These delicious healthy baked apples are one of the best desserts during the fall season. They are slowly baked until tender in an aromatic caramelized sauce and served hot or cold.
This recipe is very easy to do. All we need to do is peel and slice the apples, mix them in a baking dish along with a few ingredients and bake until tender and soft. The best part of this recipe is that our whole house will be filled with the delicious aroma of cinnamon apples.
What kind of apple to choose?
When we refer to roasted apples we can refer to sliced, chopped or whole apples that are baked until slightly soft and juicy. Baked apples generally include sugar, butter and/or cinnamon, although we have found a fit and low-calorie version.
For this recipe it is recommended to use sour apples, such as the variety Granny Smith, because they balance well with sweetness. Although we can really use any variety we have on hand, such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Gala, etc.
Is also better peel them so that the fruit is soft and caramelized after baking. Apple peel tends to get hard and too chewy when baked.
When finished, we can store them in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat them, we will bake them at 180ºc for about 15 minutes.
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The benefits of baked apples are undeniable. Vitamins and microelements are present in them in huge quantities. All these substances in roasted apples will be absorbed much better than those in fresh apples, especially if we have stomach or intestinal problems.
Low calories
The generally accepted good qualities of baked apples make them an ideal dietary product. You can improve our general condition with them even for a day, in which we can eat only this dish and drink unsweetened tea and water. There is the baked apple diet, whose portion should not exceed 300 grams and can be eaten five times a day. However, it is not recommended as it does not have a good amount of fat or protein necessary for the body.
One cup of baked apple provides 105 calories, 1 gram of protein, and 28 grams of total carbohydrates if unsweetened. A baked apple is a good source of fiber with 5 grams total, which is 19 percent of the daily goal. On the other hand, a serving of sweetened baked apple will provide 181 calories, with 84 empty calories. The total carbohydrate count also increases to 47 grams per one cup serving.
healthy dessert
It makes an ideal dessert or snack for a family and we can easily halve or double the recipe as needed. Plus, it's free of common allergens: egg-free, gluten-free, and nut-free. It is the perfect way to use apples that we cannot eat before they go bad.
The list of useful properties of baked apples is quite large. They clean the blood vessels of bad cholesterol very well and help to maintain the level of this substance in the blood at an acceptable level. Baked fruits optimize intestinal function and relieve constipation, as well as neutralize diarrhea.
baby friendly
Baked Apples for Babies is an inexpensive and delicious option that is packed with vitamin C and fiber. There are some key steps to take to ensure baby apples are served safely. We remember that the raw apple is a common choking hazard for babies.
The two most common ways to offer apples to babies is in a smooth applesauce or as a baby-led weaning food in the form of a baked or sautéed apple slice. Both are delicious options with soft textures suitable for babies from 6 to 12 months.
From there, you can move on to smaller pieces of soft cooked apples to offer to babies around 9 months old, or when they can pick up small bits of food with their fingers.
Tips
The cooking time depends on how thin or thick we cut the apple slices. Personally, we prefer to cut them thinner to ensure they bake and soften.
We will also make sure to stir them at least a couple of times while we bake to mix all the ingredients of the sauce. At first, when the butter melts, it may appear that the sauce is greasy and the fats are separating. After we bake it longer and stir it a few times, it will all come together and the sauce will caramelize.
Ideally, they should be a little soft, but not very soft. The best part of this recipe, besides all the flavors, is that we have complete control over the texture. We will bake for only about 40-45 minutes to get slightly soft apples that hold their shape but can still be eaten with a spoon. We will leave them a few more minutes if we like them extra soft or soft.
It is not recommended to prepare baked apples ahead of time to serve later. They brown and become mushy, fast. It is also not recommended to freeze these baked apples because they are too soft when thawed.
