Pumpkin Spiced Baked Apples

Apple season started early for me this year, as my apple tree produced a lot of apples and started dropping them in mid-August. So, as you can imagine- I have been baking up a storm, especially since these apples are best when cut and cooked. One of my go-to recipes, has simply been to bake the apples and then put a few batches in the freezer so I can enjoy them later in the season too.

This pumpkin spiced baked apple recipe is simple, with just a few ingredients, and it also uses dates as the sweetener (which is a whole food, plant-based sweetener- as it’s just a fruit!). Feel free to swap in raisins for the dates, if that’s what you prefer.

Enjoy the baked apples on their own as a dessert or serve with cooked oatmeal or over pancakes for delicious fall breakfast. These apples also pair great with nice cream or drizzle with some cashew cream.

Ingredients:

7-8 cups chopped red apples

¼ – ½ cup pitted dates (or ½ cup raisins)*

½ cup water

½ tablespoon pumpkin pie spice blend*

walnuts, if desired

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Wash and chop the apples. Set aside 1 cup of the apples, and then place the rest in an 8×8 glass dish.
In a high speed blender, combine the dates and the water. Blend until smooth. Then add 1 cup of the apples, cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice blend). Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture over the apples in the glass dish and stir until all the apples are coated. Bake for 40 minutes.
Allow the apples to cool slightly before serving (the sauce will thicken up as it sits). Top with crushed walnuts, if desired.

Notes:

Use the 1/2 cup dates for a sweeter recipe.

You can swap the pumpkin spice blend for just 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, if you desire.

For a Large batch:

14-16 cups chopped apples

1 cup water

1/2 – 1 cup pitted dates

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice blend