← Back to the kitchen

Tender fruit. A fragrant oat topping.

Cardamom baked apples

Apple halves bake under a simple oat crumble scented with cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. A little lemon keeps the fruit flavour bright. This warm dessert offers a practical way to explore aromatic spices beyond cakes and biscuits.

Prep
20 min
Cook
45 min
Portion guide
Makes 10 portions

Times are estimates. US kitchen measures are approximate. Original recipe idea; adapt seasoning and methods to your kitchen.

Ingredients ↓
Baked apple halves topped with a golden oat crumble on a ceramic plate; illustrative serving idea.
Serving inspiration.

Ingredients

  • 10 eachLarge apple halvesHalved and cored; use five extra-large apples for the base batch, one half per portion. Prepared fruit should total about 3 lb 5 oz.
  • 1 cup + 2 tbspRolled oats
  • ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp + 1 tspAll-purpose flourSpoon into the measuring cup and level off; do not scoop or pack.
  • ⅓ cupLight brown sugarPack into the measuring cup; break up any lumps.
  • ¼ cup + 1 tspNeutral cooking oil
  • 1 ½ tspGround cardamom
  • 1 ¼ tspGround cinnamonKorintji cinnamon, in ground form.
  • 1 ⅛ tspGround ginger
  • 2 tbspLemon juiceFreshly squeezed.
  • ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp + 2 tspWaterFor the bottom of the baking dish.
  • ⅛ tspFine salt

Base batch: ten filled apple halves, one half per serving; apple size and baking affect the yield.

Make it

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Arrange the apple halves cut-side up in a shallow baking dish. Brush their cut surfaces with the lemon juice and pour the measured water around them.
  2. Mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir in the oil until small clumps form and the dry ingredients are evenly moistened.
  3. Divide the crumble over the apple halves, pressing it lightly into the hollowed centres. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the apples are tender when pierced and the topping is golden. Loosely cover if the topping colours before the fruit softens.
  4. Rest for 5 minutes, then lift each apple half onto a serving plate with its topping. Spoon over a little of the light pan syrup if desired.

From recipe to pantry

Explore the spices in this recipe

Follow an ingredient into the retail catalogue for your kitchen, or explore wholesale options for your business.

Where a recipe leaves the grade or leaf type open, compare the listed options and choose the one you want to try.

Illustrative ingredient images.