Bratapfeln (German Baked Apples) Recipe

German baked apples bratapflen recipe

The Spruce / Teena Agnel

Prep: 7 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 67 mins
Servings: 4 servings

German baked apples or bratapfeln are a common treat when the weather turns colder. Christmas and winter would not be the same without the smell of apples baking in the oven after returning from a long walk through the woods or a day of sledding.

This easy dessert, which also can be eaten as a sweet main dish, is a traditional German offering when the temperatures drop. Often, they form the backbone of a baked-apple party, because they're inexpensive and so easy to make. 

Variations abound, but the most common is made, simply, with sugar, butter, raisins, and nuts. The addition of vanilla sauce takes this already delicious dessert to a whole new level.

The Belle de Boskoop apple variety, originally from the Netherlands, is traditionally used, but any other pie apple will work fine. 

Ingredients

For the Apples:

  • 4 baking apples

  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

  • 1/4 cup raisins

  • 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

For the Vanilla Sauce:

  • 4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 2 cups milk

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 450 F.

    Ingredients for German baked apple
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel
  2. Core apples (or cut into quarters, core, and put back together).

    Core apples
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel
  3. Mix together the butter and sugar. Add raisins and walnuts.

    Mix together butter, sugar, raisins
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel
  4. Pack the filling into the hollowed-out apples.

    Pack apple
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel
  5. Place in buttered baking dish and cover with lid or aluminum foil.

    Pack apple
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel
  6. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the tip of a thin knife can easily pierce the apple. Meanwhile, make the vanilla sauce.

    Bake apple
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

Make the Vanilla Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for sauce
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel
  2. In a medium heatproof bowl, beat together the egg yolks and both sugars (if you are using vanilla extract instead of vanilla sugar, it will be added later) until the yolks are thick and pale yellow and the sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes.

    Beat egg yolks
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel
  3. In a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, bring the 2 cups of milk to a boil. Pour the hot milk slowly in a thin stream over the egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously by hand or with an electric mixer.

    Pour in hot milk
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel
  4. Pour the tempered egg-yolks back into the saucepan and heat without boiling until mixture coats the back of a spoon

    Pour egg yolks in
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel
  5. Remove pan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, if you are using it instead of the vanilla sugar. Serve warm drizzled over baked apples.

    Remove from heat
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

Tip

You might want to cook the egg yolk-milk mixture in a double boiler, which heats gently and will help to prevent the sauce from curdling.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
510 Calories
20g Fat
74g Carbs
12g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 510
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 11g 54%
Cholesterol 272mg 91%
Sodium 225mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 74g 27%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 66g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 9mg 44%
Calcium 200mg 15%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 518mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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