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Baked Cinnamon Apples Recipe

This baked cinnamon apples recipe is so easy and simple to throw together! It’s a healthy dessert option, or even a side dish!

An oval baking dish of baked cinnamon apples.

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Don’t you just love apple season? 

This baked cinnamon apples recipe is the perfect way to savor the fall season. 

Plus it’s such an easy dessert that you could whip on a weeknight.

Okay, let’s dive in!

Different kinds of apples lined up on a counter: Gala, Pink Landy, Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Gala.

From left to right: Gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji, and Granny Smith

Kinds of Apples

First, let’s chat apple varieties, and then I’ll show you how to make the baked apple slices.

You can choose from a variety of fresh apples to use in this recipe. The kind of apple you use will affect the final result.

I have personally tried Gala apples, Fuji apples, Pink Lady apples, Honeycrisp apples, and Granny Smith apples. All of those are great choices, but my personal favorite apple to use here is Honeycrisp. The Fuji and Granny Smith tend to be more tart apples in my experience, and they’re more firm.

If you choose to use the Granny Smith, you’ll probably want to use the higher amount of maple syrup. If you choose one of the sweet apples, you can get away with less sweetener. 

All of the ingredients need to make baked cinnamon apples laid out on a counter: apples, lemon, maple syrup, cornstarch, salt, butter, and cinnamon.

Ingredients:

  • Apples: You’ll need 6 medium sized apples. You could also use 4-5 large apples, or 8-10 small apples.
  • Maple Syrup: I like to use maple syrup to sweeten these cinnamon baked apples because it lends to the sauciness. You can substitute brown sugar, but the apples will be a little more dry.
  • Ground Cinnamon: This is what gives these apples that lovely, spicy flavor. For a really punchy cinnamon flavor, use Vietnamese cinnamon. You can also add 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and cloves to up the spiciness even more. 
  • Salt: You’ll want to add just a pinch of salt to bring out all of the flavors. I use unrefined sea salt, but you can use regular table salt as well.
  • Fresh Lemon Juice: This is optional, but it does help to keep the flavors bright and fresh. I have made these baked apples without the lemon juice, and they turned out just fine.
  • Cornstarch: This is also optional. If you like a thicker sauce, make sure to include the cornstarch. My husband actually prefers these apples without it, though. You can also substitute arrowroot (AKA tapioca starch) for the cornstarch for a grain free version.
  • Butter: Lastly, you’ll want to add a little butter to make these apples richer. I use salted butter, but feel free to use unsalted butter if that’s what you have. You can also substitute coconut oil for a dairy free version.

Coring the apples with a pairing knife.

How To Make Baked Cinnamon Apples:

Core and thinly slice the apples. I like to use a pairing knife for this job. Of course if you have an apple corer, feel free to use it!

You can remove the apple peels if you like, but I go ahead and leave them on. 

The sliced apples along with the cinnamon, maple syrup, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt in an oval baking dish.

Place the apples in a 13×9-inch baking dish.

Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, lemon juice, and cornstarch on top. 

Tossing the cinnamon apple slices together in the baking dish to evenly coat the apples.

Give it a good stir right in the pan. You want everything pretty evenly coated.

Whisking together the ingredients separately in a small measuring cup and pouring them over the apples in the baking dish.

You can also whisk the maple syrup and seasonings together separately in a small bowl or measuring cup. Then pour that on top of the apples. It dirties up an extra dish and whisk, but it’s easier to stir in a measuring cup than in the baking dish.

Or you could place everything minus the butter in a large bowl, toss it together, and then transfer to the baking dish.

Putting butter on top of the cinnamon apples in the baking dish.

Place a tablespoon of butter on top of the apple mixture.

Stirring the baked cinnamon apples while they're baking,

Bake Time and Temp:

Place the apples in a 375 F oven. Bake for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. Give it a quick stir every 25 minutes or so to ensure the apples bake evenly. 

When I make this, my house smells kind of like apple pie baking. ✨

Testing the apple slices for doneness with a fork.

To test for doneness, insert a fork into one of the apples.

If you like your baked cinnamon apples firm, only bake until there’s a bit of give left. Or if you like your apples really soft, bake until the fork easily slips into the apples.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

A bowl of baked cinnamon apples with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Serving:

I really like to serve these with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The warm cinnamon apples melt the ice cream in a lovely way.

A dollop of homemade whipped cream is also lovely. You can quickly whip up a little bit of whipped cream using a hand held milk frother.

You can even sprinkle a bit of granola on top to give it an apple crisp-like flavor.

Or if you have some pie crust scraps hanging around from baking a pie, you serve those alongside to make a sort of deconstructed apple pie.

You could even use this as a side dish to pork chops, roast meals, or holiday meals.

Scooping up some of the baked cinnamon apple slices.

Storing:

Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They can also be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

So that’s how to make some super easy baked apples! You can watch the video below if you learn better visually! 

Video Tutorial:

 

More Apple Recipes:

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More Healthy Dessert Recipes:

Recipe Card:

5 from 1 vote
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Baked Cinnamon Apples Recipe

These easy baked cinnamon apple slices are the perfect healthy fall dessert!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword apple, fall
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 170 kcal
Author Erica Kastner

Ingredients

  • 6 medium apples (see note)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup (see note)
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/2 lemon, juice of
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch (optional - see note for grain free version)
  • 2 tbsp butter (see note for dairy free version)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375° F or 190° C.

  2. Core and thinly slice the apples. You can peel if you prefer, but I leave them on.

    Coring the apples with a pairing knife.
  3. Place the apples in a 13x9-inch baking dish. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, lemon juice, and cornstarch on top of the apples. Toss to coat everything evenly. You can also stir the ingredients together separately in a small bowl and pour that on top of the apples.

    The sliced apples along with the cinnamon, maple syrup, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt in an oval baking dish.
  4. Place the butter on top of the apple mixture in the pan and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake until the apples are done to your liking, around 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring every 25 minutes or so. You can check for doneness by inserting a fork into a few of the apples.

    Testing the apple slices for doneness with a fork.
  5. When the apples are done to your liking, remove from oven and allow to cool for a bit. Serve warm or at room temperature. I like to serve these with either a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a dollop of homemade whipped cream.

    A bowl of baked cinnamon apples with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
  6. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days. Reheat before serving.

Recipe Notes

  • You can also use 4-5 large apples, or 8 small apples instead.
  • You can increase the syrup to 1/3 or 1/2 cup if you like sweeter apples. You can also substitute brown sugar, which will result in drier apples.
  • Substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons of arrowroot for a grain free version. You can also leave the thickener out completely for a juicier final result.
  • You can use coconut oil instead of the butter for a diary free version. 
Recipe Rating




Maria

Monday 6th of November 2023

Hi! Just made this and it came out amazing. Love your YouTube channel.

Maria

Wednesday 1st of November 2023

Hi! Just made this and it came out amazing. Thank you!