The Old School Dessert That Will Be Your New Favorite (And It's Only 3 Ingredients)

Baked apples are a delicious, easy-to-make dessert with a rich history, and if you've never tried them before, you're just in time to use up your leftover fall apples to make this comforting treat. This old school, baked dessert was first recorded in 1685 in a cookbook by English chef Robert May, but many other cultures have their own variations of this dish, in places like Iran, Turkey, Chile, Georgia, and Germany. Since then, it's become a cozy staple in many households during the fall and winter months.

Making baked apples is simple. All you need are three ingredients: perfectly ripe apples with brown stems, honey, and cinnamon. Plus, you can add whatever mix-ins you may want, as well. To make them, just core the middle of each apple, sprinkle the inside with cinnamon, pour in some honey, and bake! The result is a warm, tender, mildly sweet dessert that you can enjoy on its own, or with a scoop of ice cream or foolproof homemade whipped cream.

Many of the earliest accounts of baking apples involved peeling, coring, and cutting the apples into pieces, but baked apples are now most commonly enjoyed with the whole apple still intact, minus the core. One of the best parts about leaving the skin on is that it can help trap the moisture, keeping the apples soft while they bake. Additionally, keeping the apples whole makes it easy to hold the fillings, and it looks aesthetically pleasing on the plate, too.

If you decide to keep the apple whole, all you'll need to do is core out the middle and leave the bottom intact so that it contains your chosen ingredients. The easiest way would be to use an apple corer, but this can also be done with a knife and spoon by cutting off the top and scooping out the middle. Once it's cored, you'll be able to fill it with a variety of your favorite flavor combinations. 

Beyond honey and cinnamon, you can add nuts, brown sugar, nutmeg, or dried fruit. And for a cold, creamy topping to complement the warm apples, you can add whipped cream or crème anglaise. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or go all out with a drizzle of salted caramel or butter pecan sauce. You can also enjoy baked apples for breakfast by stuffing them with oatmeal, or yogurt and granola.