These cinnamon apples make a delicious side dish or dessert. They’re super easy to make and don’t take very long at all. In this recipe, apples, brown sugar and cinnamon are cooked in butter until they’re tender and golden.
These cooked apples are the perfect pairing for pork chops. But, if sweet and savory is not your thing, try them on vanilla ice cream for a different take on Apple Pie à la Mode. Delicious!
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What are the best apples to use for cooking?
We want an apple that will hold up to heat and won’t get mushy. These are just a few popular varieties that are suitable for cooking.
Their availability will depend on the time of year and your region.
- Granny Smith – the flavor is acidic and tart, it has a light green skin, the flesh is juicy and stays firm when baked
- Cortland – a juicy, sweet and slightly tart apple with a bright red skin
- Braeburn – a sweet apple with a crisp texture, their color is reddish orange with a yellow base
- Honeycrisp – is sweet with a crisp texture, the skin has a green/yellow background with some red tones
- Jonathan – a sweet apple with just a touch of acidity, the skin is red with yellow/green undertones
- Gala – a sweet and crisp apple with orange/red skin, they’re popular and usually, readily available
- Fuji – is sweet with a touch of tart, it has a crisp texture and the color is pinkish over a yellow/green background
- Rome Beauty (also known as Rome or Red Rome) – a sweet apple with dense, crispy flesh, it has a dark red color
In this recipe we use Honeycrisp apples but any of the above should hold up just fine.
To make these warm cinnamon apples you will need
- 1½ pounds Apples (about 5-6 apples depending on their size) cored, peeled and sliced
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- ¼ cup Light Brown Sugar
- 6 tablespoons Water, divided (4 tablespoons for the apples, 2 tablespoons for the corn starch)
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
- 1 tablespoon Corn Starch
You will also need
Lemon Lime Soda or Lemon/Lime Juice to keep the apples from browning
Prep work
The only prep needed is peeling and slicing the apples. The rest is just measuring the remaining ingredients.
- Peel and slice the apples. They turn brown very quickly, so don’t start peeling until you’re ready to start cooking.
- To slow down the browning process, add a few tablespoons of lemon-lime soda (like Sprite or 7-UP) to a bowl. Then toss the apples in the soda occasionally while you peel and slice the rest.
- If you do not have lemon-lime soda, a little bit of lemon or lime juice mixed with water, will also do the trick.
- Core, peel and slice each apple into roughly 12 pieces. If you’re working with smaller apples then cut them into fewer pieces.
- Don’t make the apple slices too thin or they will break apart with the heat and the stirring while they cook.
Cook the cinnamon apples
Be sure to choose a saucepan that’s large enough to fit the apples, and have enough room left over to stir and toss them.
Start by melting the butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is hot and simmering gently, carefully add the apples.
If you coated the apples with lemon-lime soda, remember to drain it prior to adding the apples.
Cover the saucepan and cook the apples for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a rubber spatula to stir the apples. As they soften they can rip if stirred with a metal, or wooden, spoon.
Next, add the brown sugar, 4 tablespoons water and cinnamon to the apples. Stir gently to combine.
Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook them for approximately 5 minutes. The apples will start to become a bit translucent at this point. They should be tender, but still have a little bite to them.
In the meantime, mix together 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl.
Add the corn starch mixture to the apples and stir gently until incorporated. Cook the apples, uncovered, on medium-low to low heat for 3-5 minutes until the liquid thickens. Stir occasionally.
Serve the cinnamon apples warm and enjoy!
You may also like these side dish recipes
- Classic Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Sausage Stuffing
- Broccoli Cheese Casserole
- Loaded Potato Salad
- Garlic Dill Potatoes
Cinnamon Apples
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds Apples about 5-6 apples depending on their size cored, peeled and sliced
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- ¼ cup Light Brown Sugar
- 6 tablespoons Water divided
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
- 1 tablespoon Corn Starch
Instructions
- You will also need: Lemon Lime Soda or Lemon/Lime Juice to keep the apples from browning
- Core, peel and slice each apple into roughly 12 pieces. If you’re working with smaller apples then cut them into fewer pieces. Don’t slice them too thin.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is hot and simmering gently, carefully add the apples.
- If you coated the apples with lemon-lime soda, remember to drain the liquid.
- Cover the saucepan and cook the apples for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the brown sugar, 4 tablespoons water and cinnamon to the apples. Stir gently to combine.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook the apples for approximately 5 minutes.
- Mix together 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl.
- Add the corn starch mixture to the apples and stir gently until incorporated. Cook the apples, uncovered, on medium-low to low heat for 3-5 minutes until the liquid thickens. Stir occasionally.
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