These cinnamon apples might be one of the easiest apple recipes on the blog, and they are definitely a favorite! I love them with my everyday oatmeal, as a side for breakfast, and spooned over vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce for dessert. My son even loves them added to his school lunchbox! Warm cinnamon apples are the best, especially during the fall! For more easy ways to use apples, see our homemade applesauce, these incredible baked apples, and this easy apple cinnamon bread.
Key Ingredients
Apples: You can use any variety of apples for this recipe. I love crispier varieties like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady apples. These are the same apples I use for apple cobbler. You can peel them or leave the peel on. I love the peel, but my toddler prefers this recipe when made with peeled apples since the apples turn out a little softer. Lemon Juice or Apple Cider Vinegar: A little acid, like lemon juice or vinegar, balances the sweetness of the apples and maple syrup. It makes everything pop. Butter: I love cooking the apples in a bit of butter since it turns into a silky sauce. Plant-based butter or coconut oil is an excellent substitute. Cinnamon: We are pretty generous with the cinnamon in this recipe. You can add or reduce as you see fit. Optional Spices: I love adding extra spices like cardamom and nutmeg. They bump up the cozy factor and taste wonderful. Vanilla and Maple Syrup: These make the apples taste more rich and add a bit of sweetness.
How to Make Cinnamon Apples
This recipe comes together fast since we cook the apples on the stove. The apples taste like your favorite apple pie and last for days in the fridge. You can even freeze them for another day. You’ll add chopped apples to a skillet with lemon juice and a bit of water. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook over medium-high heat until the apples soften. When they are soft, toss in your butter, cinnamon, extra spices, vanilla, and maple syrup. Stir the apples around the pan until the butter melts and turns into a silky cinnamon butter sauce that coats the apples. When it does, the cinnamon apples are ready! I love serving them with pumpkin pancakes and on top of steel-cut oats. My toddler also loves these and happily eats them with a spoon (or, more often, his fingers). 1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed 2 tablespoons butter or vegan butter 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional 1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg, optional 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon maple syrup, optional 2Core and cut the apples into bite-size pieces, 3/4-inch to 1-inch cubes. For slices, slice the apples into 1/4-inch thick slices. 3Toss the apples, lemon juice (or vinegar), and two tablespoons of water into a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Cover the skillet with a lid (or tent them with aluminum foil). Cook, covered, for 3 to 4 minutes. 4Uncover the apples, and stir in the butter, cinnamon, optional spices (cardamom and nutmeg), vanilla, and maple syrup (optional). 5Cook, while stirring, until the butter melts and the apples soften to your liking, 3 to 5 minutes more. For more saucy apples, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons more water. Simmer the water until it thickens and coats the apples. Taste, and then adjust with more maple syrup.
