These Cinnamon Oatmeal Stuffed Apples with Vanilla Custard Sauce are the essence of cozy holiday baking. Baked apples are filled with a warm, spiced oat and sugar mixture, then drizzled with a silky homemade custard sauce. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any cold-weather gathering, this dessert is comforting, nostalgic, and wonderfully rustic—like an edible hug by the fireplace.

Full Recipe: 

Ingredients

For the Stuffed Apples:

• 6 large baking apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith recommended)

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• ⅔ cup packed brown sugar

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

• Pinch of kosher salt

• 6 tbsp salted butter, cubed

• Optional: cinnamon sticks, for garnish

For the Vanilla Custard Sauce:

• 4 egg yolks

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

To Prepare the Stuffed Apples:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

2. Slice off the top ¼-inch of each apple. Using a spoon or melon baller, core the center, leaving a thick enough shell to hold the filling. Reserve about ½ cup of the scooped apple flesh.

3. In a bowl, combine oats, flour, both sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and the reserved apple pieces. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4. Fill each hollowed apple with the mixture, slightly overflowing the tops.

5. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until apples are softened and the filling is golden brown.

To Make the Vanilla Custard Sauce:

1. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick.

2. In a saucepan, heat the milk just to scalding (small bubbles at the edges).

3. Temper the eggs by slowly whisking in 2 tablespoons of warm milk. Then, pour egg mixture back into the saucepan.

4. Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (2–3 minutes).

5. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and strain through a sieve. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and cool.

To Serve:
Let baked apples rest 15 minutes before serving. Top with warm custard sauce and a cinnamon stick if desired. Sprinkle with nutmeg or more cinnamon.

Nutrients (per serving, approx.)

• Calories: ~310

• Carbohydrates: ~45g

• Fat: ~12g

• Protein: ~4g

• Fiber: ~4g

• Sugar: ~30g

• Sodium: ~100mg

Why Stuffed Apples Are a Timeless Favorite

There’s something undeniably comforting about baked apples. Perhaps it’s their soft texture, which melts in the mouth without being mushy, or the way they naturally sweeten and intensify in flavor with heat. Perhaps it’s because they remind us of childhood kitchens, spiced cider, or crisp autumn afternoons. Whatever the reason, baked apples have stood the test of time as a seasonal favorite—and for good reason.

Stuffing apples with an oat-based crumble takes the traditional concept one step further. It merges the best of both worlds: the tender, juicy texture of baked apples with the golden, buttery crispness of an oatmeal topping. It’s like a personal apple crisp, neatly packaged inside its own edible shell.

Using apples like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith enhances the balance of sweet and tart flavors. Honeycrisp apples offer a delicate balance of firmness and sugar, while Granny Smiths bring a bright acidity that plays beautifully against the rich filling and custard.

The Oatmeal Filling: A Cinnamon-Scented Crumble

The star of the filling is its buttery oat mixture, which combines rolled oats, flour, brown and white sugars, and warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. As the apples bake, the filling caramelizes and crisps at the top while soaking up the apple’s juices below, resulting in a soft, almost pie-like layer that gives way to a golden, toasted crumble.

What sets this filling apart is its rustic texture. The oats provide chew and structure, the sugars offer sweetness and a toffee-like note when caramelized, and the spices infuse the entire dessert with that unmistakable holiday aroma. A pinch of salt heightens all the flavors, bringing balance to the sweetness and rounding out the richness of the butter.

Using a bit of the scooped-out apple flesh in the filling ensures none of the apple goes to waste and also intensifies the fruit flavor throughout. It’s a thoughtful detail that speaks to the resourceful, down-to-earth charm of this dish.

The Vanilla Custard Sauce: A Lush Pour-Over Finishing Touch

The custard sauce elevates this dessert from classic to luxurious. Made with egg yolks, sugar, and warm milk, this sauce is gently cooked until thick and velvety, then finished with fragrant vanilla for a deeply soothing flavor. It’s rich without being heavy and creamy without overpowering the other elements.

Custard sauce—sometimes called crème anglaise—is a staple of French dessert culture and pairs wonderfully with anything warm and spiced. In this case, it’s the ideal counterpart to the cinnamon-laced filling and the softened apple interior. When poured over the warm stuffed apples, it melts slightly into the oats and mingles with the natural apple juices to create a layered experience of sweetness, spice, and creaminess.

This sauce also serves a functional purpose. While the baked apple is soft and the oat filling is crisp, the custard adds a smooth, luxurious mouthfeel that ties all the textures together. A sprinkle of fresh cinnamon or nutmeg on top just before serving adds a beautiful final flourish.

Perfect for Holidays and Cozy Gatherings

This dish is made for festive occasions. It fills your home with the nostalgic scent of cinnamon and baked apples, bringing immediate warmth and joy to the table. It’s easy to prepare in batches and can be scaled to serve a few people or a crowd, depending on your needs.

Unlike pies or cakes, these individual stuffed apples feel personal and charming. They require no slicing and can be served in ramekins or directly in a baking dish. For a more rustic aesthetic, serve them in the baking dish they were cooked in, garnished with whole cinnamon sticks or sprigs of rosemary for a festive look.

And the best part? This dessert can be mostly made ahead. The custard sauce can be prepared and chilled up to a day in advance, and the apples can be assembled a few hours before baking. Simply pop them in the oven while you enjoy dinner, and they’ll be warm and ready by the time dessert rolls around.

Variations and Customizations

Though the classic version is hard to beat, there are endless ways to customize this recipe to suit your taste or dietary needs.

For a nutty variation, try adding chopped pecans or walnuts to the oat filling. This adds crunch and a toasted flavor that pairs beautifully with the other ingredients. For a touch of holiday decadence, mix in a handful of dried cranberries or golden raisins for bursts of sweetness and texture.

To make the dessert vegan or dairy-free, swap the butter for plant-based alternatives and use coconut milk or almond milk to prepare the custard sauce. You can also use maple syrup in place of some of the sugar for a more natural, robust sweetness.

If you’d like to serve a lighter version, reduce the sugar slightly and serve the apples with a dollop of Greek yogurt instead of custard. Even without the sauce, the apples are flavorful and satisfying on their own.

Nutrition and Comfort in Every Bite

This dessert offers more than just great taste—it brings a surprising amount of nutritional value. Apples are naturally rich in fiber and vitamin C, while oats offer additional fiber and whole grains. The dessert is comforting, indulgent, and satisfying without being overly heavy or sweet.

At around 310 calories per serving, it fits comfortably into a balanced holiday meal and can be adjusted depending on portion size and add-ins. Whether served as a lighter alternative to pie or as a sweet finale to a hearty roast dinner, it leaves guests feeling content rather than overstuffed.

Conclusion

Cinnamon Oatmeal Stuffed Apples with Vanilla Custard Sauce are the very definition of cozy holiday baking. They bring together simple, wholesome ingredients in a way that’s both nostalgic and elegant, making them perfect for any gathering where comfort and warmth are on the menu.

With their golden oat crumble, tender baked apples, and velvety custard sauce, these stuffed apples deliver the perfect combination of texture and flavor in every spoonful. They’re easy to prepare, beautiful to present, and universally loved—a timeless treat that evokes memories of home, family, and the joy of seasonal traditions.

Whether you serve them at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or simply on a snowy weekend, this recipe promises to wrap you in comfort and delight everyone at the table. It’s more than dessert—it’s a delicious embrace on a cold night.