Charoset stuffed baked apples

Naturally sweet baked apples filled with a mixture of dried fruits, spices and a splash of wine. A delicious, healthy, easy-to-make dessert or breakfast.

My parents were very fond of baked apples. They were a frequent dessert in their house. My Mum would make them very simply. First, she would cut out the core of the apple and then fill the space with raisins. A little water or orange juice was poured over and the apples were set in the oven to cook until very soft. Sometimes she added a sprinkle of cinnamon.

They were usually served warm with cream, custard or ice-cream. Delicious!

Baked apples – breakfast or dessert?

I don’t make them nearly so often, but I do enjoy the occasional baked apple. They are an easy, tasty, and pretty healthy dessert option. I also like to eat baked apples for breakfast – especially during Pesach when our standard breakfast options of toast or cereal are all off the menu.

It was with this in mind that I decided to upgrade our standard baked apples into something more fitting for the festival. I was reading about the different types of charoset that have evolved around the world, and realised that some of them would make a perfect stuffing for baked apples!

What is charoset?

Charoset is a symbolic food that we eat during the seder meal on Pesach (Passover). It reminds us of the Nile mud – called cheres in the Talmud, from which the name charoset (or charoses) derives. This mud was used by Jewish slaves in Egypt as a building material for Pharoah’s ambitious infrastructure projects.

How is charoset made?

The Ancient Rabbis set out some guidance for making charoset, but there are no hard and fast rules. Tradition holds that it should be quite sweet, but with a hint of sharpness. It usually also contains spices for flavour.

Consequently, the ingredients in different charoset recipes vary widely. However they usually include nuts, spices and some kind of fresh or dried fruit. Most recipes also include wine, lemon juice or pomegranate molasses, which adds the ‘sharpness’ required by the tradition.

My family usually enjoys this fabulous North African charoset, flavoured with lemon juice and cinnamon and topped with pine nuts.

Stuffing for baked apples

I based the stuffing for this baked apple recipe on a Sephardic style charoset. These tend to have more dried fruits, and fewer nuts, than Ashkenazi recipes. I suppose this reflects the different ingredients that would have been available in Springtime in different parts of the world.

This recipe also uses orange zest, ginger and cinnamon, and a little sweet wine. If you don’t want to use wine you can substitute orange or apple juice instead.

Rather than incorporate the nuts into the charoset stuffing mixture, I sprinkled some flaked almonds over the baked apples for the last ten minutes of cooking. This looks great and also adds a welcome crunch to this tasty and healthy breakfast/dessert.

Ingredients in charoset stuffed baked apples

These tasty baked apples require only a few simple ingredients. They are:

• Apples – of course!
• Dried apricots
• Pitted dates – you can use fresh or dried dates in this recipe
• Spices – cinnamon and ginger
• Orange zest
• Sweet wine or fruit juice
• Flaked almonds for sprinkling – optional

How to make these delicious baked apples

Baked apples stuffed with charoset are super easy to make. (If you have left-over charoset and don’t need to make the filling, they’re even easier!)

First, cut the apples in half horizontally. Then scoop out the core – I found a melon baller to be the best tool for this but a small spoon works too. Put the apple halves in a baking dish.

Make the filling by blending together the dried fruit, spices, zest and wine. Scoop some of the mixture into the hole in each apple half.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 20 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for 20 minutes more. If you want to sprinkle over some flaked almonds, do this about 10 minutes before the baked apples are done.

That’s it! All that’s left is to serve, eat and enjoy!

Baked apples – how many servings?

In the recipe below, I used three apples and I’ve said this makes three servings. If you’re having these baked apples for breakfast, you probably want a whole apple per person.

However, if you’re serving these baked apples as dessert at the end of a big meal, you may find that half an apple per person is a suitable portion, especially if there’s also ice-cream and maybe something else too.

It also depends on the size of your apples. And of your appetites!

Ultimately, I’d say one apple per person, but I’ll leave it to you to judge portion sizes based on your knowledge of your diners and the rest of the menu.

A healthy and sweet Pesach!

I hope you have a sweet and delicious Passover, and I hope these baked apples help you to achieve it!

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📖 Recipe

Baked apples with charoset stuffing

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Naturally sweet baked apples filled with a mixture of dried fruits, spices and a splash of wine. A delicious, easy-to-make dessert or a healthy breakfast.

4.70 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine European, Jewish

Servings 3

Calories 171 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 dessert apples
• 4-5 dried apricots (approx. 30g)
• 2-3 pitted dates (approx. 30g)
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ orange – zest only
• 1-2 tablespoon sweet dessert wine, kiddish wine or fruit juice
• 1 tablespoon flaked almonds (optional)

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
• Cut the apples in half horizontally, and use a melon baller or a small spoon to remove the core. Place the apples in an oven proof dish.
• Use a small blender to whizz up the dried fruit, spices, orange zest, and just enough of the liquid to make a thick and gooey paste. Divide this between the divots in the apple halves, from where you removed the cores.
• Add a tablespoon or two of water to the bottom of the dish, and cover tightly with foil. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for about 20 minutes.
• Remove the foil from the dish of apples and return to the oven for another 20 minutes. If adding the flaked almonds, sprinkle them over the apples for the last ten minutes of cooking.
• The apples are cooked when a fork or the tip of a knife can easily pierce right through. Serve hot or warm, with ice-cream, cream, yogurt, or just as they are!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Baked apples with charoset stuffing

Amount per Serving

Calories

171

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

3

g

5

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Sodium

 

4

mg

0

%

Potassium

 

393

mg

11

%

Carbohydrates

 

37

g

12

%

Fiber

 

6

g

25

%

Sugar

 

28

g

31

%

Protein

 

2

g

4

%

Vitamin A

 

484

IU

10

%

Vitamin C

 

9

mg

11

%

Calcium

 

34

mg

3

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword apple, fruit, spice

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More fruity and delicious desserts with no added sugar

• Grandma’s spiced fruit compote
• Chocolate orange pudding ice-lollies
• Tropical jelly with coconut whipped cream
• Barbecued pineapple with coconut rum
• Rhubarb, raspberry and ginger jelly

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