When I need an easy holiday dessert that looks cozy and special without adding much work to the day, baked apples are one of my favorite tricks. This 4-ingredient oven baked Thanksgiving dessert keeps things wonderfully simple by using whole unpeeled apples, letting the oven do most of the work while the fruit turns soft, fragrant, and naturally sweet. It has that old-fashioned baked-fruit comfort that feels right at home on a Thanksgiving table, especially when the kitchen is already full and every shortcut counts.
These baked apples are especially good served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a spoonful of whipped cream, or a drizzle of heavy cream over the top. For Thanksgiving, I like to pair them with coffee after dinner or set them alongside pumpkin pie for guests who want something a little lighter and fruitier. They also work beautifully with toasted nuts or a little extra cinnamon on top.
4-Ingredient Oven Baked Thanksgiving Apples
Servings: 6
Ingredients
6 medium apples, whole, unpeeled, and cored from the stem side
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup water
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Wash the apples well, then use an apple corer or small knife to remove the core from the top, stopping before you cut all the way through the bottom.
2. Place the apples upright in an oven-safe metal roasting pan. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon, then spoon the mixture into the center of each apple.
3. Pour the water into the bottom of the roasting pan around the apples. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
4. Remove the foil and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the apples are tender when pierced with a knife and the syrup in the pan is lightly caramelized.
5. Let the apples cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then spoon some of the pan syrup over each apple and serve warm.
Variations & Tips
Add a crunchy topping: If you want a little texture, sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the apples during the last 10 minutes of baking. It gives the dessert a nice holiday feel and makes it taste a little more like an apple crisp.
Use the right apples: Firmer varieties like Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, or Pink Lady hold their shape best in the oven. Softer apples can still taste great, but they may collapse more as they bake.
Make it ahead: You can wash and core the apples earlier in the day, then fill and bake them right before dinner. That little bit of prep-ahead help is always welcome on Thanksgiving when oven space and counter space both get tight.
Adjust the sweetness: If your apples are already very sweet, you can reduce the brown sugar a bit. If they are tart, an extra spoonful of brown sugar divided among the apples works nicely.
Serve it your way: Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or even plain Greek yogurt all work here. If you are serving a big holiday meal, I like keeping the toppings simple so the warm apple flavor stays front and center.