Stuffed Baked Apples (Printable Version)
# What You'll Need:
→ Apples
01 -
1 tablespoon lemon juice
02 -
4 crisp apples, any tart kind like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, bottoms left whole, rinsed and cored
→ Cheesecake Filling
03 -
1 teaspoon cinnamon
04 -
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 -
1/4 cup white sugar
06 -
8 ounces cream cheese, let it come up to room temp so it’s soft
→ Topping
07 -
2 tablespoons melted butter
08 -
1/2 cup graham crumbs
# Steps to Follow:
01 -
Give the apples a few minutes to cool down before digging in so the filling can set up. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or some caramel is awesome on top if you want.
02 -
Slide the dish in the hot oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the apples are fork-tender but still holding together and the filling isn’t jiggly.
03 -
Pop the filled apples into your baking pan. Splash with lemon juice so they stay bright and get an extra punch of flavor.
04 -
Gently press that crumb topping down onto the apples you filled so it sticks and makes a nice, crunchy layer.
05 -
In another bowl, toss graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon until it’s all damp and sticks together a bit.
06 -
Pack that creamy mixture into each cored apple, making sure you fill the space inside so each one is stuffed to the top.
07 -
Mix up the soft cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and half the cinnamon until it’s fluffy and smooth.
08 -
Rinse your apples well and core them out, but don’t poke through the bottom so you’ve got a spot for the filling.
09 -
Get your oven warming up to 375°F (190°C) so everything will cook evenly later.
# Additional Tips:
01 -
Pick firm apples so they won’t collapse and you get a nice sweet-tart bite.
02 -
Don’t jam in too much filling or you’ll run out of space for crumbs on top.
03 -
Stick a toothpick in the apple’s side. If it slides right through but doesn’t shred the apple, you’ve got the right doneness.