- Recipes
- What To Make With
Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor
Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.
updated Sep 20, 2023
comments
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
If you find yourself with a less-than-stellar bunch of apples, or extra-soft apples that have been sitting around for a few too many days, don’t worry — it happens to the best of us. Don’t toss them away — not even the ones with the nasty bruises.
Apples that are past their prime might not be great for biting into as an afternoon snack or for a recipe with visible apple slices, but they’ve still got plenty of flavor. Older apples are great for baking (especially if they’re one of the varieties best for baking). As the apples break down during cooking, the remaining liquid is released and the natural sugars concentrate, transforming them into something remarkably delicious. Here are 19 smart uses for your not-so-shapely apples.
Recipes for Bruised Apples
1
/
19
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
With three impressive layers, plus a double dose of caramel sauce, these pie bars are a fall dessert you don’t want to miss out on.
Go to Recipe
2
/
19
Apple Delight
Packed with five creamy layers of spiced apples, cream cheese, fluffy whipped cream and sweet caramel, this no-bake dessert will make everyone forget all about pie.
Go to Recipe
3
/
19
Apple Fritter Cake
Apple fritter cake takes everything you love about the classic donut and turns it into a decadent dessert.
Go to Recipe
4
/
19
Applesauce Muffins
These muffins are naturally sweetened and have the most incredible soft, tender texture.
Go to Recipe
5
/
19
Brown Sugar Apple Pan Dowdy
Brown sugar-sweetened apples baked under a pastry crust that's been broken into syrup-coated pieces.
Go to Recipe
6
/
19
Mini Apple Pies
Just when you thought apple pie couldn't get better, these individual miniature apple pies — baked up in muffin tins — came through to change the game.
Go to Recipe
7
/
19
Glazed Apple Fritters
How to make light, pillow-soft deep-fried donuts, stuffed with fresh fall apples.
Go to Recipe
8
/
19
Apple Cinnamon Toaster Strudels
These toaster strudels will remind you of the ones you ate growing up, except they're homemade and full of fresh apples with a tangy icing drizzle.
Go to Recipe
Apple Crisp
This one-bowl apple crisp recipe is packed with lightly sweetened, warmly spiced apples and finished with a buttery oat topping.
Go to Recipe
10
/
19
Apple Pie Granola Bars
These chewy, buttery granola bars are packed with grated apples, warming spices, and toothsome oats — perfect as a lunch-box treat or as breakfast.
Go to Recipe
11
/
19
Oatmeal-Brown Sugar Baked Apples
Dressed up with a scoop of ice cream, baked apples are a crowd-pleaser — a good one to have in your back pocket for gluten-free and vegan guests, too.
Go to Recipe
12
/
19
Applesauce in the Slow Cooker
Turning apples into apple sauce is easier than you might think — especially when your slow cooker does most of the work for you!
Go to Recipe
13
/
19
Slow-Cooker Apple Butter
If you think applesauce is great, just wait until you try apple butter. It’s absolutely amazing! Apple butter is made by slow cooking apples past the point of applesauce, until it becomes a thick, glossy, glorious spread.
Go to Recipe
14
/
19
Apple Turnover
A flaky and buttery treat, apple turnovers are simple and delicious. When made with store-bought puff pastry, they work up in no time.
Go to Recipe
15
/
19
Steel-Cut Oats with Maple-Roasted Apples and Cheddar
Stirring chunks of apple into oatmeal as it cooks is a nice way to add some extra flavor to your breakfast. Bonus: The apple acts as a natural sweetener. If you’re feeling motivated, we recommend roasting the apples beforehand!
Go to Recipe
16
/
19
Classic Double Crust Apple Pie
Fall is not complete without apple pie! This just might be my personal favorite way to use up old apples.
Go to Recipe
17
/
19
Apple Zucchini Muffins
Grating apples into muffin batter adds texture to them as well as makes them incredibly moist and tender.
Go to Recipe
18
/
19
Apple Dump Cake
For the easiest fall dessert, just dump apple pie filling, cake mix, and butter into a dish and bake!
Go to Recipe
19
/
19
Chunky Pork and Apple Stew
Apples pair well with so many different kinds of soups and stews. They play especially nice with parsnips, butternut squash, and even kale. This savory pork stew gets a moment of sweetness from apples.
Go to Recipe
What’s your favorite way to use up less-than-perfect apples?
Filed in:
autumn
Baking
Ingredient
Recipe Roundup
Cooking Methods
