Crockpot Baked Apples
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These cinnamon-spiced crockpot baked apples are such a versatile and easy recipe to make this fall.
Baked apples have been a favored Southern fall treat for generations. But thankfully, these days we can cook them in the slow cooker, which makes life so much easier. This is a simple traditional recipe for old-fashioned crockpot baked apples, which are prepared as they did in the old days. Yep, all you have to do is core your apples, stuff it with some good stuff, and bake away! But now the bonus is that you can do it in the morning and come home to that same smell my Grandmama walked into all those years ago.
When made to the recipe, you’ll enjoy some tender, juicy, and flavorful cinnamon-spiced baked apples at the end. But I’ve included lots of ideas to personalize it and make it your own and I want to hear your ideas in the comments on this post, too! Serve your baked apples with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, with oatmeal for breakfast, or over pancakes. I told you it was a versatile recipe!
Recipe Ingredients
- Apples (about five small to medium apples fit comfortably into my slow cooker).
- Dried cranberries (or raisins, or leave these out entirely).
- Brown sugar (I’m using dark but light brown sugar is fine. You can also use white sugar if that’s what you have).
- Butter (or margarine)
- Cinnamon and allspice (you can leave the allspice out if you like but I love how it enhances the cinnamon. Also, if you are a nutmeg lover you can add that as well. I’ve never been a nutmeg fan so I avoid it).
- You can also add pecans, walnuts, oats, or anything else you come up with!
Place your brown sugar, dried cranberries or raisins, and cinnamon and allspice (or whatever spices you are using) in a small bowl and stir them up really well.
Usually, when I cook with raisins or dried cranberries I like to soak them in really hot water for a few minutes to plump them up a bit before adding them to the recipe. However, these will be slow cooking with plenty of steam in there so there isn’t any need to do that here.
Core your apples.
I bought one of those apple corer thingie-ma-bobbers. It is about the size of a vegetable peeler and it sure is neat!
After you core your apples peel off just a little strip around the top.
This is supposed to keep the apples from splitting as they cook but I mostly just do it because Mama told me to…
Now place the cored apples in the bottom of your slow cooker and use a spoon to fill each apple with your sugar mixture.
Push the filling down in there and fill it up some more!
Top each one with a pat of butter. You can also cut the butter into your sugar mixture but this works just as well and is less work.
Add in 1/2 cup of water and cover with lid. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours for large apples. I used five small to medium apples, so I cooked mine on high for 2.5 hours, or until tender.
I recommend checking them after 3 to 4 hours on low and after 1 hour on high.
Your baked apples should look like this once done.
Add ice cream or whipped cream if you like because you know what? Everything is better with a little ice cream!
Remember to add nuts, oats, spices you like, and anything else to really make this recipe your own!
Storage
- Store your baked apples in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Reheat them either in the microwave or oven.
- You can also freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag for up to three months. Reheat them as above, once thawed.
Recipe Notes
- For a richer flavor, add one teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- If you don’t have brown sugar on hand, you could use granulated sugar or coconut sugar instead.
- Other spices you can use besides (or as well as) cinnamon and allspice: nutmeg, apple pie spice, cardamon, and ginger.
- To bake in the oven: follow the same recipe, but place the apples in the baking dish instead (8×8 or 9×13) and pour water in just as before. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until tender.
Recipe FAQs
What apples should you use?
You can use a variety of apples for this slow cooker baked apples recipe. Granny Smith apples are good because they’re both firm and tart. Another option is Braeburn. Just remember, the softer the apple, the less cooking time you’ll need. So ensure you keep an eye on your apples if you choose a softer apple variety.
Is this recipe for baked apples gluten-free?
Yes, this is a gluten-free and dairy-free baked apple recipe.
How do I serve my crockpot baked apples?
You can serve your baked apples in a multitude of ways. Keep it simple with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce for dessert. Alternatively, serve them for breakfast with granola, yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, or waffles (don’t forget the maple syrup). Another option is to make them in a pastry for a delicious dessert.
You may like these other cinnamon apple recipes:
Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce in Crockpot
Cinnamon Apple Crisps (Only 3 ingredients)
Cinnamon Apple Bread (Loaded With Crunch)
Easy and Delicious Apple Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-5 apples whatever will fit in your slow cooker
- 1/2 cup water
For Each Apple you'll need:
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp dried cranberries or raisins
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon allspice just a smudge of allspice
- 1 tbsp or pat of butter
Instructions
- Core each apple and peel a small strip from around the top of each one (about 1 inch). Place in the bottom of the slow cooker.4-5 apples
- Combine brown sugar, spices, and dried cranberries in a small bowl and stir until well combined.2 tbsp dark brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon allspice, 1 tbsp dried cranberries or raisins
- Stuff each apple with filling, all the way to the top, pressing down with your finger to make room for more filling. Top each one with a pat of butter.1 tbsp or pat of butter
- Pour water into the bottom of the slow cooker.1/2 cup water
- Cover with lid and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours for large apples. I used five small to medium apples, so I cooked mine on high for 2.5 hours, or until tender. I recommend checking them after 3 to 4 hours on low and after 1 hour on high.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or over oatmeal.
To bake in the oven: follow the same recipe, but place the apples in the baking dish instead (8x8 or 9x13) and pour water in just as before. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until tender.
“When bobbing for apples, an idealist endlessly reaches for the best apple, a pessimist settles for the first one within reach, while an optimist drains the barrel, fishes out all the apples and makes pie.”
~Vera Nazarian
3 hours on high was too much; after 2 hours the apples were cracked ( I did peel a bit off the top as you suggested) so turned to low but by the end of the 3 hours they were just mushy. It’s the first thing I’ve cooked in my Crock Pot, so maybe I shall have to try again
A lot of that depends on the type of apples you have. Some will go to mush pretty fast while others will remain firm throughout. Also, if you’re using a Rival brand (which I think you are since you said Crock Pot), I’m not sure how their slow cookers do on the heat. It may be higher than mine.
You are probably right. They smell.lovely, “Christmassy” and taste good, could be a bit sweeter maybe. I shall definitely try again. After all it was my 1st time. p.s. I’m in Italy and used Italian apples (renette)
Oh my goodness, my jaw dropped and my mouth started instantly watering when you said “I’m in Italy”! You lucky dog!! I’ve never had a renette apple. Isn’t it amazing how many different varieties there are?
Sometimes when you think back about the old days, the simplest things are the best! My Grandparents raised my Dad and Uncle in Murphy, NC but hard times took them to Gastonia and the cotton mills! Earn and Mommy as we called them, moved back to Murphy when they retired. Mom and Dad took us up there to visit and I spent summers with them even though my 2 brothers wanted to stay at home.. We picked apples, blackberries, grapes, pears and all kinds of vegetables to can and freeze. The smell of any fruit cooking brings back the memory of big pots boiling and jellies/jams being ‘put up’ for the winter!! Nothing in the stores taste the same!!! Chrisy’s Pear Preserves recipe is the closest to my grandmothers recipe and I have made it many times..
Oh Ruth, what wonderful memories!!!
Hi Christy. Is there a simple way to bake this in the oven? I don’t own a slow cooker and all the sites that explain how to convert recipes are working with cooks who want to convert a dish to the slow cooker.
Sure! Place them in a baking dish and bake, covered at 300 for 30 minutes, then remove cover and bake about another 30 more, or until tender 🙂 That’s what I’d do 🙂
Thanks, Christy. I’ll try that soon. =-)
These look amazing!! Christy, I have a question for you…. We live in the shoals and have two toddlers that we would LOVE to take to an apple orchard around here but I cannot find the one in Toney you mentioned. Could you give me the name of it or one in north alabama..I’m dying to make all these recipes but do t want to have to get all the apple at the store!! Thank you!!
Sure! In Toney it is Scott’s Orchard, but Isom’s is much closer to you and we usually go there now. They have apple cider slushing and you can walk to a little “pumpkin house” for family pictures! We love it! It is in Athens, on hwy72 right as you come out of Athens from the direction of Florence. Make sure you stop at the one with the Isom’s sign and maybe consider going the first full weekend in October so you can go to the fiddlers convention festival at Athens state, it’s a just do for us too!!
Isom’s Orchard usually has a booth at the farmer’s market at the old fairgrounds on Chisholm Road in Florence.
Christy, I love your stories about your grandmothers and mothers. They remind me of the stories my family used to share. My grandparents were from Cullman, Alabama but moved to West Virginia in the early 1920s.
I have a funny apple story about my Mom. After she reached a certain age, her health prevented her from taking care of the apple trees in her yard so they would just fall and rot. Except for a few that a little boy in the neighborhood would pick up and bag. He then would bring them to the front door and ask my Mom if she wanted to buy some apples. She always did. 🙂
What a wonderful recipe! It has been years since I made baked apples and my question is this…When you core the apple, do you go all the way through the bottom, or do you leave some of the very bottom part of the core to keep the “goodies” inside the apple?
I core mine all the way to the bottom. I hope you enjoy.
I love your blog but can’t print off every recipe that I need due to income and cost of ink for printer. Are you ever going to make it possible to add to Printerest and Facebook. That would be so helpful. thanks.
Hey Barbara! Thank you so much for sticking with me and your kindness!
Everything on SouthernPlate can be shared to Facebook or pinned to pinterest and has always been able to. Each photo on all of my recipe posts even has a little Pin button in the bottom left corner if you hover over it with your mouse.
Also, at the bottom of each post you’ll see four round plate looking graphics with a Facebook button, pinterest, twitter, and google plus. Those are directly beneath the recipe and by clicking one of them, the Facebook one for example, it opens up a link on your Facebook page and all you have to do is click share to add the link there.
You can follow me on Pinterest if you like at : http://www.pinterest.com/southernplate/
And the Southern Plate Facebook page is : http://www.facebook.com/southernplatefamily
I hope this helps!
Taking your advise Christy….Want to tell YOU what a blessing YOU are, and how much I enjoy your recipes and blog… I was raised in a time of “learning from Grandparents” was the norm. I just wanted to say THANK YOU!!!!!!! Lana