These bourbon Hasselback apples are the prefect dessert to make that takes just a little effort but looks incredible. They taste like little apple pies without having to make a crust. Topped with a huge scoop of ice cream these apples are going to be a huge hit.
I love Hasselback apples since they are so easy to make. What is better is that they look wonderful when they are cooked and are always impressive. The bourbon adds a wonderful rich flavor to the apples which makes these a wonderful treat for your bourbon loving friends and family. They are so easy to make that they make a light dessert for a date night as well.
In this recipe
There isn’t a lot in this recipe which is what makes this a great go to dessert. All you need are a few key ingredients and all of them will probably already be in your kitchen.
Apples: you want to use a good baking apple so that it will hold its shape during baking.
Bourbon: choose a bourbon that you like to drink when cooking and will add a nice richness to the apples.
Oats: these will add texture to the apples as well as make the apples taste more like an apple pie.
Making bourbon Hasselback apples
One of the most important things when making these apples is to make sure you do not cut all the way through the apple. The best way to prevent that is to use a wooden skewer on each side. This will stop the knife from going all the way through and prevents the apple from falling apart. The other thing to keep in mind is you want to cut vertically from top to bottom. Cutting it this way also makes the apple easier to stuff with the oats.
Baking in two parts
This recipe has you bake the apples twice. This is because you will need to fill the spaces in between the slices with the oat mixture. To make this as easy as possible you will want to cook the apples for only about 15 minutes first. Then remove them from the oven.Â
I like to baste the apples once I take them out and then again right before I fill them. Once they have cooled enough to handle but not all the way cold you will want to spoon the oat mixture over the apples spreading the slices a little so that the oats move between the slices.
What do I serve them with?
Here are a few of my favorite serving ideas to make these apples special:
- Caramel sauce
- Ice cream
- Mulled apple cider with bourbon
- Crushed gingersnaps and chopped pecans
Looking for other apple recipes?
Baked Bourbon Hasselback Apples
Equipment
- 2 Skewers
- 8 x 8 inch baking dish
- Pastry brush
- Knife
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 apples halved and cored
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted and melted
- ½ cup apple cider
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- â…“ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup bourbon
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, 200°C, or gas mark 6.
- Place the apple cut side down on a cutting board and put the skewers across the top and bottom of the apple and cut down until the knife hits to skewers. Make the space between cuts about ¼ of an inch. Repeat with the remaining halves.
- Place the apples cut side down in the baking dish. Pour the apple cider and bourbon into the bottom of the dish. Using 2 tablespoons of butter brush the tops of the apples. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- While the apples are cooking, place the oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, remaining butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Once the apples are cool enough to handle spoon the bourbon and cider mixture over the apples. Then spoon oat mixture over the apples and into the slices. Return back to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes or until the apples are tender.
- Serve with caramel sauce, and a huge scoop of ice cream.
Nutrition
