Maple and Peanut Butter Baked Apples with Silky Cashew Cream
These easy baked apples are stuffed with the most amazing peanut butter filling and topped with the silkiest of cashew cream sauces. Maple and cinnamon make this a remarkable fall dessert that's gluten free, vegan, and dairy free.
1/2cupcrunchy peanut butternot the salted or sweet kind - just nuts
1tspmiso paste"white", "chickpea", "barley", or "red"*
1tspground cinnamon
1tbspmaple sugar
1/4cupraisinsor currents
3tbspmaple syrup
5red applesGala or Macintosh
1/2cupapple juice
1stickcinnamonoptional
Instructions
Silky Cashew Cream Sauce
Soak the cashews in 1 cup filtered water for 1 hour or overnight. Drain and place in a blender with the maple crystals, maple syrup, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons filtered water. Blend until very smooth and creamy. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
Stuff and Bake the Apples
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In one bowl, combine the peanut butter, miso paste, cinnamon, maple sugar, and raisins. Stir to combine, then add the maple syrup and stir again.
Remove the 3/4 of the core of the apple (a melon baller works best) - leaving the bottom of the apple intact. Stuff the apple with the peanut butter filling and place inside of a cake pan or baking dish. Pour the apple juice into the baking dish and add a cinnamon stick if you wish. Cover with foil and bake for 22 minutes until the apples are tender but not mushy.
Serve warm with apple juice from pan and a generous dollop of chilled cashew cream.
Video
Notes
*Miso paste is a fermented product often made from soy or barley. Lighter colored miso is younger and has a mild sweet, salty, savory flavor. Red miso has been fermented slightly longer and will add even more umami flavor. If you have any gluten allergies, be sure to check the label.You may leave the miso out if you wish.Nut Free Option: Substitute sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter.**Recipe adapted from Jill Gusman, a macrobiotic chef I had the pleasure of working with for many years at The Natural Gourmet Institute.