Delicious, soft, and saucy sauteed cinnamon apples. They taste like apple pie without the crust! This is such a simple recipe but I’d like to show you how to get the best of your apples. The key to the best possible cinnamon apples is seasoning them with cinnamon (of course), vanilla, and lemon juice. I especially love the vanilla-lemon juice combo with the apples.
These stovetop cinnamon apples can be used in many ways – from topping your oatmeal to filling crepes. It’s a good way to use up excess apples / not-so-pretty apples.
Ingredients
Below you will find information about the ingredients and how to prepare the recipe. For the measurements and detailed instructions scroll down to the printable recipe card.
Here’s what you’ll need to make sautéed cinnamon apples:
- Apples
What kind of apples are best:
My favorite apple varieties for this recipe: Gala, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Fuji. Gala apples are very good – they are soft, sweet, and cook quickly. Golden Delicious apples are slightly more crisp, they provide delicious sweet and sour flavors. If you like more crispy and also sweet apples use honey crisp. - Cinnamon – complements the apples. It can also be omitted.
- Vanilla extract – you can use vanilla paste, vanilla sugar or vanilla beans scraped out of a vanilla pod instead.
- Lemon juice – is necessary when using sweet apples. Can be omitted when using very sour apples like Granny Smith. I love the lemon juice-vanilla extract combo with these apples!
- Fat – butter or refined coconut oil.
- Sweetener – you can use granulated sugar/brown sugar/xylitol/maple syrup/honey.
- What you could also add: cloves, apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice or gingerbread spice mix, orange juice.
- I’ve seen some recipes using cornstarch slurry to thicken the apples. This is what you would do when making apple pie filling but as a topping, I don’t find it necessary.
- Modify the ingredients to your taste – depending on the apple variety, add more sugar or lemon juice.
How to make it step by step
STEP 1: Prepare the apples: peel the apples, cut them into quarters, cut out the cores, cut the apples into small cubes.
STEP 2: Cook the apples:
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over high heat.
- When hot add the apples. Don’t stir for the first 2 minutes then add all the other ingredients (cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice, sugar). Stir everything together.
- Cook the apples, stirring from time to time, until the apples are soft but not falling apart. It can take anywhere from 5-20 minutes. The cooking time will depend on how soft the apples are and if they are overcrowded in the pan (many apples = longer cooking time). Since there were many apples on my pan I cooked them over high heat, but if you’re making this with fewer apples, cook them over medium or medium-high heat as they will brown faster if not overcrowded. Browning the apples add additional flavor so if you’ll make them in batches or in two pans they will definitely taste better. The apples will also cook and brown faster on a black pan or cast iron pan in comparison to a non-stick pan.
- If the apples start to look too dry add some more water to the pan, it should make a delicious sauce with the apple juices. To make the apples even more saucy you can sweeten them with maple syrup instead of sugar.
- Your apples are ready to use. Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
- add it to your oatmeal (I’m making my apple cinnamon oatmeal the same way)
- use as a filling for crepes
- serve over waffles, french toast, or pancakes (they would go great with these pumpkin pancakes)
- use as an apple tart filling
- healthy breakfast idea: add yogurt and granola to your sauteed apples
- as a topping for this semolina pudding or Milchreis (German rice pudding)
Storage
These sauteed apples can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a pan until warm. They taste like freshly made.
Sautéed Cinnamon Apples
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
- 1.5 lbs (1350g) apples
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons sugar or xylitol/maple syrup/honey
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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Instructions
Prepare the apples:
- Peel the apples, cut them into quarters, cut out the cores, cut the apples into small cubes.
Cook the apples:
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over high heat.
- When hot add the apples. Don’t stir for the first 2 minutes then add all the other ingredients (cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice, sugar). Stir everything together.
- Cook the apples, stirring from time to time, until the apples are soft but not falling apart. It can take anywhere from 5-20 minutes. The cooking time will depend on how soft the apples are and if they are overcrowded in the pan. If the apples start to look too dry add some more water to the pan, it should make a delicious sauce with the apple juices. To make the apples even more saucy you can sweeten them with maple syrup instead of sugar.
- Your apples are ready to use. Enjoy!
Notes
- What kind of apples are best: My favorite apple varieties for this recipe: Gala, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Fuji. Gala apples are very good – they are soft, sweet, and cook quickly. Golden Delicious apples are slightly more crisp, they provide delicious sweet and sour flavors. If you like more crispy and also sweet apples use honey crisp.
- Modify the ingredients to your taste – depending on the apple variety, add more sugar or lemon juice.
- These sauteed apples can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat then in a pan until warm. They taste like freshly made.
- Calories = 1 serving (1/3 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!
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