Low-Calorie Baked Apples

Written by
Kimberley Eggleston
Kimberley Eggleston is a registered dietitian, nutrition class instructor, and food writer who specializes in healthy cooking.
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Kimberley Eggleston
Updated 12/14/20
Low-Calorie Baked Apples

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
89 Calories
0g Fat
23g Carbs
0g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 89
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 23g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Protein 0g
Calcium 15mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

You cannot have enough ways to enjoy fresh apples when autumn hits. It's the best fruit of the season and they're everywhere. If you're looking for an easy way to use up your apple stash or just in need of a quick and tasty dessert, this baked apple recipe is perfect.

This isn't a recipe for baked apple crisp with a crunchy sweet topping. It's actually much easier than that. These are simply baked apples that are cored and filled with a bit of sweet mixture of raisins, brown sugar, and warm cinnamon. It's a healthy dessert with very little sugar and it will fill your home with the most inviting aroma.

Granny Smith apples are the best baking apples and recommended for this recipe. They will hold their shape, remain firm, and won't get mushy when baked. Plus, their tart flavor is a nice complement to the sweet filling. If you don't have them on hand, use whatever apples you have. If you have a choice, lean toward a tarter baking apple rather than a super sweet apple.

Finally, this is a great dessert for just one or two people. At one apple per person, the baked apple mixture amounts can easily be reduced (or increased) to the number of people you are planning on serving. If you'd like, feel free to add crushed walnuts to the raisin and sugar mixture. They will lend some protein and texture to the filling.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium apples (Granny Smith), washed and scrubbed
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
  • Optional Garnish: whipped cream, yogurt, or ice cream

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

    Low-Calorie Baked Apples ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Using a small paring knife, gently cut around the core of the apple starting from the top to remove the inner core and seeds. Be sure to remove all the seeds and any stringy, firm parts while keeping the bottom intact. You'll want to remove all the core and have enough room to fill the emptied core.

    cut around the core of the apple starting from the top to remove the inner core and seeds

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Stand the apple up on a baking sheet with the cored portion up.

    Stand the apple up on a baking sheet with the cored portion up

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. In a small bowl, combine the raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

    combine the raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Gently stir the ingredients together until they are well combined.

    stir the raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon together

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Using a small spoon, fill each apple cavity with about 1 tablespoon of the raisin mixture.

    apples with a sugar and raisin mixture inside

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Place the apples in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes. After about 20 minutes, check the apples for doneness by piercing them with a fork or sharp knife. If the apples are tender, remove them from the oven. If not, continue baking in 5-minute increments until they are completely done.

    Low-Calorie Baked Apples on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

Serving Suggestions

These baked apples are absolutely delicious when eaten alone right out of the oven. It makes for a quick and relatively healthy dessert.

However, you can also serve them much like you would serve a helping of baked apple crisp. Top each apple off with a small scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, or even whipped cream. You end up with the perfect contrast of sweet, soft, warm apples and cold, sweet, melted ice cream. It is simply delightful.