Cozy up this fall with sweet, tender baked cinnamon apples for a simple and healthy treat! It only takes a handful of basic ingredients and is the perfect dessert, side dish, or breakfast to serve during apple season!
If you’re an apple fan, you’ll also want to try this Apple Cinnamon Bread. With a cinnamon sugar coating sprinkled on top, it’s just as stunning as it tastes! Try this Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bake for a breakfast option. It’s so warm and satisfying, a perfect way to start the day.
There’s something so warm and inviting about the smell of fresh apples baking in the oven! The best part, though, is definitely getting to sink your spoon into the bowl to pull out a gooey, delicious bite of warm cinnamon apples.
It’s the absolute perfect healthy treat to serve during the fall season and will be one of your family’s favorite fall memories!
What are Baked Cinnamon Apples?
This easy baked apples recipe is one of those classic, timeless recipes. Toss sliced apples in brown sugar, warm spices, butter, and cornstarch, then bake.
The apples will soften and become coated in a smooth, glossy sauce that’s just heaven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a little whipped cream.
They’re even great spooned over French toast or pancakes for breakfast! Or serve as a side dish at special holiday gatherings like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter.
Baked Apples Ingredients
Make this delicious easy baked apple recipe with just a few pantry staples plus fresh apples. Here are the simple ingredients, but check out the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for full amounts and instructions.
- Apples: Choose firm, tart apples like Gala apples, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp apples. Use just one type of apple or use a mixture of apples.
- Brown sugar: This adds a little sweetness that tastes wonderful with the sweet apples and delicious cinnamon.
- Cinnamon: Choose regular ground cinnamon or substitute apple pie spice for delicious baked apples that taste just like the inside of an apple pie!
- Sea salt: You need just a pinch of salt to highlight the flavors and sweetness.
- Water: This will help the cornstarch begin to gel, creating a delicious sauce out of the natural juices from the baked apple slices.
- Cornstarch: This will help make a delicious sauce that takes these apples over the top!
- Unsalted butter: Cut cold butter into chunks. It will melt into the butter and add a glossy sheen and buttery flavor.
How to Make Baked Cinnamon Apples
STEP 1: Preheat the oven.
STEP 2: Peel and core the apples. Cut in half then cut into 1/2-inch slices. Keep them all similar in shape.
STEP 3: In a small bowl, combine the water with the cornstarch to make a slurry.
STEP 4: Place the apples into a 9×13-inch baking dish. On top of apples, sprinkle on brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt. Drizzle the cornstarch mixture over the apples.
STEP 5: Mix everything well, then even out the apples. Top with cut up butter.
STEP 6: Cover loosely with foil and bake. Carefully remove the foil and cook until all apples are fork tender.
STEP 7: Serve warm with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.
Tips for Success
- It’s entirely up to you if you want to remove the apple peels. As they cook down, they will soften.
- Feel free to use coconut oil instead of butter.
- You can use white sugar, but it won’t add much flavor to the apples. Brown sugar has an extra richness that complements the natural sweetness of the apples.
Recipe Variations
- Make healthy baked apples: Technically, this easy recipe isn’t completely unhealthy, but one great swap is replacing brown sugar with either maple syrup or coconut sugar. Or, make them with no added sugar at all!
- Add a splash of bourbon: Substitute 1/2 tablespoon of the water with bourbon for incredible flavor.
- Add dried fruits and nuts: You can easily add some dried cranberries, raisins, or cherries to this cinnamon apples recipe. It’s also great with chopped walnuts or pecans!
- Nutmeg: Apples and nutmeg go very well together. If you love nutmeg, add a pinch of ground nutmeg to your dish. It can be fresh nutmeg or already pre-ground nutmeg.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to peel apples to bake?
Not at all! The apple skins are completely edible and will become softer while baking, so it’s not necessary. Skipping the peeling process will also get this easy dessert recipe in the oven faster! I personally peel the apples because we like the smooth texture.
Do I need to add lemon juice to baked apples?
Although it’s common to add lemon juice to keep apples from browning, it’s just a matter of personal preference. Once the apples are tossed in the water, sugar, and spices, they won’t brown as much anyway. You can always add a splash of lemon juice to your chopped apples, but it’s not necessary.
Which apple varieties are best for baked apples?
There is a wide range of choices to choose from! You can use any kind of apple to make baked apples, which is a great way to learn more about the textures and flavors of different apples after baking. The best apples for baking are firm, tart apples like Granny Smith apples, Pink Lady apples, and Honeycrisp.
However, you can also bake with Fuji apples, Golden Delicious, Gala, and many more. Some varieties, like Red Delicious, are known to become overly soft or grainy in the oven, so they aren’t the best choice.
How to Store & Reheat
How to refrigerate Baked Cinnamon Apples? Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to keep at room temperature? Since this baked apple recipe uses fresh ingredients, it must be refrigerated within 2 hours of baking. It would need to be in a chafing dish or slow cooker to keep it at room temperature.
How do you reheat baked apples? The best way to reheat leftover baked apples is to either microwave them for 30 seconds to 1 minute or bake a small dish in the oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees for 3-5 minutes or until warm.
Can I Freeze Baked Cinnamon Apples?
How to freeze baked apples? To preserve your baked apples for later, let them cool completely in the fridge, then store them in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Try these other apple recipes!
- Apple Crisp with Gala Apples
- Apple Puff Pastry Turnovers
- Crustless Iron Skillet Pumpkin Apple Pie
- Apple Cider Slushie
- Hot Spiked Apple Cider
If you’ve tried this easy baked cinnamon apples recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes.
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Baked Cinnamon Apples
Ingredients
- 6 large apples peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Peel and core the apples. Cut in half then cut into 1/2-inch slices. Keep them all similar in shape.
- In a small bowl, combine the water with the cornstarch to make a slurry.
- Place the apples into a 9×13-inch baking dish. On top of apples, sprinkle on brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt. Drizzle the cornstarch mixture over the apples. Mix everything well, then even out the apples. Top with cut up butter.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Carefully remove the foil after 45 minutes and stir.
- Continue cooking without the foil for an additional 10-15 minutes until all apples are fork tender.
- Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.
Notes
- Make healthy baked apples: Technically, this easy recipe isn’t completely unhealthy, but one great swap is replacing brown sugar with either maple syrup or coconut sugar. Or, make them with no added sugar at all!
- Add a splash of bourbon: Substitute 1/2 tablespoon of the water with bourbon for incredible flavor.
- Nutmeg: Apples and nutmeg go very well together. If you love nutmeg, add a pinch of ground nutmeg to your dish. It can be fresh nutmeg or already pre-ground nutmeg.
- Baked apples will last 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition
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Such a perfectly simple yet delicious Autumn dessert. You can add a little granola on top or serve this with yogurt in the morning…so many different ways to enjoy! Yum!
It is a very simple but delicious recipe with all the flavors of Autumn. I absolutely love the apple-cinnamon combo and adding the whipping cream at the end is just the icing on the cake. I will be making it over and over again.