At a glance
Core firm baking apples, leaving the bottoms intact, and pack them with a crumbly filling of butter, brown sugar, oats, pecans and cinnamon. Stand them in a pan with a little cider and smoke them at 275°F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until tender but still holding their shape. Serve them warm with ice cream.
Smoked baked apples are a cozy, old fashioned dessert with a barbecue twist. The apples turn soft and juicy, the cinnamon oat filling crisps on top, and a gentle fruitwood smoke adds a campfire warmth that is perfect on a cool evening. Put them on as the main course comes off.
Choosing apples
Use firm, crisp apples that hold their shape when cooked. Honeycrisp and Braeburn are sweet and juicy, while Granny Smith gives a tart contrast to the sweet filling. Avoid McIntosh and Red Delicious, which turn mushy.
The best wood for apples
Apple wood is the obvious choice, but cherry and pecan are also excellent. If your smoker is still running hickory or oak from the main course, that works too. Keep the smoke clean and thin so it does not turn bitter.
Recipe
Smoked Apples
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 50 min
- Makes
- 6 servings
- Smoker 275°F (135°C)
- About 1 to 1 1/2 hours
- Done when tender but holding their shape
Ingredients
Apples
- 6 firm baking apples, such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Granny Smith
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider or water
Filling
- 4 tbsp (60 g) cold butter, cubed
- 1/3 cup (70 g) brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (30 g) rolled oats
- 1/4 cup (30 g) chopped pecans
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
To serve
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
- Caramel sauce (optional)
Equipment
- Smoker
- Apple corer or melon baller
- Foil pan or cast iron skillet
Method
- Core the apples from the top, leaving the bottom 1/2 inch (1 cm) intact so the filling stays inside. Widen the hole to about 1 inch (2.5 cm). Peel a strip of skin from around the top of each apple.
- Rub the butter into the sugar, oats, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until crumbly.
- Pack the filling into the apples, mounding it on top.
- Stand the apples in a foil pan or skillet and pour the cider around them.
- Heat the smoker to 275°F (135°C) with apple, cherry or pecan.
- Smoke for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the apples are tender when pierced but still hold their shape.
- Serve warm with the pan juices, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
Notes
- Soft apples such as McIntosh collapse when baked. Use a firm variety.
- Peeling a strip around the top stops the skin from splitting.
Serving ideas
- With vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
- Alongside pork, such as pulled pork or pork collar, without the filling.
- Chopped over oatmeal or Greek yogurt for breakfast.
For more smoked fruit desserts, try our smoked peaches, pineapple and bread pudding.
Frequently asked questions
How long do you smoke apples?
About 1 to 1 1/2 hours at 275°F for whole stuffed apples.
Can I smoke apple slices instead?
Yes. Toss thick slices in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and smoke them in a foil tray for 30 to 45 minutes.
Can I make them ahead?
Stuff them a few hours ahead and keep them in the fridge. Smoke them just before serving.