Bloomin’ Baked Apples taste like apple pie with an ooey, gooey caramel center! This is an easy dessert recipe for fall and it’s made with Honeycrisp apples.
Every year we wait for the fall and apple season to come around! Growing up, we had an apple tree in our backyard. I remember my grandmother coming over to help my mom freeze apples. We had an apple peeler/corer that was a big help. My mom froze the apples for pie filling.
All winter long we would have delicious, homemade apple desserts. This year, we are already enjoying the apple season. I used some of our apples to make these delicious Bloomin’ Baked Apples. This was my first time making baked apples and I am so excited not only about how tasty they were but also about how easy they were to make.
Our favorite apples are Honeycrisp apples which were developed right here at the University of Minnesota!
How To Cut The Apples
To get the blooming apple look, you need to cut the apples. Slice off the top 1/4 to 1/3 of the apples. Scoop out the core with a melon baller or a stainless steel measuring spoon.
Then, use a thin paring knife to make two deep, circular cuts around the center of the apple. Next, turn the apple over and make narrow cuts all the way around the apple. Flip it back over and you can see all of the cuts.
How To Make
Place the apples in a small oven-safe dish and put two chewy caramels in the center of each apple.
Heat butter and brown sugar in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir and continue heating for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir in flour and cinnamon. Divide the mixture over the top of the two sliced apples.
Bake at 375˚F for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a large spoon to move the apples into bowls. The outside layer of apple pieces will spread out and the middle will stick together due to the ooey, gooey caramel center!
**Update…I made myself another bloomin’ baked apple last night and I had to cook it for 45 minutes. I would suggest that you check your apples after 25 minutes and then continue cooking them until they are tender. The cook time will depend on the size and firmness of the apples.**
Top with a scoop of ice cream, drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with cinnamon. The ice cream will cause the caramel in the center to harden, so eat it quickly or put the ice cream scoop on the side. After taking the pictures, I immediately had to try these Bloomin’ Baked Apples.
Zack asked me what it tasted like because he could tell I was thoroughly enjoying it. I explained that it tastes like apple pie. He asked me if I meant for it to taste like apple pie and luckily that is just what I was going for! I’ve made these Bloomin’ Baked Apples three times now and they were delicious each time. My daughter and her friend loved them!
More Bloomin’ Recipes
Bloomin' Baked Apples Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 Honeycrisp apples or other crisp apples
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 caramels
- Optional toppings: vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- To get the blooming apple look, you need to cut the apples. Slice off the top 1/4 to 1/3 of the apples. Scoop out the core with a melon baller or stainless steel measuring spoon.
- Use a thin paring knife to make two, deep circular cuts around the center of the apple. Next, turn the apple over and make narrow cuts all the way around the apple. Flip it back over and you can see all of the cuts.
- Place the apples in an oven safe dish and put two caramels into the center of each apple.
- Heat butter and brown sugar in the microwave for 30 second, stir and continue heating for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir in flour and cinnamon. Divide the mixture over the top of the two sliced apples.
- Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. (Check apples after 25 minutes and continue cooking until tender. Some apples can take 45 min to 1 hour to soften.)
- Remove from the oven and use a large spoon to move the apples into bowls.
- Top with a scoop of ice cream, drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with cinnamon. The ice cream will cause the caramel in the center to harden so eat quickly or put the ice cream scoop on the side.
Sara says
My husband and I made these for dessert this Thanksgiving, they were ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!! I have am allergic to gluten so instead of using flour I used gluten free baking mix (GF bisquick), we also used pink lady apples in place of honey crisp and topped them with cool whip. We will definitely be making these again. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Ciera says
I’m going to be trying these out but wasn’t sure about using the caramel (some people in the family find some recipes too sweet) and thought about forgoing the caramels and just making a crisp to go on top of it? Has anyone tried doing this or is the caramel necessary for the end result?
Kelly says
I’ve made them as the recipe goes as well as using one caramel and then brie cheese. The brie added some tang and blended nicely with the other flavors. 🙂
Bill South says
Definitely need more than an hour to finish. Added chopped walnuts to the second batch ….100% improvement. Great flavors!!
Leigh says
Now that hubby and I have eaten them, this is what we thought: They were okay but nothing special 🙁 I baked them for an hour and they still weren’t done. We didn’t care for the caramels sticking to our teeth and the spoon. I’m going to try the recipe once more to see if we want this added as a future dessert. The next time, I’m going to peel the apples, too. These are fun to make and the house smells wonderful. We like apples with cinnamon but this recipe just didn’t hit the spot 🙁
Carole G says
There are caramels that DO NOT stick to your teeth. Usually made of all organic ingredients. I bought some in Vermont – produced by Red Kite Candy (a Vermont company) – that are awesome. And so soft that melting probably wouldn’t become an issue.
Leigh says
Finally, after all these years, I got to use my melon baller! lol Worked like a charm. Because I have celiac disease and can’t use wheat flour, I used corn starch. Should have thickened it before I put it on the apples, though. They’re baking right now but a lot of the topping is running out. The ice cream will sweeten them up if they’re too tart (at least that’s what I’m hoping).
Judee@ Gluten Free A-Z Blog says
These look fabulous and perfect for Thanksgiving dessert. What a clever idea! Pinning it .. Can’t wait to try them.
Katrina says
Can’t wait to try this!! I’m going to bake some pie crust chips to go with – a complete deconstructed apple pie! Thanks for the great idea!!!
Michele @ Flavor Mosaic says
You and this recipe are stars! I just saw Sunnie Anderson on the Rachael Ray show make your recipe and gave you, your blog a shout out! Very cool.
JW says
Just saw this mentioned and demonstrated on The Rachel Ray show 🙂
Lisa says
Tonia, we just finished your recipe!! It was a hit! My husband and daughter liked them so much, they wouldn’t stop eating long enough to say what they thought. Have you ever heard of “Apple Pie Baked in Brown Paper Bag”? They are made here in WI. The first bite I took of the Blooming Apple reminded me of those pies. The only thing missing was their special crust! Were you surprised at the number of comments you received?? I feel the need to comment to those who feel some of the comments were unnecessary. I remember when I first started cooking and baking. I decided to make a pie and use a frozen crust. I opened the package of crust and removed one of the crusts. I filled the crust with the filling and popped it in the oven. I was so proud. It was my first pie. Ever! (I was young, what did I know??). When it cooled, I cut a slice and took my first bite…..right into the paper divider that one often finds between 2 frozen crusts. It was a little embarrassing. But it was also good for a laugh. So for those who think some instructions weren’t necessary….maybe they weren’t necessary, for you. But maybe they were for someone else. For others who were upset about the ” snarkey” comments….”Chill!” Some of it was actually funny. We overreact way too often these days, when we should just close our mouths and be kinder. We’ve lost the ability to laugh at ourselves. We take things so seriously today. Take the time to relax and interact with others in a positive manner, but also be willing to laugh.. at yourself and with others.
Again, Tonia, great recipe. Can’t wait to try the “Blooming Potatoes”!!
Jenny Hensley says
I couldn’t agree more with Lisa! I can’t say I’m a great cook…my late husband sis all the cooking and I cry now when I cook…but this was fun and easy to try! Still in the oven as I type, and can’t wait to pull it out. Thanks for the great recipe. My 14 year old daughter will love how simply this is! …. Jennifer
Lisa ;) says
Lisa ~ thanks for the review! I haven’t made this but thought my boys and husband would love it because they love apple pie, but I struggle spending more time making it than it actually lasts in the house! So this would be the perfect solution! I agree completely with your assessment of the comments! If you can’t laugh at yourself (because we have no trouble laughing AT someone) then you need to work on that. I’m going to get apples and caramels today 🙂 Thanks Tonia & Lisa!
Tina says
I love your comments.
I just found this and was reading all comments about it!
I am one of THOSE who need the step by step instructions.
I’ve never cooked most of my life because fear of doing it wrong, now I just laugh!
Thanks for your positive comments!
Monique says
Well said Lisa, thanks for the review…I totally agree with you….It is important to read all instructions; sometimes even when the instructions are all there, I tend to scan over and miss a few. Then I realize that something has to be missing and I re-read the instructions….The baked apple with caramel looks like a great recipe that I will try in the near future . Just by reading the recipe, I can tell it will be a hit…thanks for sharing Tonia
Kris Miner says
Just made these and they were fan-flipping-tastic! My daughter and I ate every last morsel. THANK YOU! I am a very novice cook, so it was fun to make something that was so yummy but so do-able. Can’t wait to do the potatoes next!
Lonnie says
This is a great recipe. What persuaded me to comment is the wording in your description of where to buy the apples. Why recommend Walmart when most people have local farmers and farmers markets that could use the business and probably have fresher produce? I’m a huge advocate on shopping local & we all need to support our local businesses and farmers and stop encouraging businesses that take jobs & money away from little towns. Just wish you would have gone there. It’s the farmers that feed us everyday…they work way too hard to pick those apples for Walmart to resell. Shop local-save your towns!
Brandee says
I agree – We get our fruit from our fruit truck that comes to town once a month with the freshest fruit around, next to being able to pick it yourself. Alot of the fruits that people are getting in the stores are actually 6-9months old and sometimes up to 12 months old. We work closely with our growers and receive pesticide, GMO and chemical free fruits. 🙂 I love being able to support our small family farms & orchards that we get our fruit from & try to stay away from the large market centers.
Thanks for sharing a great recipe.
Jackie says
Lonnie, where I live nearly all of the farms are gone. So going to Walmart, Winco, Safeway…etc. is the only way to get fruit and vegetables. When there were farms in the area we were more than happy to go to them to get what we needed. I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I am looking forward to it. Sounds delicious!
Lin says
Farmers markets are all closed now. Our Walmart does buy local here in IL when available. So , its the Next best thing when the shops are gone for the winter. Besides, unless you’re buying organic, even some of the locals spray chemicals. Can I just freaking eat my apples without everyone going crazy on where they’re bought ?!?
Luna says
Yes lin, yes!
I’m so very tired of how much of a big deal everything has to be. Guess what? Gmos… they’ve been happening loooong before laboratories were set up to do it for them. What do you think happened when you splice two plants together? You genetically modify its makeup and DNA.
It’s ask the same food, why harp on a person for wanting to spend less money? I’ve gone to farmers markets and I’m sorry, I just can’t afford their “organic” (which btw, means grown from the ground/earth if you go by textbook) overpriced goods. I can’t feed my family with less food, so I have to buy cheap.
I myself, would love to be able to go ask the way back to when we had barter systems and live was much simpler. We live in today’s society where food already costs a lot as it is. It’s just the way of life to find the lowest prices.
-end rant-
PGJU says
Luna, there is a big difference in grafting two natural plants together to create a hardier hybrid, and actually splicing DNA from chemical pesticide poisons into our food, or genetically modifying a plant to withstand more and more of that pesticide being sprayed onto it. I do not want to consume either of those last two, which is what modern GMOs are all about. I would just go out and suck on a pesticide spray can if that was what I wanted. THAT is what the argument about “modern” genetic modification of our foods is about. And, if YOU want to suck down pesticides using either method one or two of the GMO process, then I have no problem with that. I just want every single thing containing GMOs in it labeled so that I can make the choice to avoid it myself.
Deanna says
I made these today and won First Place in the baking contest at work. Everyone loved them!!! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I think part of the success was that I found and used the recommended Honey Crisp Apples. They were EXCELLENT. And one thing that other people may need to know is that I made them the night before, covered, refrigerated them and cooked them this morning. The Honey Crisp Apples hardly discolored nearly at all. I was taking a chance by doing that but I didn’t want to get up before the crack of dawn to do the prep. I was extremely pleased when I peeked at the apples this morning and they were still beautifully white. I sat them on the counter until the oven was at 375 and then baked them as directed. However, it did take them about 45 minutes to become tender. Probably because they were not at room temperature when I placed them in the oven. Thanks again for sharing!!
Rhonda says
The reason they are white still is…THEY WERE DEVELOPED. I hear GMO ***jus sayin’***
Sharyn says
All produce is genetically modified. Carrots don’t grow orange and sweet in the wild; they’re grown and fibrous. The Dutch developed carrots to honor Prince William of Orange. Wild avocados have less than a ml. of flesh; they were genetically modified to have lots of fatty flesh. Corn is the genetic bastardization of two different kinds of grain. Just because some fruits and veg are modified in sophisticated labs doesn’t make them any different from fruits and veg modified over generations of cross-breeding and interpolinating. We’ve just gotten good enough at it to feed more people with less space, putting less strain on the environment.
If that means I get large, sweet, juicy apples instead of the small, fibrous, bitter crabapples the soil naturally produces, so much the better.
Laurie says
There is a difference between cross pollinating and inserting pig genes in an apple to make its skin tougher and able to withstand traveling across country. I find most GMO apples to taste like nothing at all actually. I, like you, like things that taste better and are sustainable but lets be honest with the way we are modifying things. They aren’t just grafting apple strains together. I truly believe we have poisoned our food supply with chemicals of all kinds as well, but then again this is just someone sharing a recipe not someone who wanted to get into the discussion of GMO vs non GMO vs organic vs Raw.
Judee@ Gluten Free A-Z Blog says
You may not think there is a difference in the modification of cross pollinating of vegetables that has been happening for years and modifying by inserting foreign genes and chemically altered seeds that are soaked in toxins, but I’ll bet your body knows the difference.
Do you wonder why 64 other countries ban today’s GMO.. Do you wonder why the US doesn’t? Maybe because it’s big business driven not health driven. US is the leader in cancer, diabetes, allergies worldwide. Some people believe it has to do with the quality of the food we eat. Sorry- had to get my 2 cents in
[email protected] says
You are not talking about GMO the way they are mixing plant DNA with bacteria and viral DNA and even human DNA…you are simply referring to speciation of a plant. Germinating a plant with another of the same genus/species is what you are referring to and that is NOT a GMO plant. What you are thinking of has no harmful effects on the DNA of the people who ingest them. Get with the current terminology….GMO is Frankenstein’s monster when they cut the DNA of a plant and modify it so it has “stickey ends” that can receive DNA of any life form..not just one that is similar to the original organism.
Heather says
GMO is when an organism is genetically modified to make it resistant to pests, diseases, or environmental conditions, reduction of spoilage, or resistance to chemical treatments (e.g. resistance to a herbicide), or improving the nutrient profile of the crop. The Honeycrisp apple is a hybrid of two other apples developed at the U of M. While one parent apple is not identified, the other is the Keepsake apple, another cultivar at the U of M. While they do hybridize their apples, they do not genetically alter them to withstand any of the above listed conditions. These apples are simply a combination of two other apples, much like you are a combination of two parents.
I understand your desire to NOT ingest GMO crops, but know your information before you say why the apple is still white. They simply oxidize more slowly, much like an Asian Pear.
peaceofmind500 says
Thanks for clearing that up. It needed to be corrected. Amazing how uninformed people really are. They hear something and take it as fact, which is such a shame If they only knew what GMO’s do to their bodies. I’d suggest subscribing to
“march against Monsanto ” on facebook to be really informed.
JC Cook says
Great idea! Fun to make and more fun to eat. If you don’t like how the Kraft caramels get hard and chewy when they cool, but you DO love the caramel flavor, use two Werther’s Original Chewy Caramels instead. They will dissolve during baking with the butter, sugar, etc. and leave their wonderful flavor without a hint of their beginnings.
http://www.werthers-original.us/products/caramel-candies/chewy-caramels
lisa says
This was such a treat. I used granny smith apples instead of the honeycrisp; they were awesome. I also used the Werther’s Original chewy caramels, AND did the reheat! I have to say, I enjoyed the reheated apple more! I just reheated it until it was warmed to my liking. YUM YUM, thank you so much!
lisa says
glad to know that granny smith apples work…using this tonight for Bunco but couldn’t find honeycrisp so I went for the ever faithful granny smith!!
Angie says
Instead of running around looking for a paticular carmel sauce I made my own, yummy!
Elena Chamberlain says
Just got your site info from my granddaughteer. I’M SIGNING UP!!!!
Kelly Michaels says
i substituted sugar free caramels, coconut flour and agave syrup for a gluten free and low glycemic version. It was delicious! I used two apples but I cut the apples in half and scored them in a criss cross pattern for four smaller portion treats. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Terri says
How do you think they would turn out in a slow cooker?
Molly says
I just made these with Granny Smith apples and since I didn’t have carmels I put Peanut Butter in the center and some carmel drizzle and the topping (minus the cinnamon) on top. It’s awesome. Just a variation 🙂