My mother passed down this clever vintage dessert for chilly nights. These 4 ingredients turn simple fruit into a bubbling spiced masterpiece.

This slow cooker 4-ingredient baked apple recipe is one of those Depression-era tricks that feels almost too simple for how cozy and indulgent the result is. My mother learned it from her own mother, who relied on basic pantry staples to turn humble fruit into dessert on chilly Midwestern nights. Whole apples are cored, packed into a slow cooker, and bathed in a bubbling cinnamon-sugar syrup with a generous pat of butter. As they slump and wrinkle, the fruit turns spoon-soft and the syrup thickens into a glossy, spiced sauce—no fancy techniques, no extra frills, just four ingredients and time doing the work for you.

Serve these baked apples warm, spooning plenty of the dark, buttery cinnamon syrup from the bottom of the slow cooker over the top. They’re wonderful on their own in a small bowl, but especially comforting with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or a spoonful of plain yogurt for a not-too-sweet finish. For a heartier dessert, nestle a baked apple alongside a slice of simple pound cake or buttered toast to soak up the extra sauce. A cup of hot tea, coffee, or warm cider makes the whole thing feel like a proper old-fashioned supper ending.

Servings: 4

4 medium firm red apples (such as Rome, Jonagold, or Honeycrisp)

Prepare the apples: Rinse and dry the apples. Using an apple corer or a small paring knife, carefully core each apple from the stem end, removing the seeds and tough center but leaving the bottom of the apple intact so it forms a little well. If the apples don’t stand upright easily, you can slice a very thin piece off the bottom to help them sit flat.

Arrange in the slow cooker: Place the cored apples upright in a single layer in the bottom of a slow cooker. They should fit snugly but not be crammed; a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker works well for four apples.

Mix the cinnamon sugar: In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and ground cinnamon until evenly combined. This simple blend is the heart of the recipe—during the Depression, sweetened, spiced fruit was a way to stretch dessert without using many costly ingredients.

Fill and sprinkle: Spoon some of the cinnamon-sugar mixture into the hollow center of each apple, packing it lightly so each core is well filled. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar evenly over and around the apples so some falls to the bottom of the slow cooker; this will help create that dark, bubbling syrup.

Top with butter: Place one tablespoon of butter on top of each apple, tucking it into the opening where you added the sugar. Any small pieces that fall off can just be dropped into the bottom of the slow cooker—they’ll melt into the sauce.

Slow cook until tender: Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, or until the apples are very tender, slumped, and wrinkled but still holding their shape. The sugar and cinnamon will melt with the apple juices and butter, forming a thick, bubbling brown syrup pooling in the bottom of the pot.

Rest and serve: Turn off the slow cooker and let the apples sit, covered, for about 10 to 15 minutes. This short rest helps the syrup thicken slightly and makes the apples easier to handle. Carefully lift each apple into a serving dish with a spoon, then ladle the gooey cinnamon-butter syrup from the slow cooker over the tops. Serve warm.

If you like a slightly deeper flavor, swap part or all of the white sugar for brown sugar—the molasses notes play nicely with the cinnamon and butter. For a Depression-era style stretch, you can slice the cored apples into thick rings instead of leaving them whole; layer the slices in the slow cooker with the cinnamon sugar and dot with butter, then cook as directed. A pinch of salt in the cinnamon sugar will make the flavors pop without changing the ingredient count significantly, and a splash of water (1–2 tablespoons) in the bottom of the slow cooker can help if your apples are very dry, though most varieties release plenty of juice. To keep this more breakfast-appropriate, reduce the sugar slightly and serve the apples over oatmeal or plain yogurt. If you’re feeding more people, you can scale up to 6 or 8 apples as long as they still fit in a single layer; just increase the sugar and butter proportionally and allow a bit more time for them to become uniformly tender. For a slightly firmer texture, check the apples at the 2 1/2- to 3-hour mark and stop cooking when they’re just soft enough to pierce with a spoon.