Baked Apples with Walnuts & Sage

These baked apples are filled with an aromatic mixture of walnuts, sage, and orange zest. This cozy vegan and gluten free dessert is super simple to put together and can be served alongside ice cream or yogurt!

I’ve had the idea to make something sweet with apples and sage since last year. Luckily, everything finally came together in these delicious and super cozy baked apples! Sweet apples are filled with a mixture of chopped walnuts, sage, orange zest, vegan butter, and brown sugar and baked until tender. You can enjoy them as-is or serve them alongside ice cream, yogurt, or even a dollop of whipped cream. This dessert gives you the coziness of an apple pie without the extra effort of making and rolling out dough. It’s perfect for holiday meals!

Grab these 8 Ingredients to Make Your Baked Apples

• Apples – sweet firm-fleshed apples are best because they will hold together while baking. I used Cosmic Crisp but Fuji or Pink Lady would also work really well!
• Softened Vegan Butter – adds flavor and helps keep the apples nice and moist while baking.
• Brown Sugar – sweetens and adds a lovely caramel-like flavor.
• Walnuts – form the bulk of the filling and provide a nice nutty flavor.
• Sage – adds a bit of earthiness that pairs really well with the walnuts and orange zest.
• Orange Zest – brightens the dish and adds flavor.
• Sea Salt – balances all of the flavors.
• Water or Apple Cider – helps keep the apples moist while baking.

The Best Apples to Use for Baking

In my opinion, the best apples to use are ones that have a sweet flavor and firmer flesh. A firm-textured apple will keep its lovely shape when baking rather than slowly disintegrating into mush. Here are the commonly available varieties I recommend: Fuji, Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, and Pink Lady. You can use Granny Smith if you prefer a more tart apple!

BAKING TIP: Make sure the apples you choose for the recipe stand upright on their own! If they’re a bit wonky, they’ll easily tip over in the oven.

How to Make this Recipe

First and foremost, don’t forget to soften your butter! I use vegan butter and it softens much quicker than standard butter. Since it was a warm day, this only took about an hour in my house. Once your butter has softened, you’ll add it to a bowl with your brown sugar, chopped walnuts, sage, orange zest, and a small pinch of salt. Use either a wooden spoon or a fork to mash everything together into a cohesive mixture.

Now to prep the apples — wash them well, then cut off the very tops (the portion with the stem) and set them aside. I find this next part easiest with a grapefruit spoon since it’s serrated but you can also use a regular spoon along with a paring knife. You’ll carefully scoop out the core and seeds, making sure not to go all the way down to the other end. You want a nice cavity that holds the filling.

Place each of your prepared apples into a baking dish that is roughly 8×8 inches in size. I used one that has higher sides in the event that one of the apples tried to topple over while baking. The last step is to divide the filling between each apple, packing it down into the cavity with a spoon. Place each top back onto the apples, then pour the water or apple cider into the baking dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until nice and tender!

How to Serve Your Baked Apples

I like to cut each apple in half before serving since it makes them much easier to eat. You can serve these by themselves because they are incredibly delicious on their own. But, if you’d like to take it just a step further, you can serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, maple sweetened yogurt, or whipped cream. I’ve also enjoyed one of these for breakfast over buttered oatmeal!

If you love apple desserts, I highly recommend checking out my maple cinnamon apple crumble (vegan/gf) and my chamomile apple galette (vegan/gf)!

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