White Wine-Baked Apples Recipe

There's no better way to end your day than with a sweet treat to satisfy all of your cravings. When most people think of desserts, they think of cakes and ice cream, which are delicious, but not particularly unique. If you're looking for a way to jazz up dessert for a get together with friends, these white wine-baked apples are a breath of fresh air. Not only is this recipe unique, it also packs a ton of flavor in every single bite. 

Recipe developer Jennine Bryant came up with this fruit- and nut-filled recipe you'll want to make over and over again. "I love just how sweet and flavorful the apples become, it's definitely my favorite way to eat them! It's amazing how baking things caramelizes them and brings out the sugars so beautifully. It's also super quick to throw together and the oven does all the work for you — great if you are low on time and want a really delicious and warming dessert," Bryant raves. "This is a fabulous autumnal dessert. The warmth, the apples, and the spices just scream 'fall' to me. It's a lovely dessert option if you want to feed a bigger group of people, as it doesn't take much time to throw together. It's also a nice, simple dessert option if you have friends over for dinner." 

This recipe requires a handful of items you will likely need to pick up from the store. Be sure to buy brown sugar, chopped pecans, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground nutmeg, cooking apples, butter, white wine, apple juice, and honey.

Once you have those things, you can make these delicious white wine-baked apples.

Since you'll be baking these apples, go ahead and preheat your oven to 375 F. While you wait for the oven to preheat, take out a small mixing bowl. Toss in the brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. Give the mixture a few stirs to combine.

Set the bowl to the side since you won't need it right away.

Now, it's time to grab your cooking apples. "In England, there are specific 'cooking apples' you can get from supermarkets, but if they aren't easy to come by, there are loads of different apples to cook with. Braeburns are great, but you could use most apples for this recipe as long as they have some flavor to them," Bryant notes. 

Remove the stems from each apple and core the center. Be sure to leave about ½-inch intact at the bottom of each apple to help hold the filling in place. Use a knife to remove any extra seeds you may have missed while coring. 

Need help with coring? "I use an apple corer tool, which makes the process quick and easy. A sharp knife would do the trick just as well, though!" Bryant shares. 

Place the apples in a baking dish and grab the filling you made in the first step. Use a teaspoon to fill the holes in each apple with a generous amount of the spiced sugar and pecan mixture. 

Then, cut the butter into four pieces and place a chunk on the top of each apple. This will help the apples to brown when baking while also adding plenty of flavor.

In a small bowl, mix together the white wine and apple juice. Pour the liquid into the base of the baking dish with the apples. Remember, the oven will burn off the white wine's alcohol, leaving this dish kid- and adult-friendly. "Baking the apples in white wine makes all the difference, and you end up with the most delicious syrup to serve with the apples," Bryant notes. 

Finally, drizzle the honey on top of the apples and pop them into your preheated oven. Set your timer and let them bake for 45 minutes.

When your timer goes off, remove the apples from the oven and place them on your counter to allow them to cool for about 10 minutes. These are great when served on their own, but Bryant provides a few serving suggestions. "The best way to eat this is served with some vanilla ice cream, because it adds that lovely cool and creamy contrast to the fruity apple. It would also go really well with some simple whipped cream or even creme fraiche," Bryant suggests.

Anything left? "Leftovers keep well for 3-4 days in the fridge, and can either be reheated slowly in the microwave or in the oven," Bryant notes. We hope this sweet treat hits the spot.