpot that requires less than 10 minutes of prep time. It yields an enjoyable and healthy dessert primarily made with stuffed apples! The best way to enjoy them is warm and topped with vanilla ice cream!

We love making easy and delicious crock-pot recipes for various reasons. They are easy to prepare, flavorful, and the slow cooker does all the work. This side dish is best served after a sumptuous meal such as cube steak, blackened chicken, and crockpot brown sugar garlic pork.

Crockpot Baked Apples

When apple season comes, I always make these Slow Cooker Baked Apples and Slow Cooker Apple Cider with Cinnamon. Both recipes are a must-try during the Fall season, and your house will smell amazing as well!

This is a super easy dessert to make that requires only a few prep minutes. You simply core your apples, stuff them with chopped walnuts and brown sugar, and slowly cook in the crockpot.

As a result, you will end up with the best apple dessert is delicious and also healthy! Also, this slow cooker apple recipe calls for only a few ingredients. With the use of the crockpot, you can simply pop in the prepared apples and totally forget about them for hours! At the end of the day, be surprised with a delectable assembly of flavors enhancing the fruit’s natural flavor and texture.

The fruits are filled with a mixture of sweetness and crunchiness that makes this dish exciting. Also, the sourness of the fruit is balanced quite nicely, especially with the added caramel sauce and butter. 

Apples can be bought all-year-round which makes this dish enjoyable at any time of the year. All it takes is a handful of the fruits, spices, nuts, and raisins for the stuffing. Then, let the crockpot do the working. In addition, this is a gluten-free, and vegan-friendly dish!

Serve this apple dessert as a side dish for dinner along with pork chops, and roast pork. Or as a yummy dessert topped with a scoop of ice cream, whipped cream or butter on top!

Are apples healthy? What are the health benefits?

Yes, they are! They have high fiber and water content that makes them ideal snacks for those wanting to stay healthy or to lose some weight.

Also, they are high in vitamin C and antioxidants that are good for your overall health.

It is important to note that the skin has lots of the nutrients that this fruit has, so eat the whole fruit – skin, juice, and flesh – to get all the benefits.

What do you stuff Baked Apples with?

Usually, we stuff with a mixture of nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. But for this specific recipe, we will include raisins as the secret ingredients!

It adds just the right balance of sweetness and flavor. But, be creative and explore more filling options as the list of possibilities is endless.

How do you make slow cooker baked apples?

This is an easy recipe that requires a few simple steps: 

1. Clean and core apples: First, core the fruits using an apple corer or a sharp paring knife. Also, ensure not to cut all the way through.
2. Make the filling: Next, is to make the filling by simply combining the raisins and the nuts. Then, stuff them with the filling inside. 
3. Prepare the brown sugar sauce: Make the sauce by letting a mixture of salt, brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon simmer for about 5 minutes. Mix this regularly until it thickens.
4. Cook: Arrange the fruits at the bottom of the crockpot. Then, pour the mixture over the fruits in the crockpot and begin the slow cooking. Cook them for 3 to 4 hours on LOW heat, or 1-2 hours on high heat. Also, you might add some extra time for large apples. 
5. Serve: Enjoy them warm with your favorite topping. 

Possible flavor variations:

• Granola: Substitute chopped walnuts with granola. This is a great healthy alternative and is also crunchy. 
• Maple syrup: Also, feel free to swap the honey with maple syrup. 
• Instant Pot: If you have an electric pressure cooker, you can easily save some time, and make these delicious Instant Pot Baked Apples. A quick and easy alternative during busy weekdays!
• Coconut oil: Add 2 teaspoons of coconut oil to the filling for a boost of flavor. 
• Spices: During the holiday season such as Thanksgiving, I love using various spices such as apple pie spice. 
• Juice: You can also use apple juice or orange juice for liquid for baking them. 

Best apples to use:

There is no hard rule as to what type will work best for this recipe. But, we need something that will hold its shape while cooking. Hence, you can choose from:

• Braeburn
• Honey Crisp
• Gala Apples
• Fuji
• Golden Delicious
• Ida Red
• Pink Lady

Also, if you prefer something kind of sour, go for the Granny Smith apples which will balance out the sweet filling of the sauce.

How to prevent Slow Cooker Baked Apples from turning too mushy?

The answer is to not overcook the dish. If the cooking process is too long, then, expect that the flesh becomes mushy.

Therefore, ensure to check on them periodically, especially after the 2-hour mark.

Are they gluten-free?

Since there is no wheat or anything that originated from it in the ingredients, then, this can be gluten-free.

But also be careful in buying the nuts as some brands caution that their packaging might contain wheat.

How to serve them?

• You can eat this dish as a breakfast item, as a delicious treat, as a snack, or as a healthy dessert.
• As a side dish, pair them with pork chops, roast pork, or meatloaf. 
• For extra flavor, let them cool down to a manageable temperature, and then drizzle over some caramel sauce or chocolate.
• Also, you can serve them with your favorite garnish like a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a pat of butter. 

How to store them?

• Refrigerate: Store each fruit in individual containers and put them in the fridge for not more than one week.
• Freeze: Also, feel free to freeze them. First, let them completely cool at room temperature. Then, transfer them in a zippered freezer bag or individual freezer container, and freeze them for up to 3 months. 
• Reheat: To reheat, simply put them in the microwave and heat for about two minutes. If frozen, let them thaw overnight in the fridge prior to reheating. 

More apple recipes:

Recipe Tips

• Buy and use only the freshest apples by checking for the firmness when you press against the skin and the absence of bruising.
• In removing the core, a melon baller can also be used instead of a paring knife.
• Substitute other kinds of nuts like walnuts to pecan. Alternatively, you can even put oats in the filling.
• In addition, if you don’t have brown sugar, use regular white sugar. But the brown sugar adds a nice texture and caramelizes them perfectly. 
• For a citrusy flavor, squeeze some lemon juice on top of the apple. 
• Also, when you core the fruit, leave about 1/4 inch at the bottom for the filling.