These Baked Apples Stuffed with Oatmeal and Nuts are an easy fall dessert made with crisp apples, rolled oats, chopped walnuts, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon.

The apples turn soft and syrupy in the oven while the filling bakes into a crunchy, oat-crisp topping.

Make them for a cozy weeknight dessert, a slow weekend breakfast, or a smaller Thanksgiving table that doesn’t need a whole pie.

There’s also an air fryer version below if you only want two.

If you’ve got a bag of apples to use up, these are worth trying next:

Baked Apples Stuffed with Oatmeal and Nuts

Ingredients You’ll Need

Pick firm baking apples like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Braeburn (soft apples like Red Delicious collapse in the oven).

Walnuts and pecans both work, so use whichever you have.

Ingredients

4 large firm apples (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Braeburn)
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey, plus more for drizzling
1/2 cup water or apple cider (for the baking dish)

Directions

Heat the oven to 375°F.
Slice a thin layer off the bottom of each apple if needed so it sits flat without rolling.
Cut off the top 1/2 inch of each apple.
Use a melon baller or small spoon to scoop out the core and seeds, leaving about 1/2 inch of apple at the bottom and around the sides.
Don’t cut through the bottom, or the filling and butter will leak out.
This part takes a few minutes per apple (a melon baller makes it much easier).
In a bowl, stir together the oats, chopped nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Pour in the melted butter and maple syrup and mix until every oat is coated and the mixture looks clumpy.
If you’ve got scooped-out apple flesh without core bits, chop it finely and stir it in.
Set the apples upright in a small baking dish.
Pack the oatmeal filling into each apple, mounding it slightly on top.
Press it in firmly so it doesn’t fall out as the apples soften.
Pour the water or apple cider into the bottom of the dish around the apples.
The liquid steams the apples and keeps the sugar on the bottom of the pan from burning.
Cover the dish loosely with foil.
Bake covered for 20 minutes, then remove the foil.
Bake 15 to 25 minutes more, until a knife slides easily into the side of the apple and the topping is golden and crisp.
Baking time depends a lot on the apple variety, so check with a knife instead of the clock.
Air fryer option: Prepare and fill the apples the same way, then place them in the air fryer basket without the water.
Cover the tops loosely with a small piece of foil and air fry at 350°F for 10 minutes.
Remove the foil and air fry 5 to 8 minutes more, until the apples are tender and the topping is crisp.
Let the apples cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
Spoon the pan juices over the top and add an extra drizzle of maple syrup or honey if you like.
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or yogurt and enjoy!

Air Fryer Version

Air fryer baked apples are the way to go when you only want two. Fill the apples as written, set them in the basket (no water needed), and cover the tops loosely with a small square of foil so the oats don’t burn before the apples soften.

Air fry at 350°F for 10 minutes, then pull off the foil and cook 5 to 8 minutes more. They’re done when a knife slides easily into the side and the oat topping looks golden.

Smaller apples fit best, and you’ll miss the pan syrup from the oven version. Warm a spoonful of maple syrup with a pinch of cinnamon and drizzle it on at the end instead.

Important Recipe Notes

Choose firm apples. Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Braeburn, and Pink Lady hold their shape. McIntosh and Red Delicious turn mushy and can split.
Leave the bottom intact. A hole in the base lets the butter and filling leak into the pan. Stop scooping about 1/2 inch from the bottom.
Don’t skip the liquid in the dish. It creates steam so the apples soften evenly, and it turns into a light syrup you can spoon over the top.
Check doneness with a knife. Tender apples feel like soft butter when pierced. If the skin starts splitting, take them out.
Cover the tops in the air fryer. The fan browns the oats fast. A loose piece of foil for the first 10 minutes keeps them from scorching.
Make the filling ahead. Mix it up to 3 days early and keep it in the fridge. Fill and bake the apples right before serving so they don’t brown.
Store leftovers covered. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 350°F for 5 to 8 minutes.
Make it gluten-free. Use certified gluten-free oats. Everything else in the recipe is already gluten-free.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving:

Serve these warm, with the pan juices spooned over the top. Vanilla ice cream is the classic choice, but Greek yogurt works if you’re serving them for breakfast.

A sprinkle of extra chopped nuts adds crunch.

Storage:

Keep leftover baked apples in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

They soften a little more as they sit. I don’t recommend freezing them, because the texture turns watery once thawed.

Customization:

Stir dried cranberries or raisins into the filling for extra chew. Swap the butter for coconut oil to make them dairy-free.

Pears work the same way, though they need about 10 minutes less in the oven.