This cinnamon-spiced Sautéed Apples recipe is a delicious multitasker, transitioning from breakfast or dinner accompaniment to dessert topping with ease. The apples are perfectly toothsome-yet-tender, just saucy enough, and totally irresistible!
This cozy Sautéed Apples recipe is the answer to the question, “What can I do with all these apples… that’s NOT an apple pie?” (Apple pie is fabulous, of course, but it’s a little bit of a commitment!) If you haven’t made sautéed apples before, you’re missing out on one of the tastiest treats. The recipe is so easy and takes very little time. And when you’re done, you have warm, tender, cinnamony, yummy apples to indulge in. Like apple pie without the crust or the fuss!
Why Our Family ❤️s These Sautéed Apples
I always know a surefire way to please my family…just make a big pan of sautéed apples! They’re like a big hug, all warm and cozy. (My Apple Crisp has similar vibes!) Here’s what makes these apples so fantastic:
- Quick and simple to make. In less than 30 minutes, you can be enjoying delicious homemade sautéed apples.
- The perfect texture. No soft, mushy apples here. I have the perfect method for the best apple texture and thickened, glossy sauce – and it all starts with the right apple variety. It’s easy to get superb results. I’ll walk you through it!
- So many ways to use them. These tender apples make a great breakfast, snack, or dessert. My family especially likes sautéed apples spooned over Grilled Pork Chops. I share more of our favorite pairings below!
What You’ll Need
This sautéed apple recipe calls for just a handful of ingredients. Scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient amounts.
- Apples – Peel, core, and slice the apples as desired. For a more toothsome bite, cut into thicker slices.
- Brown sugar – I use light brown sugar, which adds the perfect warm note of caramel goodness.
- Seasonings – Cinnamon and nutmeg for the warm-and-cozy factor, plus a little bit of salt for an overall flavor boost.
- Butter – Since we’re adding our own salt, use unsalted butter.
- Apple cider – Use fresh-pressed apple cider — the kind that comes refrigerated. It has much more depth than shelf-stable cider or juice.
- Cornstarch – This thickens the juices that cook off the apples, to create the perfect glossy sweet sauce.
A Note About My Favorite Apples
I love using Haralson apples for this recipe — my absolute favorite. We had Haralsons on the farm, and I’m immediately taken back to running barefoot to the tree for a snack. The University of Minnesota developed the Haralson variety. They’re crisp and juicy, with a tart flavor – a great choice for cooking and baking as they retain their shape and texture better than most + their tang provides a more striking apple flavor in the finished dish.
When I can’t find Haralsons, I usually turn to Honeycrisp, which are available year-round. But you can use any sturdy, flavorful baking apple that you like. To add a little more flavor and texture interest, I often use more than one apple variety when making this recipe.
How to Make Sautéed Apples
Here’s how simple it is to make sautéed apples. (Spoiler alert: So simple!) Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card.
- Season the apples. Stir the apples with the brown sugar, spices, and salt.
- Sauté. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Add the apples and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook time will depend on your apple variety, size of apple slices, and your desired doneness.
- Make a slurry. Whisk the apple cider and cornstarch in a small bowl, then stir this into the skillet with the apples.
- Finish and serve. Increase the heat and cook until the liquid is thickened and glossy. Remove from heat and serve.
Tips & Variations
There’s not much to this recipe, but these additional tips will help you make the absolute best sautéed apples!
- Use a sturdy, sweet-tart apple. As mentioned, my absolute favorite variety for this recipe is Haralson. Otherwise I use Honeycrisp. Do not use a bland apple (looking at YOU, Red Delicious), apples that are bruised or otherwise past their prime, or a soft variety that breaks down quickly when cooked.
- Customize the flavor. Add a pinch of cloves, swap the spices for apple pie seasoning, drizzle some maple syrup over the apples to finish, or add a splash of vanilla. There are a lot of ways to make this recipe your own!
- Cut the apples to even sizes. This helps ensure even cooking and prevents some pieces from being too soft while others are still crisp.
- Cut the apples thicker or thinner. For very toothsome sautéed apples, cut your apple slices on the thicker side. And for softer finished apples, it’s ok to cut the apples thinner.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some of our favorite ways to eat sautéed apples:
Serve these apples as a side dish, spooned over oatmeal, or layered into yogurt parfaits. Pair with scoops of vanilla bean-flecked ice cream or offer as a topping for pancakes or waffles.
- Alongside Honey Cornbread Muffins and anything with Barbecue Sauce
- Accompanying pork chops, such as Grilled Pork Chops – or with Pork Loin Roast, grilled ham, or roast chicken
- Served warm over Belgian Waffles or Apple Oat Pancakes
- Over Salted Caramel Ice Cream or vanilla ice cream
- Folded into French Crepes with whipped cream
- Spooned over Overnight Baked Apple Oatmeal for extra apple awesomeness
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Store leftover sautéed apples in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: This recipe freezes well. Store the apples in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let thaw before enjoying.
- To reheat: To enjoy warm, gently heat in a pan on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or microwave.
More Apple Recipes
Sauteed Apples
Ingredients
- 8 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples (see Notes below about apple varieties and slicing)
- ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup fresh-pressed apple cider (in the refrigerated section at the grocery store)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In a large bowl, fold together the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the apples and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook time will depend on apple variety, size of slices, and desired tenderness. Juices will accumulate; they should be bubbling.
- In a small bowl, whisk apple cider and cornstarch to combine. Drizzle over the apples and stir to combine. Turn up the heat to medium to medium-high and continue to cook until liquid is bubbly, thickened, and beautifully glossy – another minute or two is all it takes. Remove pan from heat. Serve warm or cold.
this may be a dumb question but what do u mean by fresh pressed apple cider? will regular apple cider work?
Hi Sarah! Not a dumb question at all. By fresh pressed, I mean the kind that is unfiltered and unsweetened. It is available during the fall apple season and usually through the holidays. It can be found refrigerated in either the fresh produce section or the refrigerated juices section at the grocery store. It looks and tastes different than traditional apple juice or bottled cider on the store shelf, being quite cloudy with a tart and tangy flavor. We think it’s fabulous. It makes the very best spiced cider!
Hello!
I’m trying sauteed apples tonight with grilled pork chops. I need a good apple crisp recipe.
Hi Billie! So happy to hear you’re trying this out. I’ll have an apple crisp recipe up soon!