Baked Apples For One Or Two

Name: Baked Apples For One or Two
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 medium apples; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; ¼ cup old fashioned oats; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ½ tablespoon salted butter (- divided); ¼ cup boiling water

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These baked apples are filled with a spiced oat and brown sugar mixture and baked until tender and golden. It’s a mini apple crisp baked right inside the apple, sized for one or two.

two baked apples stuffed with a spiced oat and brown sugar mixture in a small baking dish.

Quick Look

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes
Total Time: about 50 minutes
Equipment: 5-inch square baking dish, apple corer or paring knife, small mixing bowl
Cook Method: Oven
Servings: 1 to 2
Difficulty: Easy
Flavor Profile: Tender and sweet with warm cinnamon and nutmeg and a lightly crisp oat bite.

The apples bake soft enough to scoop with a spoon, and you finish them with the buttery pan juices spooned over the top.

Why You’ll Love These Small Batch Baked Apples

These baked apples are one of the easiest desserts I make, and they taste like apple crisp baked right inside the fruit. You spoon straight down through a soft, spiced apple into an oat filling that turns lightly crisp in the center. This makes two baked apples, enough for one or two people, so there’s no half-pan of dessert left on the counter.

You core the apples, fill them with oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, set them in a small dish with a little hot water, and bake until they’re fork-tender. Every part is made from scratch with everyday ingredients you probably already have.

I always pour hot water into the dish before the apples bake. It keeps them from drying out and helps them soften all the way through, so they turn out tender to the center in about 40 minutes. Make these the next time you have a couple of apples to use up.

When you want more single serving apple desserts, try my apple crisp for one, apple cobbler for one, or apple dumpling for one.

Quick Look
Why You’ll Love These Small Batch Baked Apples
Ingredients
Recipe Variations
How To Make Baked Apples
Expert Tips
Troubleshooting
Frequently Asked Questions
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
Baked Apples For One or Two Recipe

Ingredients

These old-fashioned baked apples come together with a handful of everyday ingredients. If you have any ingredients left over, try our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder to find ways to use them up.

Apples: The best apples for baked apples are firm, sweet varieties that hold their shape in the oven, like Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, or Jonagold. You’ll need 2 medium apples. Granny Smith works too if you like a tart apple with a little bite. Soft varieties like Red Delicious turn mealy when baked, so I skip those. Have an extra apple? Use it in an applesauce for one or a single apple muffin.

Brown sugar: It sweetens the filling and adds a soft molasses flavor that plain white sugar can’t. As the apples bake, it melts into the butter and juices at the bottom of the dish. Coconut sugar, maple syrup, or honey all work in its place, and if you’re out, you can make a small batch of brown sugar with white sugar and molasses.

Old-fashioned oats: Tucked into the center, the oats bake into a soft, spiced filling that sits against the tender apple in every bite. Use certified gluten-free oats if you need to. Leftover oats go into small batch oatmeal cookies or a baked oatmeal for one.

Cinnamon and nutmeg: These are the warm spices that make the kitchen smell like fall.

Butter: Dot a little butter over the stuffed apples before they bake. As it melts, it runs down into the dish and makes the rich juices you spoon back over the apples. For a dairy-free version, use plant-based butter or coconut oil.

Hot water: You pour a little into the dish, not over the apples. It softens them as they bake and keeps the bottoms from sticking or scorching. Swap in apple juice or cider if you want a deeper apple flavor in the juices.

Recipe Variations

These baked apples take well to a few easy swaps that change the flavor, the filling, or the number you make.

Baked Apple For One

Make a single baked apple by using 1 apple and halving the filling: 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 tablespoons oats, a pinch each of cinnamon and nutmeg, and about ½ teaspoon butter on top. Pour ¼ cup hot water into the same dish and bake for the same 40 minutes.

Raisins or Dried Cranberries

Stir 2 tablespoons of raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dried apricots into the oat filling for chewy, tart bites against the sweet apple. Soak them in warm water for 10 minutes first so they plump up instead of drying out in the oven.

Pecans or Walnuts

Add 2 tablespoons of chopped pecans or walnuts to the filling for crunch. Toast them in a dry pan for a few minutes first, which brings out their oils and deepens the flavor.

Maple Pecan

Swap the brown sugar for 1½ tablespoons of maple syrup and add 2 tablespoons of chopped pecans. The maple gives the filling a softer, more caramel-like sweetness than brown sugar does.

Caramel Baked Apples

Drizzle warm caramel sauce over the apples as soon as they come out of the oven. Add it while they’re still hot so it melts down into the filling instead of sitting on top.

How To Make Baked Apples

Here’s how to make baked apples for two that come out tender all the way through with a soft, spiced filling in the center. Full amounts and times are in the recipe card below.

Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Rinse and dry 2 medium apples. Cut out the cores with a sharp knife or an apple corer, leaving the bottom ½ inch intact and a well about 1 inch wide.
In a small bowl, stir together the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Divide the filling between the apples, packing it firmly into each well.
Set the apples in a small baking dish and top each one with ¼ tablespoon of butter.
Pour the hot water into the bottom of the dish.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the apples are cooked through and tender. A knife should slide into the side with no resistance.
Spoon the pan juices over the apples and serve, with vanilla ice cream if you like.

one baked apple filled with oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter on a plate next to a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Expert Tips

Pick a firm apple. Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, and Jonagold hold their shape as they bake, so you get a tender apple that still stands up instead of collapsing. Softer varieties like Red Delicious don’t hold up as well. Granny Smith works if you want more tartness.

Leave the peel on. The skin holds each apple together while it bakes and keeps it from splitting or slumping in the dish.

Pack the filling in firmly. Press the oat mixture down into the well so it holds together and doesn’t spill out as the apple softens. A firmly packed well also gives you a fuller center in every bite.

Use the right size dish. A 5-inch square baking dish keeps the two apples upright and close together so they cook evenly and the water stays shallow around them. In a dish that’s too big, the water spreads thin and can dry out before the apples finish.

Troubleshooting

Here are answers to a few common questions about making baked apples, with quick fixes if yours don’t turn out the way you want.

Why are my baked apples still hard?

Baked apples turn out hard when they’re underbaked or the variety is especially firm. Bake them until a knife slides into the side with no resistance, starting to check at 35 minutes and adding 5 to 10 more if needed. Bake time shifts with the size and type of apple, so use the knife as your guide, not the timer. To speed things up, cut the apples in half and core them, which exposes more surface and shortens the bake.

Why did my baked apples turn mushy?

Baked apples turn mushy when they’re overbaked or made with a soft variety. Remove them from the oven as soon as a knife slides in easily, since they keep softening for a few minutes out of the oven. Use a firm apple like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith, which hold their shape, and skip soft ones like Red Delicious that break down as they bake.

Why did the filling fall out of the apples?

Filling falls out when the core is cut all the way through or the apples are stuffed loosely. Leave the bottom ½ inch of each apple intact so the well has a base, and pack the oat mixture in firmly. When you add the water, pour it into the dish around the apples, not over the tops, so it doesn’t wash the filling out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to core apples for baked apples?

Yes, core the apples to make room for the filling. Cut out the core and seeds with a paring knife or apple corer, leaving the bottom ½ inch intact so the filling has a base to sit on.

Can I make just one baked apple?

Yes. Use one apple and half the filling: 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 tablespoons oats, a pinch each of cinnamon and nutmeg, and ¼ tablespoon of butter on top. Pour ¼ cup hot water into the 5-inch square dish and bake for the same 40 minutes.

Can I make baked apples ahead of time?

Yes. Core the apples and mix the filling up to a day in advance, then stuff and bake when you’re ready. You can also bake them fully, refrigerate, and reheat before serving.

How do I store and reheat baked apples?

Store baked apples in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or in a 325°F oven until warmed through, and spoon any juices back over the top.

How do I know when baked apples are done?

Pierce the thickest part with a fork. If it slides in easily and the apple is tender, they’re ready.

How do I core an apple without an apple corer?

Use a paring knife or a sturdy spoon. Cut a circle around the core with the knife, then scoop out the center and seeds with the spoon, stopping about ½ inch from the bottom.

What do you serve with baked apples?

Serve baked apples warm with vanilla ice cream, homemade whipped cream, or a spoonful of the pan juices. They also pair well with yogurt and granola for breakfast.

Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients

If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:

Mini Dutch Apple Pie

Mini Apple Galette For One

Mini Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Apple Dumpling For One

If you’ve tried these baked apples for two, please let me know how you liked them by rating the recipe and telling me about them in the comment section below.

Cooking For One Made Easy

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