Lighter Baked Apples with Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce

These lighter baked apples are not just for autumn. Baked slowly in the oven until soft and delicious, the apples have an easy homemade brown sugar caramel sauce.

These lighter baked apples first appeared on The Culinary Jumble in August 2018.

Following on from my wander down memory lane, baked apples are another dessert my mum used to make regularly. However, up until recently, I’d never made them myself. That all changed when I found the hugest apples known to man in our local supermarket and decided to have a go.

I love apples, and they are always so easy to get hold of. I’ve even got my own tree. There’s nothing more exciting than using homegrown produce in recipes, is there? I was beyond thrilled to use my own fruit in my simple äppelkaka (Swedish apple cake). It has never produced anything quite like the monsters I found at the supermarket, though.

Most of us have a fair idea that apples are pretty good for us, but did you know there was huge scientific evidence which supports this, as laid out in the fabulously informative article by Well-Being Secrets? I really need to bake more with apples, seriously.

How to make baked apples lighter

The great thing about these baked apples is they are so flexible, including the level of sweetness, which you can adjust to your own personal taste.  Although they have very little sugar, I still found these baked apples very sweet (kids and man loved them) so next time, would definitely reduce or completely get rid of the sugar added to the apples before baking.

Admittedly, healthy is not necessarily the first thing that springs to mind when you talk about caramel sauce, this one is so light it would be a crime not to make it. Although the apples and caramel sauce are lighter, the added ice-cream and nuts were not. Sorry, not sorry. Life is all about balance and the benefits you accrue for making your own lighter caramel sauce allow a little compromise. The beauty of this apple recipe is that you can customise – swap out the things you don’t like for your own personal favourites.

My favourite lighter desserts

If you like the look of these baked apples, check out my other lighter recipes. Here are just a few of my favourite desserts that have reduced sugar and/or a lower fat content.

• Spelt apple streusel cake
• Greek yoghurt Eton Mess
• Chocolate and cinnamon banana loaf cake
• Spelt coconut chocolate cake
• Baked Greek yoghurt cheesecake
• Spelt cinnamon cake with honey butter drizzle

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Lighter Baked Apples

Don't wait for Autumn to make these lighter baked apples, with a homemade, healthier brown sugar caramel sauce.

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings 4 apples

Ingredients

Apples:

• 4 large apples
• 2 tbs brown or coconut sugar
• ½ tbs cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 4 tbs water or fruit juice

Caramel:

• 60g (¼ cup) brown cane sugar
• 2 tbs milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 15g (1 tbs) butter

Instructions

Apples:

• Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Core the four apples taking care not to go right through to the bottom, and then place on a baking tray or dish.
• Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Brush the outsides (and inside the holes left by the cores) with water or juice.
• Sprinkle over the sugar mixture, making sure you get plenty in the holes.
• Pour just enough water in to the baking dish to just cover the surface.
• Bake the apples for around 50-60 minutes and then remove from the oven.

Caramel sauce:

• Just before the apples are ready, prepare the caramel.
• Heat the sugar, vanilla sugar and milk together in a pan.
• Stir as the mixture heats and when it starts bubbling, add the butter, continuing to stir until it has melted and the sauce has thickened.
• When the apples are ready, remove from the oven.
• Pour the caramel into the empty core holes, and drizzle a little on the outsides.
• Leave the apples to cool for a while (they are way too hot to eat immediately) and then serve as they are, or with a touch of Greek yoghurt or ice-cream. Enjoy!