Healthy Baked Apples | 3 ingredients!

This 3-ingredient healthy baked apples recipe is free from added sugars and perfect for topping everything from oatmeal to ice cream or served as a family-friendly side dish!

These easy baked apples are perfectly sweet, generously spiced with cinnamon, and delicious eaten warm or cold. Straight from the oven, they'll remind you of apple pie filling, but without the added sugars, as we're using a secret ingredient: monk fruit sweetener!

Apples are sweet on their own, but when baked without any sweetener, they can taste a little tart. A few drops of vanilla-flavored monk fruit sweetener balances them without being too sweet.

My favorite way to enjoy baked cinnamon apples as a healthy plant-based breakfast is spooned over hot oatmeal or with apple pie overnight oats. For a nutrient-dense snack, you can't go wrong with baked apples (warm or cold) stirred into Greek yogurt with granola for a fall-inspired parfait. For a decadent treat the whole family will love, serve them warm over vanilla ice cream!

Why you'll love this recipe

• They use only three ingredients: apples, cinnamon, and a sweetener.
• This healthy baked apple recipe is naturally gluten-free, vegan, free from added sugars, nut-free, dairy-free, and soy-free, making it perfect for a number of different diet restrictions and allergies.
• It's perfect for using your haul from apple picking in the fall or when spare apples are lying around.
• It's so versatile! Eat this healthy apple recipe warm or cold, by itself, or serve it with oatmeal, yogurt, ice cream, and more!

🛒 Key ingredients for healthy baked apples

You only need three ingredients to whip up a batch of these 3 ingredient baked apples.

• Apples: I used Honeycrisp for this baked apple recipe since that's what I like to eat, and they hold up well during baking. Look at the substitution list below for the other apples that work well for this recipe.
• Cinnamon: This recipe keeps it simple with ground cinnamon, which adds the spicy, warm flavors of fall that pair perfectly with warm apples.
• Monk fruit: Using liquid monk fruit sweetener adds plenty of sweetness without added sugars, helping to make this a healthier baked apple recipe than many others you'll find. I used vanilla-flavored monk fruit, which adds a very light vanilla flavor to the final product.

🥣Step by step instructions

Hint: Make sure you're giving the apples a good stir every 15-20 minutes to prevent the top layer from drying out.

🗯 Tips & tricks for healthy baked apples

• Chop the apples into uniform pieces to ensure they bake evenly. This helps prevent some pieces from being undercooked while others get too soft.
• Stirring the apples every 20 minutes, as suggested, helps prevent them from drying out. You can also cover the pan with foil for the first half of the baking time to lock in moisture.
• Add a squeeze of lemon to enhance the flavor and prevent browning. You can toss the apple pieces in a little lemon juice before baking.
• Double the batch, because once you try these, you'll want to eat them with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks!

One teaspoon of Now Food Liquid Monk Fruit Sweetener is as sweet as half a cup of sugar!

🛍 Substitutions and Variations

• Apples - Instead of Honeycrisp, use any sturdy and sweet apple, including Braeburn, Jonathan, or Gala. If you want to use Granny Smith, I recommend mixing that in with a sweeter variety or using additional sweeteners as they're slightly more tart than the other varieties.
• Sweetener - I used liquid monk fruit sweetener, but you can use any type of sweetener you'd like. For the same amount of sweetness, use half a cup of sugar. For other sugar substitutes, use the equivalent to half a cup of table sugar, since various types and brands have a wide range of sweetness. Or you can skip the sweetener all together–apples have plenty of sweetness on their own!
• Spices - Cinnamon adds a classic warm and spicy flavor to this recipe, but you can also use apple pie spice, a seasoning that typically combines cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, and sometimes ginger and cardamom too. You can also add a tiny pinch of any of those seasonings to the cinnamon, just keep in mind that spices like nutmeg and allspice have very distinct tastes and a little goes a long way.

📦How to store it

To store leftovers, let them cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store for up to 5 days.

🍽️What to serve with healthy cinnamon baked apples

There are so many ways to use these sweet and tasty baked apples. You'll want to keep a batch in your refrigerator all season long!

• Top with Greek yogurt: Add a dollop of Greek yogurt for a creamy, protein-packed topping that complements the warm, cinnamon-flavored apples, or use the apples as a topping for your Greek yogurt.
• Pair with oatmeal: Serve the baked apples over a bowl of oatmeal for a comforting and hearty breakfast or stir into a basic overnight oats recipe for a fall twist!
• Serve with ice cream: For a treat, serve the warm apples with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.
• Sprinkle with nuts: Add a sprinkle of chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans for some added crunch and healthy fats.
• Drizzle with nut butter: Drizzle almond butter or peanut butter over the baked apples to add healthy fats and make this snack much more satisfying and filling.
• Use as a pancake or waffle topping: Spoon the baked apples over pancakes or waffles for a fall-inspired twist on your breakfast. Try them spooned on top of blender pancakes for a easy fall twist!
• Pair with cottage cheese: For a savory-sweet combo, serve the baked apples with cottage cheese. It’s a great way to add protein and make it more filling.
• Enjoy as-is: These baked cinnamon apples are flavorful and satisfying on their own, making them a perfect snack or dessert just as they are–warm or cold!

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