Microwave Baked Apples
Three apples, one bowl and 12 minutes: microwave baked apples cut into chunks, tossed with butter, sugar and cinnamon and microwaved until tender in their own caramel sauce. Serve them in glasses under a scoop of vanilla ice cream, as pictured, or warm over oatmeal.
Ingredients
Apples
- 3 medium apples about 1 1/2 pounds; Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Braeburn or Golden Delicious, peeled or not, cut into 1-inch chunks
Butter, Sugar and Spice
- 2 tbsp butter cut into small pieces
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar or brown sugar
- 1 pinch salt
To Serve, Optional
- 3 scoops vanilla ice cream as pictured
- cinnamon sticks for the glasses
Equipment
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Knife
- Spoon
Instructions
Prepare the Apples
- Cut the apples. Core the apples, peel them if you like, and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Put them in a large microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl.
- Add the butter. Scatter the pieces of butter over the apples.
- Sugar next. Sprinkle the sugar over the top.
- Cinnamon and salt. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and the pinch of salt.
- Toss. Stir with a spoon until the apples are evenly coated.
Microwave
- Cook, then stir. Cover the bowl loosely with a microwave-safe plate or vented lid and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Stir, bringing the bottom pieces to the top.
- Finish cooking. Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the apples are tender when pierced with a fork and the butter and sugar have become a glossy sauce. Let the bowl stand for 2 minutes.
Serve
- Serve. Spoon the warm apples and sauce into three glasses or bowls, top each with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if using, add a cinnamon stick and serve right away.
Notes
Pictured serving: the cooked apples spooned into three glass dessert cups with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on each and a cinnamon stick alongside. The ice cream is optional; a bowl, or a spoonful over oatmeal or yogurt, works just as well.
Doneness: a fork slides in with a little pressure and the chunks hold their shape; the butter and sugar have become one glossy sauce. Timing varies with the apple and the microwave, so check at 5 minutes and add 1 minute at a time.
Make ahead: cook up to 3 days ahead, refrigerate covered and reheat for about 1 minute, stirring once.
Storage: refrigerate within 2 hours for up to 4 days; reheat a serving for 45 to 60 seconds. Freeze up to 3 months and reheat from frozen in 1-minute bursts.
Substitutions: brown sugar or maple syrup for the granulated sugar; firm pears for some of the apples; coconut oil or plant-based butter for dairy-free. For one serving, use 1 apple, 2 teaspoons each of butter and sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, microwaved 2 to 4 minutes.
Nutrition values are an estimate and do not include ice cream.
Nutrition
Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 200mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.3mg