Maple Cinnamon Sautéed Apples – Eat Yourself Skinny

Quick and EASY Maple Cinnamon Sautéed Apples make the perfect dessert topped with ice cream, a delicious snack all on its own, or served with oatmeal, waffles, and pancakes!

I love recipes that are quick and simple to throw together, and this cinnamon apple recipe truly couldn’t be easier!  I’ve been making apples on the stovetop for my daughter ever since she started eating solid food and she LOVES them mixed with a little cinnamon.  Her apples inspired me to make these delicious maple cinnamon sautéed apples made right in the skillet in under 10 minutes!  All you need is just a few simple ingredients and this will come right together

Not only are these apples so simple to throw together, but your kitchen will smell absolutely amazing!  This recipe is gluten-free with zero refined sugar used. They are naturally sweetened with 100% pure maple syrup, coated in warm spices and simmered in apple cider!  This recipe is essentially apple pie filling without the crust, because who can wait that long for a pie anyway??

Here’s What You’ll Need

• Apples – I used honey crisp apples because of their delicious combination of sweet and tart, but any type of apples will work for this.  I like to peel the apples because my toddler loves these, but you could leave the skins on as well (which saves time too!)
• Butter (or coconut oil) – I’ve been making these apples for years and both butter and coconut oil work great!  Coconut oil has more nutritional value and is a great option if you’re vegan or dairy-free, but in my opinion butter always tastes better 😉  Feel free to choose whatever works best for you!
• Maple syrup – naturally sweetens these apples and tastes incredible with all the warm spices!  You could also use honey, coconut sugar, brown sugar or other sweetener of choice
• Vanilla extract – gives these apples a boost of flavor!
• Apple cider – make sure to use apple cider, NOT apple cider vinegar!  This is what the apples simmer in and the cider really enhances that delicious apple flavor, you could also use water in place of apple cider
• Cornstarch – this will thicken the sauce and make it nice and gooey!
• Spices – delicious combination of cinnamon and apple pie spice with a pinch of salt (a pinch of nutmeg tastes great too!)

How to Make Maple Cinnamon Sautéed Apples

1. Peel and slice the apples.  This is honestly the most time-consuming part and you can choose to either peel your apples or leave the peel on, this tastes great both ways.  I always peel the apples since my picky toddler likes to eat these and I also just prefer the look of the apples when they’re peeled.
2. Sauté apples.  In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter (or coconut oil), add apples and spices, mixing them well.  Sauté apples for about 4 to 5 minutes in the pan until they are soft.  In a small bowl, whisk together apple cider and cornstarch to make a slurry.  Pour that into the apple mixture along with the vanilla and maple syrup.  Continue to stir the sauteed apples for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce has thickened up and starts to boil.  The apples should be soft and continue mixing so that the apples get completely coated in the sauce.
3. Serve!  Enjoy the sautéed cinnamon apples immediately with some ice cream, on top of your breakfast or all on their own with a spoon!

How to Serve Maple Cinnamon Apples

• Delicious topping for oatmeal, waffles or pancakes
• In a bowl with some melty vanilla ice cream or yogurt
• Top with something crunchy like chopped pecans, walnuts or peanuts
• Add a dollop of whipped cream or even a little nut butter
• Enjoy all their own as a side dish or dig in with a spoon!

What Apples Should I Use?

I personally prefer Honeycrisp apples when making this because of their sweet/tart combo (I also always happen to have them in our fridge!) and they hold up really well too without getting mushy.  Feel free to use whichever variety you like best though as there are many apples that would work well.  Braeburn, Cortland, Pink Lady apples and Golden Delicious apples all make great options.  Granny smith apples tend to be pretty tart, but if you like tart apples feel free to use them in this recipe.

Try to avoid using McIntosh, Gala, Fuji or Red Delicious apples as they can get mushy when baked, but save those for when you want to make applesauce or cider!

Prepping and Storing

The great thing about these apples is that they reheat really well!  You can store these apples in a sealed, airtight container in your fridge for up to 5 days.  To warm these up, either add them back into a skillet adding about a tablespoon or two of water (or more apple cider!) to loosen up the sauce or you can simply warm them up in the microwave.

More Apple Recipes You’ll Love