During the hotter months, my go-to breakfast is most definitely a cool, refreshing, bright green smoothie, but as the weather gets colder, the last thing I want is a frosty breakfast. In order to get going on cold and dreary days, I need a heartier, warm, and soothing meal first thing in the morning, and a stuffed baked apple is all of that and then some!
While it may sound like a complicated morning meal, stuffed baked apples are one of the easiest breakfasts to make, and with a little advanced preparation, they can be also be a quick way to start your day off with a seriously delicious and nourishing meal. Here’s how…
Ingredients
- an apple
- dates, pitted and roughly chopped
- almond butter (I prefer fresh, raw almond butter but you could use any kind of nut or seed butter that suits your tastes)
- dried coconut, shredded or flakes (coconut flour could work as well)
- dried Goji berries
- raw pumpkin seeds
- coconut oil (you can use butter if you prefer)
- honey (I like Bio Active Manuka honey because of its extra potent antibacterial properties)
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
Directions
First, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prep your apple by coring it. An apple corer works best for this (I use the OXO Good Grips Corer), but you can use a knife or grapefruit spoon if you’re feeling really adventurous. Make a little extra space for the filling by using a knife to cut a little wider opening at the top of the apple.
Add a couple of dates, a tablespoon of almond butter, 2 tablespoons of coconut, about 4-8 goji berries, 1/8 cup of pumpkin seeds, ½ tablespoon of coconut oil, ½ tablespoon of honey, and a couple sprinkles each of nutmeg and cinnamon to a food processor (I use a Cuisinart Mini Prep because I have limited counter space in my kitchen), and then pulse until the ingredients are well combined and have a sticky, crumbly texture. (Note: These measurements are rough estimates. If you’ve been following along on the blog, you probably know by now that I rarely use measurements when I’m cooking, as most of the things I make don’t require precision. I completely made this filling up off the top of my head, so please feel free to change the measurements or the ingredients as it suits you. You could easily use different kinds of seeds, berries, or other dried fruit to create an endless variety of flavor profiles, so don’t be afraid to have fun with it and make it your own!)
Next, stuff the filling into the cored apple. I used a small measuring spoon to put a little bit in at a time and used the skinny back of a knife to really pack the filling down into the center. I continued filling until the cored area was completely stuffed and then packed a little extra filling onto the top.
Add a little bit of coconut oil to a rimmed baking dish, non-stick pan, or metal pan lined with foil. And then place the stuffed apple right on top of the coconut oil and press down to make sure that the apple is sitting firmly on the bottom of the dish or pan.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the apple is soft and splitting. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before enjoying!
To make the process faster for those mornings where you’re short on time, prep your apple the night before and keep it in the fridge in an airtight container or saran wrap. In the morning, pre-heat your oven and then let the apple bake while you’re getting dressed and going through your morning routine. I like to do my morning meditation while my apple is in the oven. By the time I’m done meditating, my whole apartment smells like spiced cider!
You can also make extra filling and save it in the fridge for several days to have on hand so you can bake up a stuffed apple quickly when you get a craving for something sweet and juicy, but still healthy!
