Bloomin' Apples Are The Fuss-Free Fall Dessert You're Craving

Bloomin' apples are the dessert equivalent of the bloomin' onion appetizer — that is, a single fruit or vegetable that has been sliced into a rose-like bloom and baked (or fried) until it blossoms, inviting you to dig your fork into its plump edible petals. Despite how elaborate the bloomin' apple dessert looks, it's relatively easy to make for when you're craving a simple but sweet fall treat.

First, the apple should be cut in half, not vertically but horizontally, and then cored. A tip of a knife then cuts two parallel circular lines around the core, while an apple slicer, like Progressive International's fruit cutter, creates the bloom by slicing the apples into eight, twelve, or sixteen pieces. There's one important thing to note here: None of the slices should completely separate the apple's fleshy interior from the skin. Rather, the skin clings to the apple slices to keep the bloom intact as it's baking. From a bird's-eye point of view, the apple should look a bit like a rose. It'll look even more like a flower once it goes in the oven and blossoms thanks to the heat. 

Four or five bloomin' apples can fit in a small 9x9-inch baking pan at a time — one in each corner of the dish with one in the middle if there's room. In the simplest versions of this dessert, the pan is greased with butter or cooking spray before you pop in the apples. However, you can build your own special compound butter using sweet spices like cinnamon to grease the pan, which adds more flavor to the fruits.

Once the apples are all nestled and snug in their baking dish bed, you can add an element of delicious flavor by decorating their cores. Some home chefs like to add chunks of caramel to each bloomin' fruit's center, which gives the dessert a caramel apple flavor reminiscent of your favorite Halloween candy apples. Any brand of chewy caramel will do, though Brach's Milk Maid Caramels or Kraft caramel cubes work well. If you'd like to try a more natural stuffing, dates or raisins taste excellent. The dates have a natural caramel flavor, allowing you to enjoy the candy apple flavor but in a less-processed way. Finally, placing mini marshmallows in the center of each apple can add a bit of gooey whimsy (and color if you opt for the pastel-hued ones).

A mixture of melted butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar go over the tops of the apples before they bake. This is easily spread with a cooking brush, though you can also use a large spoon to drizzle the sweet sauce over the flowering fruits. If you don't have brown sugar, maple syrup or molasses mixed with melted butter are also viable alternatives in a pinch.

Once the apples are covered in their sweet, sticky coatings, they should be baked between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. They need to hang out in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour before they're ready to serve and dig into for dessert.

Once the bloomin' apples start baking, they'll begin to bloom, just like a flower. Using the tines of a fork to separate the apple slices makes the bloom grow larger. Once you separate the "petals," put each bloomin' apple in a small, flat serving bowl or dessert plate that you've adorned with drizzles of chocolate or caramel sauce.

As far as toppings go, just remember that these baked fruit desserts are sort of like personal all-American apple pies without the crusts, so they taste great with all the things you typically love on apple pie. Think a scoop of the best vanilla ice cream, a big dollop of Cool Whip, or a fancy-schmancy crème anglaise. If you opt for ice cream or whipped cream, you can drizzle some additional chocolate or caramel sauce for more flavor. A sprinkle of crushed pecans or peanuts lends a nutty, slightly savory crunch to balance out some of the sweetness.

Of course, because these little desserts are made of apples, they belong on any table during the fall and winter seasons. Whether you serve them on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or during a special dinner you've laid out for your family just because, bloomin' apples are impressively easy to make considering how tasty they are to eat.