Slow Cooker Baked Apples Are A Halloween Celebration

When the crisp autumn air rolls in and leaves start to change, apple picking season is in full swing. From apple cobbler to sticky caramel apples on a stick, apples are one staple of the season that are featured in some of the best fall recipes out there. If you get the chance to cook up several apple-based bakes with your orchard spoils and somehow still have a surplus of fruit, you can turn them into easily prepared, delicious slow cooker baked apples.

This fall favorite was first spotted a few hundred years ago in London cookbooks, sometimes baked in red wine and candied oranges, other times baked whole. Baked apples eventually became a rare indulgence in America during the Great Depression and are now a widely enjoyed delicacy. There are loads of tempting variations and unique recipes to choose from that infuse baked apples with the distinct flavors of fall, often sliced and oven-baked for around an hour or more. If you've scored some pretty huge apples, using a slow cooker is a great option for slowly baking them all the way through.

It's as simple as washing them, removing the apple cores with a melon baller, and stuffing them with all the spices and sweet ingredients you love best. Don't be afraid to get spooky with your slow cooker dessert by giving your baked apples a fun, Halloween-themed design that kids and party guests will get a kick out of.

If you're big on spooky season and are already compiling your most ghoulish Halloween recipes for your next party, you can transform your slow cooker baked apples into something a little more festive. Once your apples have had some time to cool, you can use colored frosting to draw a creepy eyeball staring back at you. Need a little more ooze to your Halloween-themed baked apples? Before baking, cut the stemmed tops off and use a peeler to cut away the shape of a circle on one side. Here, you'll carve out a little face, and after they're done cooking, scoop some vanilla ice cream onto the "heads" so your zombie apples have a little ooze to them.

For those who are more excited about celebrating fall itself, there are a few traditional ingredients your slow cooker baked apples will need to capture the season's essence — butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar are all very common fillings that can be stuffed into apples. Other recipes might call for vanilla extract, nutmeg, cloves, chopped raisins, and even maple syrup to make this amazing slow cooker dessert even more decadent. However, if you're not keen on throwing all the right spices together, you can grab some apple pie seasoning to make them taste great in one fell swoop. For some added texture, you might add cranberries, rolled oats, or candied pecans to your own recipe.