Baked Apples
Desserts
November 4, 2026
Baked Apples
Whole apples baked in ramekins with butter, honey, walnuts and cinnamon until soft and fluffy. Warm, honeyed, and comforting. The cosy French winter dessert, with syrup at the bottom of every ramekin!
November 4, 2026
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We have plenty of apples in the garden this year, and most of them are soft and a bit grainy. Not great for a neat apple tart, but perfect for baked apples! The grainy ones are actually the ones that turn soft and fluffy in the oven, which is exactly what you want for this old-fashioned baked apples recipe.
My neighbour told me her grandmother used to bake them on slices of bread. Maybe an idea to try next time. Whichever way you end up eating them, I guarantee a beautiful smell will fill your kitchen.
This dessert is a lovely way to welcome the start of autumn, and it’s also perfect for Christmas. Each apple bakes in its own ramekin and goes so soft you can eat it with a spoon. It comes to the table looking like a proper holiday dessert, with very little effort!
Table of Contents
Where baked apples come from
Pommes au four, literally “apples in the oven”, don’t have an inventor or a birthplace. They’re one of the oldest and simplest ways to cook fruit at home. Apples keep for months somewhere cool, so for a long time they were one of the few fresh fruits around in winter. Baking one whole, with a little butter and something sweet, is honestly about as easy as dessert gets!
In France, it’s a family dessert rather than a bakery one, it’s very old-fashioned baked by your grandmother on a cold evening when the fruit bowl is full. The classic home version keeps the skin on. I peel mine for Christmas: the flesh turns golden in the honey butter, and there’s no skin to fight with at the table.
Ingredients
- Apples — This is where soft, grainy apples shine. Choose varieties that soften when cooked. In France, that’s Reinette, Boskoop or Golden Delicious, and in the UK, Bramley works well. In the US, Rome and Cortland are the classic baking apples, and McIntosh gives an even softer result. Golden Delicious is easy to find everywhere. Pick apples that fit snugly in your ramekins.
- Lemon — Rubbed over the peeled apples so they don’t turn brown before they go in the oven.
- Butter — Unsalted and soft, so it mixes easily with the honey.
- Honey — A runny honey. It melts into the butter and makes the syrup.
- Walnuts — Roughly chopped, for crunch against the soft apple. We have walnut trees all around us here, so they’re an obvious choice.
- Cinnamon — Ground cinnamon, the classic partner for baked apples.
- Water — Just a spoonful in each ramekin, so the honey turns into syrup instead of burning on the bottom.
How to make baked apples
1. Peel and protect the apples
Peel them and rub them with lemon straight away. Peeled apples brown within minutes, and the lemon keeps them pale until they bake.
2. Cut a lid and core
Slice off the top with the stalk to make a lid, then scoop out the core without going through the bottom. The bottom holds the filling in, and the lid stops it drying out.
3. Fill
Mix the butter, honey, cinnamon and walnuts into a soft paste and pack it into each apple. Mound any extra on top, then put the lids back on.
4. Bake and baste
A splash of water in each ramekin, then into the oven. Halfway through, spoon the juices back over the apples. That’s what makes them glossy.
5. Check with a knife
They’re ready when a knife slides in with no resistance. Soft apples cook quickly, so start checking early.
Tools for this recipe
Check out my favorite kitchen essentials and cookware!
- Use ramekins to bake each apple snugly so it holds its shape.
- Use an apple corer, so you can remove the core cleanly without breaking the apple.
- Use a vegetable peeler, so you peel the apples quickly and evenly.
- Use a baking tray under the ramekins, so they’re easy to move and any bubbling syrup doesn’t drip into the oven.
Tips for success
- Use apples that soften: Firm apples stay hard in the middle. Soft, grainy ones turn fluffy and tender.
- Choose the right size: The apple should fit snugly in the ramekin. Too much space and it slumps; too little and it won’t fit once it swells.
- Don’t go through the bottom: If you core all the way down, the filling melts out into the ramekin instead of staying in the apple.
- Baste halfway: Spooning the syrup back over the apples gives them their glossy, golden finish.
- Watch the time: Peeled apples cook faster than whole ones with skin. Start checking from 20 minutes.
How to store it
- In the fridge: Cover the cooled ramekins and keep them for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 160°C oven for about 10 minutes.
- In the freezer: Baked apples don’t freeze well. They turn watery and lose their shape when they thaw. If you have too many, mash the leftovers into a compote instead.
- Making them ahead: Peel, core and fill the apples a few hours before, cover and keep them in the fridge. Bake them just before serving, adding a few minutes to the time.
- Leftover syrup: Spoon it over yoghurt, porridge or vanilla ice cream the next day!
More dessert recipes to try
Variations
- Skin on: For the rustic, classic version, wash the apples and leave the skin on. Score a shallow line around the middle of each apple so it doesn’t burst, and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
- Other nuts: Swap the walnuts for almonds or hazelnuts.
- Brown sugar instead of honey: Use the same amount of soft light brown sugar for a deeper, more caramel flavour.
- With raisins: Add a spoonful of raisins soaked in dark rum or orange juice to the filling.
- Serve it properly: Warm, with a spoonful of crème fraîche, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a little “crème anglaise“ (custard).
FAQ
What is the best apple for baked apples?
Choose apples that soften when cooked, such as Reinette, Boskoop, Golden Delicious or Bramley. Soft, slightly grainy apples are ideal, because they turn fluffy and tender in the oven. Very firm apples stay hard in the middle.
Should you peel apples before baking?
It’s up to you. The classic French pomme au four keeps its skin, which helps it hold its shape. Peeled apples are softer, easier to eat with a spoon and turn golden in the honey butter. Baked in ramekins, they keep their shape either way.
How long do you bake apples at 180°C?
Peeled apples take about 25 to 30 minutes at 180°C (160°C fan). Apples with the skin on take a little longer, around 30 to 40 minutes. They’re done when a knife slides in easily.
Why did my baked apples collapse?
Usually they were baked too long, or the variety was very soft. Start checking from 20 minutes, and use a ramekin that fits the apple snugly to hold it in shape.
Can you make baked apples ahead of time?
Yes. Fill them a few hours ahead and keep them in the fridge, then bake just before serving. You can also bake them the day before and reheat them gently in the oven.
Are baked apples a Christmas dessert in France?
Baked apples are a traditional French winter dessert rather than a Christmas one. Baked in individual ramekins with honey, walnuts and cinnamon, they make a simple, warming dessert for the holidays.
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DessertsFrench
Baked Apples
Whole apples baked in ramekins with butter, honey, walnuts and cinnamon until soft and fluffy. Warm, honeyed, and comforting. The cosy French winter dessert, with syrup at the bottom of every ramekin!
Ingredients
- 4 apples that soften when baked (Reinette, Boskoop, Golden Delicious or Bramley)
- ½ lemon
- 40 gr unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp honey
- 40 gr walnuts roughly chopped
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 4 tbsp water
Equipment
Instructions
Heat the oven
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F).
Peel the apples
- Peel the apples and rub them all over with the cut lemon straight away, so they don’t turn brown.
Make a lid and core
- Cut a slice about 1cm thick off the top of each apple, keeping the stalk on, to make a lid. Remove the core with an apple corer or a small knife, without going through the bottom.
Make the filling
- Mix the butter, honey, cinnamon and walnuts together into a soft paste.
Fill
- Put each apple in a ramekin and pack the filling into the hollow, mounding any extra on top. Put the lids back on and pour the water into the bottom of each ramekin.
Bake
- Set the ramekins on a baking tray and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, spooning the juices over the apples halfway through. They’re ready when a knife slides in easily.
Serve
- Leave to rest for 5 minutes, then spoon the syrup over the apples. Serve warm.
Notes
- Check from 20 minutes: Peeled apples bake faster than whole ones, and soft varieties can collapse if left too long. The ramekin holds them in shape.
- Make ahead: Fill the apples a few hours ahead, cover and keep them in the fridge. Bake just before serving, adding a few minutes.
- Serve with: crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.
- Sharing the oven with chaussons: Bake the chaussons first in the hot oven, then lower the temperature and bake the apples.
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