You, my friend, are fabulous to the core. So are these healthy Baked Apple Slices. <—Promise I’ll keep the apple puns to a minimum…even though this recipe gives me all the peels.

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Welcome to this fall’s low-maintenance version of apple pie or apple crisp!
It has the familiar, warm spices – cinnamon and allspice – that you crave as the temperature dips.
Since I cannot help myself, I even added a splash of bourbon to further ensure a warm tummy.
These simple baked apples are less work than other apple desserts, yet taste like the real deal.
Naturally sweet and quintessentially fall, when apples are baked, their juices concentrate.
The apples become a little jammy without falling apart, making them ideal for scooping by the forkful. (For a spreadable apple treat, check out my Slow Cooker Apple Butter or Crockpot Applesauce.)
Baked apples are the epitome of an easy apple dessert. As with these Hasselback Apples (another lazy efficient apple recipe), you don’t even have to peel the apples prior to baking (I didn’t—see why below), or fuss with a pie crust or crumble topping, to create a cozy fall treat that earns high marks.
Enjoy these versatile baked apples for dessert (mmm, ice cream), breakfast (yogurt and granola, please), or even a side dish (they pair fantastically with pork).
Just slice and bake…and live apple-y ever after! #SorryNotSorry

Why Are Baked Apples Slices a Healthy Snack or Dessert?
These healthy baked apple slices are sweet without requiring a pie crust or crumble topping.
Since the crust/crumble is typically the most indulgent aspect of an apple dessert, these baked apple slices have fewer calories than their traditional counterparts.
To further lighten things up, instead of making these baked apple slices with brown sugar, I naturally sweetened them with honey (you can also use pure maple syrup).
I also used a more moderate amount of butter. They still taste plenty indulgent, I promise!
Plus, apples have high amounts of fiber and Vitamin C. They keep the doctor away, as they say.
Do note that baking the apples won’t turn them crispy in this recipe.
The apples are tender, like the filling of warm apple pie. If you are looking for crispy baked apple slices as a snack, check out my crispy Apple Chips instead.

What Can I Put on Baked Apple Slices?
In addition to the obvious choice (ahem, ice cream anyone?) these baked apple slices leave plenty of room for tasty experimentation:
- Greek Yogurt. Serve these for breakfast with a dollop of vanilla or plain Greek yogurt.
- Caramel Sauce. My husband and his father love their apple slices drizzled with warm caramel sauce—and let’s be honest, I do too. For a quick caramel fix, microwave a store-bought jar, or try making this Apple Cider Caramel Sauce.
- Oatmeal. Serve these warm apple slices with a bowl of wholesome oatmeal. This Steel Cut Oats recipe is my favorite classic oatmeal recipe.
- Granola. In addition to yogurt and oatmeal, a sprinkle of Honey Almond Flax Healthy Granola, Gluten Free Granola, or even Pumpkin Granola adds texture and crunch.
- Ice Cream. Vanilla is classic and perfect with these healthy baked apple slices with honey and cinnamon, but don’t be afraid to vary it up! Salted caramel anything is a solid choice.

Which Apples are Good for Baking?
Look for apples that hold their texture when cooked. A few popular options are:
- Granny Smith. These apples keep their firm texture well, and I do like their tartness when mixed with other varieties.
- Cortland. This one is popular in Wisconsin and so yummy in baking.
- Golden Delicious. An under-appreciated apple, these are lovely mixed with Granny Smith.
- Jonathan. My Grammy’s pick for her apple pie.
- Honeycrisp. If I could only bake with one apple forever, it would be this one.
- Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady. Three other sweet-crisp apples that work nicely in this baked apple recipe.
I usually prefer a mix of apples in my apple desserts to enjoy a variety of subtle texture and flavor differences.
In this recipe, my pick is a combo of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp.

How To Make Baked Apple Slices
To Peel or Not to Peel the Apples
If your family is sensitive to texture, you can peel the apples, but I opted to leave the peels on.
- I enjoy the aesthetic of the dish with the peels’ bits of color.
- Since the slices are thin, you hardly notice the texture of the peels when eating.
- Peels offer nutritional benefits. Much of the apple’s fiber is found in the peel, along with the majority of the apple’s antioxidant Vitamin E and bone-building Vitamin K.
- Peeling is a pain! Skipping the peeling makes these healthy baked apple slices an ultimate easy dessert recipe.
The Ingredients
- Apples. Like we discussed above, they’re delicious, healthy, and picking the right apples helps make this recipe its best.
- Butter. A modest amount of butter gives this recipe the perfect richness and irresistible coziness.
- Honey or Maple Syrup. For classic, fall-like flavor in a naturally sweetened way.
- Spices. Cinnamon and allspice take these apples from good to WOW!
- Bourbon. Feel free to swap for a splash of rum, or even water, as you desire.
The Directions
- Melt the butter in a mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients, stirring to coat.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking dish.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.
- Serve hot with desired toppings. ENJOY!
Baked Apple Slices Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate leftover baked apples in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Gently rewarm baked apples in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F until hot or reheat gently in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Leftover apples can be frozen in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Healthy, Easy Apple Desserts
- Vegan Apple Crisp. For those eager to enjoy baked apples with a familiar crunchy crumble topping (loaded with pecans, cinnamon, and coconut), try this Vegan Apple Crisp.
- Gluten Free Apple Crisp. This Gluten Free Apple Crisp has classic flavor with a scrumptious topping of gluten free oats and almond flour.
- Try My Cookbook! My favorite apple crisp dessert recipe is exclusively available in The Well Plated Cookbook. With a few surprise add-ins, you should definitely get yourself a copy!
- Apple Bread. This Apple Bread is an easy and delicious recipe that the entire family will enjoy.
- Apple Cake. Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting is moist, rich, and packed with fresh apples.

Recommended Tools to Make This Recipe
- Baking Dish. Perfect for making this baked apple slices recipe.
- Mixing Bowls. One of the most-used items in my kitchen. They’re easy to clean and store.
- Saucepan. This one is high-quality and will last a lifetime.
Baked Apple Slices
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil
- 4 medium apples a mix of tart (such as Granny Smith) and sweet-crisp (such as Honeycrisp), cored and cut into ¼-inch thick slices (I leave the peels on)
- ¼ cup honey or pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons bourbon or water
- Ice cream or whipped cream optional for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a very large, microwave-safe mixing bowl, heat the butter in the microwave until it melts. If your bowl is not microwave safe, melt the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl or in a saucepan on the stove, then pour it into the larger bowl.
- To the mixing bowl, add the apple slices, honey, cornstarch, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and bourbon. Stir to coat.
- Pour the mixture into a deep 9×9 or similarly sized baking dish. Pour any liquid that has collected in the bottom of the bowl over the top.
- Bake the apples for 25 minutes, until fork tender but not completely mushy.
- Serve hot, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream as desired.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover baked apples in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm baked apples in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F until hot.
- TO FREEZE: Leftover apples can be frozen in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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Erin, My children and i have your new cookbook and even though we are in Texas, Florida and Massachusetts, we choose one of your recipes and each of us makes it with the exception of my daughter who is vegetarian and uses tofu in each. I still have your recipes on my email and I thought, well, instead of having to print each one, I can just find it in her book. Well, I am not having any luck with that. Cannot find Baked Apple Slices! Are these recipes put out AFTER your latest cookbook?
What a fun idea, Joyce!! The recipes in the cookbook are actually completely unique and cannot be found on my blog. I’ll still be sharing new recipes on my blog, so you could select options from both places!
I did reply already but want to make sure you received it, Erin! You are bringing all of us together with your super book plus recipes on my email! Thank you forever! xxx oo
Simple and delicious, thanks! Had everything on hand last night for dessert. Toddler-approved, too.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Erin! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Great recipe! All the flavor of a baked apple but way easier to eat! My 4 yo just said it was the best part of the weekend!
I’m so happy that it was a hit, Jess! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Yummy! These baked apples are so easy to throw together! They smell so good while baking. They are good as is, but a dollop of ice cream really feels like I’m eating apple pie, but a healthy version! I used honey crisp and Granny Smith and the combo was perfect sweet n sour :) I will be making this often during apple season. Thanks Erin for another healthy and delicious recipe!! (Also loving your first cookbook!)The Well Plated Cookbook
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Becki! THANK YOU for your kind words and for sharing this kind review!
This was so good. My family went apple picking last weekend, so I am obsessed with apple recipes. I did not have allspice, so I used Chinese 5 Spice instead. It turned out great. This tastes like apple pie filling! We put it on French toast and I used leftovers for a smoothie. Yummy!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Katie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Hi Erin. Can this be made in air fryer or slow cooker? Thanx! Love your recipes.
Hi Connie! I’ve actually not tested this out in either one. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
LOVE this quick easy dessert! So much like apple pie but no crust to add to calories!!!
Thank you…love your wonderfully simple recipes!!!
Hi Joyce! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Wow, these are good! It’s like a little apple pie in my bowl. I’ve put these on my lunch yogurt and on my breakfast oatmeal. What is so nice is that they’re delicious but only have a bit of maple syrup in them so they aren’t overly sweet. Really delcious
Hi Jean! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I don’t have any corn stain the house. Can I substitute flour?
Hi Beth! I haven’t tried it myself, but you likely could. Hope you enjoy it!
As delicious as apple pie without the added calories. This will become a favourite dessert for me. Great for family and guests.
Hi Marie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was delicious, Erin! I used maple syrup insead of the honey. I LOVE the combination of the maple and burbon. Do you think I could use this as apple pie filling? Any tips for how to make it a successful pie filling if I tried it that way? Thanks for another fantastic recipe!
Hi Erin! I am so so happy you enjoy this. I actually have an apple pie filling you can use (add some bourbon to it :) ). https://www.wellplated.com/apple-pie-filling/. That recipe would be a good place to start playing around. I worry maple syrup would be too liquidy but you could add maple extract
Tnis was a nice alternative to baking whole apples. I used two large honeycrisp apples and dialed back the cinnamon and allspice accordingly. I added apple brandy for the liquid and it was delicious. We like to bake apples to put on oatmeal. Also good with greek yogurt (and ice cream!)
So glad you enjoyed it, Brenda! Thank you!
Only word to describe this is; Fantastic. Followed the recipe as was written, used apple pie spice & a tsp. Of vanilla. Thank for this delicious recipe.
Great to hear! Thank you Ferryal!