Cinnamon Apples Recipe

To make cinnamon apples on the stove, slice 4 medium apples about ¼ inch thick, toss them in 2 tablespoons of melted butter with ¼ cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, add 2 tablespoons of water or apple cider, then cover and simmer on medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes. That is 25 minutes start to finish for 4 servings of soft, glossy apples in a brown sugar sauce.

No oven, no pastry. I make these when a few apples are left in the fruit bowl and I want something warm for pancakes, oatmeal, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They taste like the inside of an apple pie, and they take one skillet.

The Numbers for One Skillet

• Apples: 4 medium (Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji), cored and cut into ¼ inch wedges, peel on or off
• Sauce: 2 tablespoons butter, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
• Liquid: 2 tablespoons water or apple cider
• Thickener (optional): 1 teaspoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water
• Finish: ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, stirred in off the heat
• Time: 10 minutes prep, 15 minutes cooking, 25 minutes total
• Yield: 4 servings
• Keeps: 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container

The ratio to remember: 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon for every medium apple.

Which Apples Hold Their Shape on the Stove

Firm, sweet apples are the safe choice here. Honeycrisp and Fuji soften all the way through but keep their edges. Gala is a little sweeter and softer, good if you like a more tender spoonful. Granny Smith holds up well too, but it tastes quite tart with only ¼ cup of sugar, so mix it half and half with a sweet apple. Skip Red Delicious: it goes mealy and falls apart.

I leave the peel on. It gives each slice a little bite and those rosy edges, and it helps the wedges hold together. Peel them if the apples are going into something smooth, like apple turnovers with puff pastry, where Honeycrisp is my pick because the slices survive reheating.

Cut every wedge to the same ¼ inch. Thin slivers collapse into sauce while the thick pieces are still crunchy, and that uneven skillet is the most common reason cinnamon apples end up half mushy.

Melting the Butter and Brown Sugar

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until it bubbles gently. Do not let it brown. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and keep stirring for about 1 minute, until the sugar has melted into a smooth, shiny paste and the cinnamon smells toasty. Do not skip the salt. That ¼ teaspoon is what keeps the sauce from tasting flat.

Light brown sugar gives a soft caramel flavor. Dark brown sugar adds more molasses, which I like when the apples go next to roast pork. For dessert I stay with light.

Simmering Until Tender but Not Mushy

Add the apple slices and toss until every piece is coated. Pour in the 2 tablespoons of water or cider, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir once or twice, gently, so you do not break the slices.

Two tablespoons of liquid looks too little. It is not. Under the lid the apples release their own juice, and that juice becomes most of the sauce. The splash at the start only keeps the sugar from scorching. Cider gives a slightly tangy, deeper sauce; water lets the butter and cinnamon lead.

They are done when a knife slides into a slice with a little resistance and the wedges still have clean edges. They keep softening in the hot pan, so pull them a minute early rather than late.

Thickening the Sauce (Optional)

For a sauce that clings like a glaze, stir 1 teaspoon cornstarch into 1 tablespoon cold water, pour it in, and cook uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the juices turn glossy and coat the apples. Do this if the apples are going into apple pie cheesecake bars or a hand pie, where loose juice would soak the crust.

Vanilla Goes in Last

Take the skillet off the heat, then stir in the vanilla. Its aroma fades in a hot pan, so adding it at the end keeps it bright. Let the apples sit for 2 minutes so the sauce settles over every slice before you serve.

When the Skillet Does Not Look Right

• Apples turned mushy: the slices were too thin, the apple was a soft variety, or the lid stayed on too long. Next time cut a true ¼ inch and check at 8 minutes.
• Sauce is thin and watery: very juicy apples release more liquid. Lift the lid and simmer 2 more minutes, or use the cornstarch slurry.
• Sauce looks oily or separated: the heat was too high and the butter split. Take the pan off the heat, add a teaspoon of water, and stir until it comes back together.
• Apples still crunchy at 10 minutes: the wedges were thick or the apples very firm. Cover again and check every 2 minutes.
• Sugar smells sharp or smoky: it scorched before the apples went in. Keep the heat at medium for that first minute and add the apples as soon as the sugar melts.

Stovetop vs Oven Baked Apples

Stovetop baked apples is a fair name for this skillet: the lid traps steam, so the slices cook through the way they would in a covered baking dish, only faster. The stovetop version takes 10 minutes of simmering and gives you more sauce. Baked apples take longer, keep their shape a bit better, and free up the stove.

If you want a filling for a pie rather than a side or topping, use my homemade apple pie filling instead. It is thickened with more cornstarch so it sets in a crust; cinnamon apples stay loose and spoonable.

How to Serve Warm Cinnamon Apples

Spoon them over vanilla ice cream, tuck them into crepes, or set them next to roast pork or chicken. In the morning they go on cinnamon pancakes or stirred into maple brown sugar oatmeal.

Cold from the fridge they make a good cinnamon apple snack: a spoonful over Greek yogurt with granola, or on buttered toast. For a small dessert, layer them in jars with whipped cream and crushed biscuits.

Serving a fall table? Put them next to apple pie cookies or a caramel apple dump cake, with a pot of homemade apple cider warming on the stove.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Let the apples cool completely, then keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavor gets deeper overnight. Reheat in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave in 20 to 30 second bursts, stirring between. Rushed reheating on high splits the butter sauce; low heat keeps it glossy.

For a gathering, cook them the day before and rewarm gently, the same way I plan ahead for gourmet caramel apples. To make a double batch, use two skillets or a 12 inch pan so the slices sit in one or two layers and steam evenly.

Cinnamon Apples Questions

Do you have to peel apples for cinnamon apples?

No. Peel on gives more texture and color and helps the slices hold together; peel them only if you want a very soft, smooth result.

Can I make cinnamon apples in the oven instead?

Yes. Toss the same ingredients in a covered baking dish and bake at 350°F for about 25 to 30 minutes, until a knife slides in easily.

Can I use white sugar instead of brown sugar?

You can, but the sauce will taste plainer. The molasses in brown sugar is what gives the caramel flavor.

Why did my cinnamon apples get watery?

Juicy apples release a lot of liquid under the lid. Simmer uncovered for 2 minutes or stir in the 1 teaspoon cornstarch slurry.