These baked cinnamon apples with caramel are a simple and delicious dessert that is perfect for fall, winter and the holidays. Easy to make and made without refined sugar they are healthy and naturally gluten free, dairy free and vegan. Enjoy them as a snack or a healthy treat.
Why you will love this recipe:
- These baked apples taste amazing! With hints of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves these apples have the best fall flavour.
- They are really easy to make and you don’t have to peel the apples (although you can if you want to).
- They are a great dessert to serve for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
- The caramel sauce takes these baked apples to the next level and makes them taste even better!
- They are refined sugar free and are sweetened with coconut sugar and honey (or maple syrup) so are healthier than many other baked apple recipes.
- They are naturally gluten free and dairy free and are safe for paleo and vegan diets.
Ingredients and substitutions:
- Apples – the star of this recipe, you can use any type of red apple that you like. My favourites are Gala, Pink Lady and Honeycrisp.
- Coconut sugar – my favourite natural granulated sugar. You could easily swap this for brown sugar too.
- Coconut oil – to help keep the apples nice and moist when they bake.
- Lemon juice – to help balance out the sweetness of the apples and sugar.
- Vanilla extract – to help enhance the flavours of the spiced apples.
- Spices: cinnamon, ground cloves and nutmeg – nothing says a perfect fall treat like the combination of these spices.
- For the caramel sauce: dates, maple syrup (or honey), coconut milk, vanilla extract and salt – to make the perfect rich caramel sauce that is so creamy and delicious! You could swap the coconut milk for any other type of milk that you like.
How to make this recipe:
How to make the baked apples:
Step one: first, preheat your oven to 350F.
Step two: then chop the apples (you can leave the skin on or peel it off) and place them in a 3 quart casserole dish.
Step three: now add the remaining ingredients and stir the apples well to coat.
Step four: then cover the casserole dish and bake the apples for 40-45 minutes, until the apples are the texture you desire (you can make the caramel sauce while the apples are baking).
How to make the caramel sauce:
Step one: first add all the ingredients to your Vitamix or other high speed blender.
Step two: then blend well until the sauce is smooth.
Step three: once the apples are done baking, drizzle the caramel over the apples. Then enjoy!
Chef’s tips and variations:
- You could also top these baked apples with ice cream or whipped cream.
- You can make the caramel sauce with either honey or maple syrup.
- If you tolerate dairy, feel free to use butter or ghee instead of coconut oil.
- If you want the apples to be even sweeter feel free to add more coconut sugar to the recipe.
- If you prefer the apples without the skin you can peel the apples before chopping them.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 7 days.
Frequently asked questions:
Are baked apples healthy?
That depends on what you bake them with. If you bake them with refined sugars or a high amount of sugars that will make them less healthy. However, these baked apples don’t use any refined sugars and they are also dairy free so they are healthier than most other baked apple recipes.
What are the best apples for baked apples?
You can use many different types of apples for baked apples. I personally like Ambrosia, Honey Crisp, Gala, or Pink Lady but feel free to use any type of red apple that you like.
Other desserts you will love:
- Apple Pie Bars
- Paleo Ice Cream Bars with Berries
- Gluten Free Lemon Bars with Cranberry
- Dairy Free Brownies with Caramel
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Since you made it this far we are basically best friends so be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook where I share even more recipes and healthy living tips! And don’t forget to leave this recipe a star review before you go!
Baked Cinnamon Apples with Caramel
These baked cinnamon apples with caramel are the perfect fall and winter dessert. Refined sugar free these apples still taste amazing and are paleo and vegan.
Ingredients
Baked Apples Ingredients
- 6-7 sweet apples, chopped (such as gala, honey crisp, ambrosia, pink lady etc)
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 4 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp organic vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Caramel Sauce Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dates
- 1 1/2 cups full fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
Baked Apples Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 350F.
-
Chop the apples and place them in a 3 quart casserole dish.
-
Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to coat all the apples.
-
Cover the casserole dish and place the dish in the oven.
-
Bake for 40-45 minutes.
-
While the apples are baking make the caramel sauce.
Caramel Sauce Instructions
-
Add all the ingredients to your Vitamix or other high speed blender and allow them to soak .
Final Assembly
-
Drizzle the caramel sauce over the warm baked apples. Then enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- If you want the apples to be sweeter feel free to add more coconut sugar (such as 1/2 a cup).Â
- If you tolerate dairy feel free to use butter or ghee instead of coconut oil.
- You can make the caramel sauce with either honey or maple syrup.
- Feel free to peel the apples if you prefer them without the skin.Â
Pin this recipe for later:
Leave a Reply