These Easy Sautéed Cinnamon Apples taste just like apple pie without the crust! This recipe is made in one pan, with simple ingredients in less than 15 minutes. They’re perfectly sweet and so full of flavor! Enjoy them over oatmeal or pancakes for breakfast or with ice cream for dessert.
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
These irresistible sautéed apples have been my go to for breakfast lately! I like eating them with a bowl of oatmeal or on top of waffles or pancakes. I’ve made a version of this sautéed apples recipe for a few years now but I would just be aimlessly throwing cinnamon and nutmeg and brown sugar in a pot with apple slices and hoping for the best. More often than I care to admit, the apples ended up either way too sweet or not sweet enough. This recipe totally fixes that!
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
Major deliciousness: These are essentially apple pie without the crust. Combine them with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and it’s a match made in heaven!
Better-for-you dessert: This sautéed apples recipe is gluten free, dairy free and vegan! If you want to make it without refined sugar, use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar.
They’re super versatile: There are so many ways to use these warmly spiced apple slices! Whether enjoyed straight out of the pan, mixed in yogurt or served over French toast, they’re always a treat!
Great for meal prep: I like to make a big batch of these and keep them in the fridge for snacks and breakfast toppers throughout the week. I’m not much of a meal prep-er but these apples are an exception to the rule!
I wanted this recipe to be quick and easy, and also a reasonable portion size so that you’re not left with a ton of leftover apples. If you DO want extras for later (the apples reheat very well) then you can easily double or triple the recipe. As written, the recipe makes the perfect amount for topping 2 large bowls of oatmeal.
Ingredients you’ll need
You’re going to LOVE how simple and delicious this easy sauteed apples recipe is to make. Here’s what you’ll need:
Butter or coconut oil: For cooking the apples.
Apple: I like a sweeter apple that holds its shape well, like Honeycrisp apples or pink lady apples, but any variety works great in this recipe!
Brown sugar: Makes the apples get deliciously caramelized and just sweet enough.
Spices: Both ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg add cozy, warm flavor.
Cornstarch: A mix cornstarch and water creates a slurry that thickens the saucy apples.
Substitutions and variations
Apples: Use tart apples, such as Granny Smith apples, for more of a tart flavor.
Sugar alternative: To make these refined sugar free, replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar or even monk fruit sweetener. you could also try using maple syrup or honey although I haven’t tested that yet.
Extra add-ins: Feel free to stir in some raisins, dried or fresh cranberries or chopped pecans or walnuts for some extra texture and flavor.
How to make sautéed apples
While I generally love just about any recipe made with apples, these sautéed apples have been an obsession recently. They’re insanely simple to make, you only need a handful of ingredients and they are just SO delicious. Here’s the simple process:
Cook the apples – In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once it’s completely melted, add in the apples and stir until they are fully coated in the butter. Saute for 7-10 minutes until nice and tender to your liking. The cook time depends on the thickness of your apples.
Make the slurry – While the apples cook, stir together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and set aside.
Add the cornstarch, sugar and spices – Once the apples are tender, take the pan off of the heat and immediately stir in the cornstarch slurry. Once combined, stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Serve – Enjoy however you’d like! They are wonderful topped with granola and/or chopped nuts and served with yogurt or for a little more indulgent sweet treat, serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Recipe Tips
Slicing the apple: I like to chop my apple into bite-sized pieces as seen in the pictures but you can also slice them into thin larger pieces.
Peeling the apple: While peeling the apple is not completely necessary, I prefer the apple to be peeled because the texture will be more like apple pie filling. However, you can keep the skin on, if you want more texture and nutritional benefit.
Frequently asked questions
You want an apple that will hold up to the heat, so I recommend using crisp-crunchy apples like Honeycrisp, Jazz, Pazazz, Braeburn, Jonagold, Pacific Rose, Pink Lady, Fuji, Pinata, or Granny Smith. Avoid soft, mealy, or creamy-flesh apples like Red Delicious, Gala apples, and McIntosh. They will become too mushy.
There are so many ways to enjoy these sautéed apples for nearly every meal of the day! Use them as an apple pie filling to fill puff pastry, crescent rolls or crepes. Spoon them over vanilla ice cream, cheesecake or yogurt. Use them as a topping for pancakes, waffles, or french toast. Stir them into traditional oatmeal, overnight oats, or baked oatmeal. Pile them on pork tenderloin or pork chops!
The cornstarch slurry is what thickens the sauce into that SILKY, apple-pie-filling texture, so skipping this part it will leave you with a thinner and more watery sauce. As desired, you could simmer the apples a bit longer to reduce the liquid naturally instead.
Yes! This recipe is intentionally sized for topping 2 bowls of oatmeal, but it doubles or triples easily if you want extra for meal prepping throughout the week.
Storage recommendations
Place cooled leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. When you are ready to eat them, you can enjoy them cold (straight out of the refrigerator) or warm them up in the microwave or on the stove.
I don’t recommend freezing the apples, as they may become a little mushy when thawing.
More apple recipes
Easy Sautéed Cinnamon Apples
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
I don’t recommend freezing the apples, as they may become a little mushy when thawing.
Nutrition
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