Baked Apples with Ghee: Choosing Tenderness over a Fixed Timer
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By Faimly Farm · 16 October 2026
For baked apples with ghee, halve and core firm apples, brush the cut surfaces lightly and bake until a knife enters the flesh easily. Apple variety and size change the timing, so tenderness is a better endpoint than a fixed minute count.
This small dessert uses two apples and makes four halves. Allow around 35–45 minutes including preparation. It is a simple fruit preparation, not a claim that replacing butter with ghee makes dessert healthier.
Ingredients and equipment
- 2 medium apples of similar size
- 8 g melted ghee
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1–2 teaspoons sugar, optional, according to the apples and your taste
- 2 tablespoons water for the baking dish
- A few chopped walnuts and raisins to serve, optional
Use a small ovenproof dish that holds the halves without stacking them. Wash the apples, halve through the stem and remove the core with a small spoon or corer. Keep the skin on to help hold the shape. Check carefully for remaining hard core pieces.
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C conventional or approximately 160°C fan, following your appliance guidance.
- Place the apple halves cut-side up. Brush the cut surfaces with the measured ghee and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and optional sugar.
- Pour the water into the base of the dish, not over the seasoned fruit. Cover loosely with an oven-safe lid or foil for the first 15 minutes.
- Uncover carefully, keeping clear of steam. Continue baking for roughly another 10–20 minutes, checking the thickest part with a knife. Larger or firmer apples may take longer.
- Remove when the flesh is tender but the halves still hold together. Let them stand briefly before serving; the fruit and dish will be hot.
Adjust to the apple rather than forcing the timer
If the top darkens while the centre stays hard, cover again and lower the heat slightly. If the fruit collapses quickly, it may be a variety that softens readily; use it as a spoonable dessert and choose firmer apples next time. More ghee will not make a firm core cook faster.
A dry dish may need a small additional splash of hot water at its edge, added carefully. Do not pour cold water into a very hot glass dish. Keep the water shallow: this is gentle baking, not boiling the fruit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bake whole apples instead?
Yes, but coring, filling and timing differ. The instructions here are for halves.
Do I have to add sugar?
No. It is optional. The apples' sweetness and acidity vary, so taste the fruit before deciding.
Why did the skin split?
The flesh can expand and soften during baking. Small splits are a presentation issue; stop before the entire apple breaks down if you want intact halves.
Serve on their own or scatter a few chopped walnuts and raisins on top after baking. Walnuts add a tree-nut allergen; omit them where unsuitable. Ghee is milk-derived, even though this recipe uses no milk or cream.
Related Faimly Farm cooking guides
Start with our complete guide to cooking with A2 ghee. For related preparations, read Ghee in Cake Batter: Planning a Small Substitution Trial and How to Measure Ghee for Recipes: Grams, Spoons and Scaling.
For a ready-made cooking ingredient, view Faimly Farm Organica A2 Cow Ghee Bilona Churned. Check the current pack label for ingredients and storage directions; this recipe does not depend on an A2 sourcing claim.
Prepared with AI assistance. Not independently kitchen-tested by Faimly Farm: use the cooking cues and adjust for your ingredients and equipment. Featured banner: AI-generated editorial illustration, not a photograph of a tested recipe.