Crock Pot Stuffed Apples

Ilove apples. That should be very apparent to you by now….hence all the apple recipes like Crock Pot Apple Butter, Baked Apples, and Apple Crowns. I kept seeing tons of apple recipes for the crock pot, but I didn’t really like any of them. So, I sorta came up with my own and it’s delicious! I hate to toot my own horn, but TOOT! TOOT! Barry said “Yum! I’d be happy with just a whole plate of these.” Not so fast, buddy boy. Stacy and her apples are not soon parted – but I did share. I’m nice like that.

You’ll need apples, sugar of some sort (I used Demerara), raisins, granola, nuts, vanilla, and water. That’s it. Normally I would have used homemade granola but I had this box I needed to use up – its okay but it won’t win any awards, if you catch my drift.  You can use whatever type of apple you like. I used Fuji because they were on sale at Food City. I’m trying to find a good organic apple source, but I haven’t found it yet. Apples are really high on the pesticide list. At this point, store apples are better than no apples.

In the bottom of your crock pot combine ½ cup water and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. If some vanilla is good, more is better (thank you Pioneer Woman!). Vanilla makes everything taste better……except scrambled eggs – Barry wasn’t cool with that.

You need to wash and core your apples. I used this handy-dandy little apple coring tool. A paring knife would work just as well. Make sure you get all the stuff out of the middle. Sometimes that core can be sharp. It’s not a good surprise…..sorta like vanilla in scrambled eggs.

Place your apples in the crock pot. You can use however many will fit. This is a four quart crock and I got six apples in there.  There is space left, but I couldn’t fit another one in there. I’m a lousy packer……and when I do pack, Barry asks if I’m leaving for a year.

Now, in a small bowl mix the sugar, raisins, granola, and nuts. Take a bite…no one is looking. YUMMY! This would be excellent by itself over some Greek yogurt.

Now, stuff the mixture down into your cored apples. You want it packed tight and for some of it to come over the top. I kept dropping it down into the water. After a while, I just let it fall. Sometimes I’m lazy.

They’re nice and full. I think apples are so pretty. How do you like them apples? An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Don’t put all your apples in one basket…or something like that.

Now, mine cooked on high for 4 hours. They were just right for us. I wanted them to be soft enough for Annie, but not so soft they didn’t hold their shape. Different apples cook up differently. How’s that for vague? You can also cook them on low for 6-8 hours. I wanted ours for dinner and it was late…..so high it was! You’ll need to start checking on them after about 3 hours on high. How long you leave them is totally personal preference. If you have a mullet, that’s personal preference too.

The filling makes a lot. I had a bunch left over. Enough to make another pot of apples. Yay me! If you’re not making a ton of apples or thinking of doing two batches, you might want to cut the amount in half. I stored this for later.

Here they are after four hours. They look very different huh? You can check them by poking with a fork. I like to poke things with a fork…..apples, meat, veggies, Barry, etc.

Some filling will be in the bottom of the pot. I just scooped it out and we ate it with the apples. They make an excellent side dish. Have I mentioned I love apples?