Microwave Baked Apples Recipe

Let's say it's a weeknight, and you've already had dinner, but you still have a hankering for something sweet. Now, if it's "that" time of year, you could open up a box of Girl Scout Samoa Cookies. Or, if you're feeling kind of creative and you have 10 minutes, you could whip up a simple microwave mug cake that's chock-full of Nutella. But if you have 10 minutes and happen to have apples in your refrigerator, then there's another tasty alternative. Did you even realize you could use your microwave to make "baked" apples? Well, you can, and recipe developer Susan Olayinka of The Flexible Fridge is going to show us how. 

How did we not think of this before? Indeed, "Anything made in the microwave is immediately amazing," quips Olayinka. And that goes double for these microwave baked apples, which can pass for oven-baked or stovetop prepared, but are so much faster, not to mention "so much easier." 

To make Olayinka's recipe for microwaved baked apples, you will need four medium-sized fresh apples. Olayinka used Gala apples in the photos accompanying this recipe, and Gala apples would work perfectly. However, you can feel free to substitute any sweet apple variety such as Red Delicious, Fuji, or Honeycrisp. You can even use Golden Delicious if that's your preference, Olayinka notes. In addition, you will need just a little bit of brown sugar (3 tablespoons), maple syrup (1 tablespoon), 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon.

First things first: You'll need to peel, core, and slice the apples you selected. Peel the apples first, as shown above. An apple corer will make quick work of extracting the core. However, if you don't have an apple corer, you can simply slice the apple into quarters, and slice off the core. In either case, slice the cored apple into thin slices, as shown. "The thinner, the better," Olayinka advises, because this helps them to cook through. It also affords a denser bite when serving.

Finally, we arrive at the part of this microwaved baked apples recipe where all the magic starts to happen, and those thinly sliced apples really start to become something magnificent. Pull out a microwave-safe mixing bowl, and transfer the slices into it. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and  cinnamon, then stir gently with a spoon to evenly coat all of the apple slices.

By the time you turn to your microwave, your apple slices should already smell warm and cinnamon-y. But just wait until after they "bake" in the microwave! 

Cover the bowl of seasoned apples with a microwave-safe plate, and put the covered bowl in the microwave. Set the microwave to cook for five minutes at its regular setting. Five minutes later, you'll know your microwaved baked apples are ready, because they're going to smell positively delightful. Open the microwave door, and serve immediately with whipped cream or ice cream. This is sure to be a family staple at your house — especially throughout the fall season.