The answer? American ingenuity. Enter microwaved “baked” apples, a simple, no-frills, convenient, and healthier take on a dessert flavor that’s—despite originating from the faraway mountains of Kazakhstan—quintessentially home. Cooking apples in the microwave is an amazing hack to capture that rich, buttery, cinnamon-y flavor without the fuss of making a pie crust, committing to a big portion, or waiting in front of the oven. Microwaving baked apples is more energy-efficient, too, than waiting for a cavernous oven to heat up and letting it run for an hour. Ready in minutes, microwaved baked apples are as close to instant gratification as you can get with a warm, baked-but-not-in-the-traditional-sense dessert. Lower in calories and added sugar—thanks to its natural sweetness—than most conventional sweets courses, a microwave baked apple is a healthy alternative option that won’t feel like one. Plus, because it’s best baked and served in its own skin with minimal additives and ingredients, it retains more of its heart-healthy fiber. The best types of apples to microwave are ones whose peel colors won’t fade too much and will retain their shapes—typically firm, slightly tart varieties. Even if you choose to halve your baked apples rather than microwaving them whole, you still want them to be structurally sound when finished; because they’re cooked in moist heat, you run the risk of your baked apples turning into applesauce otherwise! Look for Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady/Cripps Pink, Braeburn, Crispin, Winesap, Empire, or Rome Beauty apples, whose skin may split but is a fine price to pay for the drama of its size. Gala and Fuji do well, too, but will be milder in flavor. You can combat that with apple cider instead of water (but more on that later). In general, you want to look for apple types that will stay juicy and bold as the sugars break down under heat. Surprisingly, baking favorite Granny Smith doesn’t hold up well to being microwaved, and Granny Smith skins, like that of Golden Delicious apples, lose aesthetic appeal when cooked. McIntosh, Macoun, and Cortlands will also disintegrate under the power of the microwave. Now that you know which varieties are vying for the starring role of your cinnamon baked apple dessert, let’s assemble the cast and crew.
nutmeg, ginger, allspice, raisins, dried cranberries, currants, sultanas, frozen berries
Optional toppings
granola, toasted nuts, Greek yogurt, ice cream, heavy cream, custard, maple syrup, date syrup honey, caramel sauce, more cinnamon
