Mary Berry Baked Apples Recipe

Mary Berry’s baked apples are stuffed with a spiced dried fruit and brown sugar filling, baked until tender — the simplest, most comforting autumn pudding.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings: 4 Portions

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Calories: 290

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Baked Apples:
4 large Bramley apples — cored scored around the equator
Filling:
50 g soft dark brown sugar
50 g unsalted butter softened
75 g mixed dried fruit
25 g dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange
2 tbsp honey
To Serve:
Warm pouring custard or clotted cream

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Core apples — leaving base intact. Score skin around the equator. Place in ovenproof dish.
Mix dark brown sugar, softened butter, dried fruit, cranberries or apricots, cinnamon, mixed spice, and orange zest until combined.
Divide filling between apples — press firmly into cavity, mound slightly above the top. Drizzle honey generously over each apple.
Add 2–3 tbsp water to base of dish. Bake 35–45 minutes until completely tender when pierced and filling is bubbling and caramelised.
Spoon the syrupy base juices over each apple. Serve immediately with warm custard.

Notes

Score the skin around the equator — prevents uncontrolled splitting during baking.

Use Bramley apples — they give the slightly fluffy, deeply fragrant texture of a proper baked apple.

Pack filling generously above the rim — it reduces during baking.

Add water to the base of the dish — prevents the juices from burning.

The syrupy base juices are a sauce — spoon over the apples when serving.