Vegan Baked Apples (Maçã Assada)
Maçã Assada is one of Portugal’s most beloved traditional desserts: whole apples slowly baked until soft and juicy, infused with warm cinnamon, sweet syrup, and crunchy nut toppings. This fully vegan version uses no butter, honey, or animal products — keeping all the comforting aroma, tender texture, and rich sweet flavour of the original. Perfect as a warm dessert, snack, or breakfast treat.
Shared by katty
Time
45 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
easy
🛒 Ingredients
- #Main Ingredients;
- 4 firm baking apples (such as Granny Smith or Fuji), washed well
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon + 4 small cinnamon sticks
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil or vegan butter
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice.. 80–100 ml water or apple juice
- #Filling & Topping;
- 40–50 g mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts), finely chopped
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or date syrup
- Optional: pinch of nutmeg or ground cloves
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prep apples: Core each apple from the top (do not cut all the way through the base) to create a hollow cavity. Brush the cut surfaces and inside lightly with lemon juice to prevent browning.
- 2
Make the base mix: Stir together sugar, ground cinnamon, and melted coconut oil. Spoon this mixture evenly into each apple cavity, then press some of the chopped nuts inside as well.
- 3
Arrange: Place apples upright in a baking dish. Pour water or apple juice into the bottom of the dish to keep them moist while baking. Tuck one cinnamon stick into the top of each apple.
- 4
Bake: Roast at 180 °C (350 °F) for 30–35 minutes until the apples are tender when pierced with a knife but still hold their shape.
- 5
Finish: Drizzle generously with maple syrup, scatter the remaining chopped nuts over the top, and bake for 3–5 minutes more until the nuts are lightly toasted.
- 6
Serve: Enjoy warm, spooned with the delicious syrup from the dish.