Simple Cinnamon Spice Baked Apples

Apples are in season once again and I couldn’t be happier! And despite the unfortunate obvious – that with apples comes colder weather – I am always excited to have new fruits and vegetables to play with. I recently spent the weekend up in the Catskills at my friend’s cycling retreat, the Catskills Collective.

photo: neil britto

We spent our days on the road exploring new mountains and our night by the fire sipping beers and wine. It couldn’t have been a more ideal weekend. And I also got to leave with some goodie bags. He has an apple tree outside his home and right before we headed out we picked some delicious apples. I incorporated them into my breakfast oatmeal that week and promised my friend that I would let them inspire my next recipe.To celebrate the Jewish New Year we dip apples in honey as a symbol for a sweet new year ahead. And we generally make apple themed desserts as well. So I went ahead and made one of my favorite apple recipes that is so easy to whip up and even healthy enough for breakfast. No, really! It’s packed with oats, dried fruit, nuts and all that good stuff! I used NOW Foods products because they sell everything I ever need and are organic without the high price point. You can find all the ingredients (besides the apples) for this recipe at NOW’s website. I used date sugar again because it is the best all natural way to add a touch of sweetness. Date sugar is simply made with dates – that’s it. You can choose to omit it from the recipe or add your favorite sweetener.

I like to make this recipe ahead of time and enjoy it all week. You can top it with vegan ice cream or just enjoy it as is. The apples cook down and caramelize while the nut mixture gets crunchy – it’s the perfect combination!

Recipe:

• 6 apples, cored
• 1 1/2 cup oats, divided
• 1/4 cup date sugar
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 2-3 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanila extract

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, core 6 apples and place in a baking dish
2. In a food processor process 1 cup oats, date sugar, raisins, nut butter, cinnamon and vanilla. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture starts to stick together slightly
3. Now add remaining 1/2 cup oats and pecans. Process just to combine. You want to leave it so the nuts and oats don’t completely process.
4. Stuff the apple centers with the mixture and sprinkle any remaining mixture around the apples.
5. Cover the apples and cook for about an hour. Cooking time will depend on the size of your apples so check on them periodically. I cooked mine for 1 1/2 hours.