Whoever came up with the term “as easy as pie” certainly never made our baked apples! Pies may be tasty, but it’s no secret they are exceedingly labor intensive and time consuming to make. Save yourself the effort by whipping up not only a deliciously healthy dessert, but one that takes half the time to prepare!

BLEND USED: Bored-O Blanc California Grape Nectar

Tasting attributes: Grape Nectar softens crisp aromas of fresh apples and pungent spices, adding a refining element to this comforting dessert

A meal is never complete without a sweet treat, especially when leaves are falling and rain is approaching. And with autumn quickly turning to winter, we are baking this superb and cozy dessert to warm our hearts and rid of us goosebumps. Not only are these baked apples totally delicious, they are comforting, uplifting, cinnamony, guilt-free, and amazing as leftovers! What more can you ask for!

A mixture of tart and sweet apples make for a flawless pairing thanks to our Bored-O Blanc. We like to use mostly granny smith apples since Grape Nectar offsets the sharp bite of the green apples, making for a flawless balance of sweet and sour. Because nutmeg and ginger are such strong flavors, our recipe calls for only a pinch of each, but feel free to liberate your taste preferences with however much spice you like! Our sauvignon blanc wine grape sugar soothes the acidic bite from fresh squeezed lemon juice while the hint of sweet fig from our sugar alternative pops with a sprinkle of sea salt.

Many “healthier” baked apple recipes call for brown or coconut sugar because they add a rich, molasses flavor; however, Bored-O Blanc replaces all refined sugar while adding an earthy element that matches the earthy taste of apples. Plus, using Grape Nectar sugar alternative instead of processed agave, honey, or cane sugar makes this dish clean and wholesome. Not to mention your whole house will smell amazing, bringing back memories of grandma’s homemade apple pie. With less calories and far less work than any recipe of grandma's, these baked apples are the ultimate indulgence to bring back those happy memories of the past.

Oh, and did we mention that this dessert is almost better as leftovers! Almost. It’s pretty hard to beat warm apples right out of the oven, especially topped with cold ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream, but we challenge you to try your leftovers (if there are any) right out of the fridge, served over plain greek yogurt when you #WAKEUP. That’s right, dessert for breakfast. Life’s pretty hard, right?

Bored-O Blanc grape sweetener softens the sharp tang of lemon and granny smith apples while pulling together flavors from each ingredient to create a heartwarming dish. This dessert is “as easy as baked apples” and guaranteed to please all palettes. Falling in love with this #SweetStuff!

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

• 6 apples (suggested: 2 Honeycrisp and 4 Granny Smith)
• 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch on nutmeg
• Pinch of ground ginger
• 3 tbsp water
• ½ cup Bored-O Blanc Grape Nectar
• 1 tsp sea salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Peel and slice the apples very thin
3. In a medium bowl, mix together lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, water, and most of the Grape Nectar
4. Add apples to spice mixture and toss well to coat all the slices
5. Pour apples into 9x13 size pan and pour over remaining spice mixture and extra Grape Nectar. Sprinkle salt over apple slices
6. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for a remaining 5-10 minutes until apples are slightly caramelized.
7. Remove from the oven and let apples sit and cool for at least 10 minutes.
8. Serve with vanilla gelato, whipped cream, fresh berries, or all three! Apples will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and are delicious reheated in the microwave.

Make this recipe vegan by serving with vegan ice cream or coconut whipped cream

Get your Grape Nectar today!