These easy sautéed cinnamon apples deliver the warm, spiced flavor of apple pie without the crust. The recipe comes together in one pan with simple ingredients in less than 15 minutes, and the apples turn out perfectly sweet and full of flavor. Serve them over oatmeal or pancakes for breakfast, or with ice cream for dessert.
Why This Recipe Works
These sautéed apples have become a go-to breakfast option, pairing well with a bowl of oatmeal or piled on top of waffles or pancakes. Earlier versions of the recipe involved adding cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar to a pot with apple slices without measuring, which often led to apples that were either too sweet or not sweet enough. This version solves that problem with a balanced, reliable formula.
Key Reasons to Love It
- Major deliciousness: The apples are essentially apple pie without the crust. Combined with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, they make a match made in heaven.
- Better-for-you dessert: The recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and vegan. To make it without refined sugar, use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar.
- Super versatile: These warmly spiced apple slices can be enjoyed straight out of the pan, mixed into yogurt, or served over French toast.
- Great for meal prep: Make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for snacks and breakfast toppers throughout the week.
The recipe was designed to be quick and easy, with a reasonable portion size so you are not left with a ton of leftover apples. If you do want extras for later, the apples reheat very well, and the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. As written, it makes the perfect amount for topping 2 large bowls of oatmeal.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This easy sautéed apples recipe requires just a handful of ingredients:
- Butter or coconut oil: For cooking the apples.
- Apple: A sweeter apple that holds its shape well, like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady, works nicely, but any variety works great in this recipe.
- Brown sugar: Helps the apples get deliciously caramelized and just sweet enough.
- Spices: Both ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg add cozy, warm flavor.
- Cornstarch: A mix of cornstarch and water creates a slurry that thickens the saucy apples.
Substitutions and Variations
- Apples: Use tart apples, such as Granny Smith, 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. Maple syrup or honey could also be tried, although that has not been tested yet.
- Extra add-ins: Stir in raisins, dried or fresh cranberries, or chopped pecans or walnuts for extra texture and flavor.
How to Make Sautéed Apples
These sautéed apples are insanely simple to make with just a handful of ingredients. Here is the simple process:
- Cook the apples: In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once completely melted, add the apples and stir until fully coated in the butter. Sauté 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 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 more indulgent sweet treat, serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Recipe Tips
- Slicing the apple: Chop the apple into bite-sized pieces, or slice them into thin larger pieces.
- Peeling the apple: Peeling is not completely necessary, but peeling gives a texture more like apple pie filling. Keep the skin on for more texture and nutritional benefit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best apples for sautéing?
You want an apple that will hold up to the heat, so crisp-crunchy apples like Honeycrisp, Jazz, Pazazz, Braeburn, Jonagold, Pacific Rose, Pink Lady, Fuji, Pinata, or Granny Smith are recommended. Avoid soft, mealy, or creamy-flesh apples like Red Delicious, Gala, and McIntosh, as they will become too mushy.
How to serve sautéed apples?
There are 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.
Can I make these apples without cornstarch?
The cornstarch slurry is what thickens the sauce into that silky, apple-pie-filling texture, so skipping this part 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.
Can I double this recipe?
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. Freezing the apples is not recommended, as they may become a little mushy when thawing.
Recipe Card
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 13 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 181 kcal
Author: Brita Britnell
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter or coconut oil
- 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and either sliced thinly or chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoons of water
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it’s completely melted, add in the apples and stir until they are fully coated in the butter. Sauté for 7–10 minutes until nice and tender to your liking. The cook time depends on the thickness of your apples.
- While the apples cook, stir together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and set aside.
- 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 and enjoy.
Notes
Place cooled leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 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. Freezing the apples is not recommended, as they may become a little mushy when thawing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 181 kcal | Carbohydrates: 28 g | Protein: 0.4 g | Fat: 9 g | Saturated Fat: 5 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g | Trans Fat: 0.3 g | Cholesterol: 23 mg | Sodium: 72 mg | Potassium: 139 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 23 g | Vitamin A: 323 IU | Vitamin C: 5 mg | Calcium: 22 mg | Iron: 0.2 mg
