These sweet, spiced cinnamon apples are just as good for breakfast as they are for dessert. Serve them over oatmeal, pancakes, or ice cream!
Sweet, soft, and nicely spiced, these easy cinnamon apples taste like the inside of a warm apple pie. But unlike a pie, which requires hours of chilling and baking and cooling, this cinnamon apples recipe is ready in under 30 minutes. I love its simplicity. Its lack of crust, batter, or crumble topping allows it to be just as at home at breakfast as it is at dessert. It also means that this recipe is 100% about the apples. If you have a craving for cozy, apple-y fall flavor, there’s no easier or more satisfying way to indulge it than with this cinnamon apples recipe.
Cinnamon Apples Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make these easy cinnamon apples:
- Apples, of course! I recommend choosing the same types of apples that you’d use in baking recipes, such as Granny Smith, Gala, or Honeycrisp. These varieties hold their shape well when they’re cooked, unlike, say, McIntosh apples, which break down quickly. If you like tart apples, go for Granny Smith. Gala or Honeycrisp are good sweeter options.
- Apple cider vinegar – It adds a pop of tangy flavor to balance the apples’ sweetness.
- Water – It helps the apples steam and soften.
- Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg – They add warm, spiced fall flavor.
- And a pinch of sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Start by peeling and coring the apples. Then, cut them into 1-inch chunks. Try to cut the pieces to similar sizes so that they’ll cook evenly.
Place the apples, water, and vinegar in a saucepan and cook, covered, over low heat. Stir occasionally to make sure the apples don’t burn on the bottom of the pan.
When the apples are tender, after about 15 minutes, uncover the pan and stir in the spices and salt. Season to taste and enjoy.
That’s it!
How to Use Cinnamon Apples
The simplest way to enjoy this recipe is to eat the warm apples straight off the stove. Serve them as a side dish with an autumnal recipe like stuffed squash or butternut squash soup, or savor them for a light dessert. If you’re in the mood for something a tad more indulgent, use the apples as a starting point for an apple crumble or apple crisp. They’re also fantastic as a topping for vanilla ice cream.
Leftover cinnamon apples are great for breakfast. Serve them over oatmeal, steel cut oats, overnight oats, or chia pudding, or swirl them into yogurt with homemade granola. We also love them on pancakes, waffles, or French toast.
How do you like to eat cinnamon apples? Let me know in the comments!
More Favorite Apple Recipes
If you love these cinnamon apples, try one of these fall apple recipes next:
- Homemade Applesauce
- Baked Apples
- Applesauce Cake
- Easy Apple Cake
- Cinnamon Apple Scones
- Apple Crumble
Cinnamon Apples
Ingredients
- 5 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Combine the apples, water, and vinegar in a saucepan, cover, and simmer over very low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure the apples don’t burn on the bottom of the pan, for 15 minutes.
- Uncover, stir, and add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt and stir again. The apples should be tender and the juices should be thick.
- Serve warm from the stove or store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Find our favorite serving suggestions in the post above.
Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe. I left out the apple cider vinegar and added a little honey. It turned out great, though. This is delicious, healthy, and quick to make.
I’m so glad you loved them!
Can I leave the apples unpeeled?
yep, you can if you’d like.