These Stovetop Cinnamon Sautéed Apples taste like a warm apple pie, but they come together in a fraction of the time and are SO much healthier! This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free, vegan AND paleo! Perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert!
I can describe my favorite thing about fall in two simple words… Apple. Season! 🍎🍏 Seriously, my local market had apples on sale for $0.68 per pound this week {!!!!} and you better believe I totally stocked up…and they’re already completely gone…less than a week later!
If you find yourself with an abundance of delicious fall apples of any variety, you need to give these Cinnamon Sautéed Apples a whirl! Not only are they super easy to make, but they are vegan and paleo…full of flavor and good for you! {yay}!
Do you love apple pie? Then these healthy Sautéed Apples are for you! They taste like the inside of the all-American classic dessert, but taking a pass on the crust makes them so much healthier! This recipe uses coconut oil, cinnamon, a dash of salt, vanilla and a touch of maple syrup to create the tastiest little bits of apple bliss you’ve ever eaten! Serve these Cinnamon Sautéed Apples as a topping over pancakes, scoop them onto some vanilla ice cream or just eat them with a spoon for a healthy sweet treat!
One of the reasons I created this healthy cinnamon apples recipe is so that my sweet little Nay Nay {aka: Naomi} could enjoy eating apples too! She took a little longer to get her teeth than my other kids, and I was tired of feeding her bananas and blueberries! These soft, cinnamony, bite-sized apples are perfect for adults and kids of all ages! {Note: when I serve these apples to my babies I do peel them first}!
Cinnamon Sautéed Apples: Substitutions
Here are a few possible substitutes that could be made in this recipe.
- Apple Variety. I recommend honey crisp or pink lady apples, but any variety works beautifully in this recipe!
- Coconut oil. Butter or ghee can be used in place of coconut oil with delicious results!
- Maple syrup. Honey is a great substitution, although I love the flavor of maple syrup in this recipe!
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Cinnamon Sautéed Apples
These Stovetop Cinnamon Sautéed Apples taste like a warm apple pie, but they come together in a fraction of the time and are SO much healthier! This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free, vegan AND paleo! Perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert!
Ingredients
- 3 apples about 3 cups, chopped*
- 2 TBS water
- 1 TBS coconut oil**
- 1 TBS maple syrup***
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cut apples into same-sized pieces (about ½-1” cubes).
- Put apples pieces into a skillet with 2 TBS water. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples become slightly soft and water is absorbed.
- Add 1 TBS of coconut oil to the skillet. Stir apples and oil together until all the apples are coated. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the apples become soft (you may need to cover them for the last 2 minutes).
- Add Maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Stir until well mixed.
- Cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring every minute until the apples reach your desired softness!
- Remove from heat and serve!
Recipe Notes
*You can choose whether or not you peel your apples (if I'm feeding them to a baby without teeth I always peel them)!
**Butter can be substituted for coconut oil.
***Any sweetener you'd like can be substituted for the maple syrup. I have used honey and granulated sugar with excellent results.
One of the things I miss the most about fall in Illinois is going apple picking. We have yet to find a great orchard relatively close to us in Utah…and it totally bums me out! However we do have some amazing farmer’s markets…so I can still buy farm-fresh apples – just without the fun experience of picking them ourselves. I especially love honey crisps, and I am SO not ready for their season to be drawing to an end!
If you love apple recipes then check out this Paleo Apple Cake too! YUM!
Question: What is your favorite apple variety? Do you love apple pie?
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Trainer Paige
This sounds like the perfect dish to warm up a fall night. Yum!
Laura
Thank you Paige! It definitely is! 🙂
Ilka
Hooray for stove top cinnamon apples! I usually sautee my pears like this and yes, it tastes super yummy! What a great healthy treat for fall!
Laura
OooOo Ilka cinnamon pears sound fantastic!
Rebecca | NOURISHED. the blog
These cinnamon apples look delicious. I bet they would be amazing over pancakes. My favourite apples are honey crisp too. I’m not a huge fan of apple pie but apple and peanut butter is where it is at for me.
Laura
YES! Apples and peanut butter is basically what keeps me alive! My favorite snack! Howeverrr….this baby does NOT like it very much! SO sad!
Maria
What a simple sweet treat for fall! I love love the smell of cooked apples 🙂
Laura
I agree Maria they make the house smell amazing!
Alisa Fleming
I love cooking apples this way! They’re so great with dairy-free ice cream or on oatmeal.
Alisa Fleming recently posted…Dairy-Free Bake Off Vote: Enter to Win a Big Holiday Spice Set!
Laura
YES! I love serving them on ice cream!
Kelli
Love how simple these are! My favorite part of apple pie is the filling, so this looks perfect 🙂
Laura
Thank you Kelli! It definitely is the best part!
amanda -runtothefinish
oh i bet the house is just smelling divine after this!!! I should totally make this over the holidays!!
Taylor Kiser
Apple season is one of my favorite things about fall too! These cinnamon apples look delicious!
Taylor Kiser recently posted…Pecan Pie Paleo Cookies
Emily
Apple season is my favorite too! I love the simplicity of this recipe, I bet the house smells amazing now!
Beth
Love anything with apples! Thanks for sharing.
Laura
I agree apples rock!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician
Laura, I love everything about these apples! A healthier way to enjoy the best part of apple pie…I’m sold!!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician recently posted…Dining with the Doc: Penne with Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale
Laura
Thank you Sonali! I agree the filling is most definitely the best part!
Meg @ With Salt and Wit
These apples bring back so many memories…my mom and I always use to make stove top apples! They are so perfect this time of the year 🙂
Laura
Aww I love it when foods bring back memories! They’re the best kind! 🙂
Carol
I love apples – pinned and shared
Laura
Thank you Carol!
Miz Helen
I really love Apples and your Cinnamon Apples looks like a great treat. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Deborah Davis
I’ve always loved to make stewed apples but all of the lovely healthy ingredients in this recipe really take stewed apples to another level. I can’t wait to make this for my family. They will be great with waffles and pancakes too. Pinning and sharing.
Deborah Davis recently posted…The 21 Day Holiday Season Fitness Challenge
Karen
Hi Laura. This sounds amazing! My Mother would absolutely love these (and so will my family) but she can’t have any type of sugar. Have you ever made it without the maple syrup? If so, how did it taste? Mom doesn’t need any additional sweetness as the apples will supply enough sugar. Just want to ensure it will taste yummy by adding only the spices.
Laura
Hey Karen! I personally think apples can stand alone on their own without sweetener! {I make them that way for my babies sometimes}! The maple syrup makes these taste just like apple pie filling! But if you wanted to forgo the sweetener they would still taste great, especially with the flavor from the vanilla and coconut oil! You may need a touch extra coconut oil for moisture!
Michele
I found this recipe while looking for a dish for our Fellowship Meal at church. I have some apples and was thinking about making a pie or crisp or something so I did a search. Didn’t find anything I wanted to make but managed to find this recipe by following other links. After reading the recipe I had to laugh. This morning, for breakfast, I too an apple and cored it and sliced it into bite sized pieces, mixed them with some pumpkin pie spice and sauteed them in coconut oil. They were so delicious and tasted just like apple pie. This recipe is so similar to what I made this morning that it is really funny. I’m thinking very seriously about using this recipe for our Fellowship Meal. Thank you so very much for this recipe.