Crumble Stuffed Baked Apples

It started off very innocently. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right? Then a sugary, oat-filled crumble was added. And then they were smothered in caramel and ice cream. I wonder what the doctor would say about dem apples now?

I mean seriously. Look at these whoppers! How could I not buy a bushel? I've been snacking on them for weeks when it occurred to me that they were destined for so much more. These apples have a greater purpose.

What ensued was a experiment that Frankenstein himself would be proud of. Complete with some scary tools and surgical-like maneuvers.

The goal? To create a baked apple crossed with the crispy crumble topping generally used on my favorite peach cobbler.

The result was nothing short of baked apple heaven. I present to you, an easy recipe for crumble stuffed baked apples.

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Crumble Stuffed Baked Apples

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- 2-3 monster sized apples (I used Honey Crisp) or 4 medium apples

- 3/4 C brown sugar

- 1/4 C sugar

- 3/4 C flour

- 1 C quick oats

- 1/4 tsp nutmeg

- 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temp cut into chunks

- 1 small apple juice box

- 1/2 bag of Kraft Caramels or caramel sauce

- 1 Can of evaporated milk

- Vanilla ice cream


Once you've rounded up your ingredients, you'll want to heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

// 1 // Wash then core your apples. I tried two different variations. One was the tradition cored apple standing upright. The second was cored, then cut in half vertically and slightly hollowed out. I wanted to see which ones would be more photogenic...you know #fortheblog.

// 2 // Pour your apple juice in the bottom of a baking dish. Place the apples in the juice and get to work on the crumble stuffing.

// 3 // In a large bowl add combine all of your dry ingredients. Adjust the nutmeg and cinnamon to your taste. These are the amounts that I prefer. A little light on the nutmeg and heavy on the cinnamon!

Add your room temperature butter and, using your hands, mash it all up until you've got a crumbled mess.

// 4 // Load up your apples with the crumble filling and pop them in the oven for at least 45 minutes.

Now the next part is totally optional. But I'll have you know, I went to the trouble of experimenting to get this recipe just right and I can vouch for the fact that these lovely baked apples are very sad without a good dousing of melted caramel. See...just look how lonely...

So, if you want those baked apples to be happy (i.e. your tummy) you'd be wise to whip up some caramel sauce. Yep, the same one I used on the Blasphemous Creme Egg Brownie Bites. I mean, it goes well on pretty much anything.

// 5 // Unwrap half of the bag of caramels. Drop them in a microwave safe bowl. Add about 1/4 of a can of evaporated milk (somewhere in the ballpark of 125 mL). Microwave in increments of 30 seconds, stopping to stir, until melted.

// 6 // When your baked apples are done, drizzle (or dump) caramel on top and serve with a big 'ol scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I reckon the doc would be quite happy to know I've created a meal that covers every section of the food pyramid. Okay, well, maybe the veg is missing, and protein. But hey, who's counting?

PS - The halved apple turned out much prettier. They all taste the same, but the whole baked apples kinda looked like the Cousin It of the bunch.

What's your favorite fall recipe?