Easy Cinnamon Apples (5 minutes)
Posted Sep 29, 2019, Updated Jun 05, 2025
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These cinnamon apples taste like a warm apple pie, but they are easy to make in 15 minutes on the stovetop! This cinnamon apples recipe is a delicious side dish, snack, or light dessert.
I can describe my favorite thing about fall in two simple words – Apple Season! If you find yourself with an abundance of delicious fall apples, you need to make these Cinnamon Apples! Not only are they easy to make in minutes, but they’re healthy and delicious!
These sautéed cinnamon apples are like eating a warm apple pie (or apple crumble pie), but without the crust! They take 15 minutes to prepare and can be used in a variety of ways!
Serve these Cinnamon 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! They are easy to customize to comply with just about every dietary need.
One of the reasons I created this healthy cinnamon apples recipe is so that my babies could enjoy eating apples too! 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).
Sautéed Cinnamon Apples: Ingredients & Substitutions.
Let’s start by chatting about the ingredients in these cinnamon apples! This recipe uses coconut oil or butter, 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! 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! Here are some suggestions:
- Gala
- Jonagold
- Golden delicious
- Honey Crisp
- Pink Lady (pictured in this post)
- Granny Smith
- Jazz
- Coconut oil. Butter or ghee can be used in place of coconut oil with delicious results! As you can see, I used butter in the photos and coconut oil in the video. Both taste amazing, just choose your favorite that complies with your dietary needs.
- Maple syrup. Honey is a great substitution, although I love the flavor of maple syrup in this recipe! You can also use granulated sugar, brown sugar, etc.
- Water. apple juice or apple cider can be used in place of water to add extra flavor.
How to Make Cinnamon Apples
Now let’s walk through how to make these sautéed apples step-by-step to ensure your success. Remember to watch the video for further guidance.
Begin by placing diced apples into a non-stick fry pan and add water. Cover and cook until the apples are slightly soft.
Then, add the maple syrup, vanilla, salt and cinnamon and stir until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover and cook again, stirring occasionally.
Once the apples are soft, remove the lid and cook uncovered until all the ingredients caramelize onto the apples and they brown slightly.
Serve
Transfer to a dish and serve the cinnamon apples warm. We like to serve them as a side dish, but they can also be used as a topping to your favorite breakfast recipes. Here are some serving suggestions:
- Mix into overnight oats.
- Scoop on top of homemade waffles.
- Serve over a piece of warm french toast.
- Add on top of apple cinnamon baked oatmeal (or this pumpkin baked oatmeal).
Store
Store leftover apples in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Cinnamon Apples Recipe FAQs
This cinnamon apples recipe is a healthy and nutritious way to enjoy fresh apples.
No, fresh apples don’t freeze well so I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Yes! You can double or triple this recipe easily.
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Easy Cinnamon Apples Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 apples (about 3 cups, chopped)
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter (or coconut oil)
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon 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 butter 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.
Video
Notes
- Apple Variety. I recommend honey crisp or pink lady apples, but any variety works beautifully in this recipe! Here are some suggestions:
- Gala
- Jonagold
- Golden delicious
- Honey Crisp
- Pink Lady (pictured in this post)
- Granny Smith
- Jazz
- Butter. coconut oil or ghee are good substitutes.
- Maple syrup. Honey is a great substitution, although I love the flavor of maple syrup in this recipe! You can also use granulated sugar, brown sugar, etc.
- Water. apple juice or apple cider can be used in place of water to add extra flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Kids and my husband (my picky eater) loved these as a pancake topping. Quick and fairly healthy.
So quick and easy to make, they were delicious atop my pancakes and found myself craving more as a snack! Definitely look forward to making again, thank you!
Thank you Crystal! Serving them on top of pancakes is such a great way to enjoy these apples!
I’m on a strict elimination diet and just made these as a treat, and they are so good! I can’t use honey or maple syrup, so I made some date paste and used that instead. It worked perfectly! Thanks for the recipe <3
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
I love apples – pinned and shared
Thank you Carol!
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 🙂
Aww I love it when foods bring back memories! They’re the best kind! 🙂
Laura, I love everything about these apples! A healthier way to enjoy the best part of apple pie…I’m sold!!
Thank you Sonali! I agree the filling is most definitely the best part!