Made with just three ingredients, these simple Sauteed Apples pair perfectly with oatmeal, pancakes, and yogurt, as well as savory mains like pork and chicken. We also love to make them ahead for snacking on their own!
Whenever we have apples lingering in our fridge, I turn them into these delicious sauteed apples. They are soft, yet not falling apart, and they are pleasantly sweet and cinnamon-y without any added sugar. They’re great on their own and served with all sorts of foods.
And they are much more interesting and special than eating a plain apple after you’ve had your fill a few days in a row! These are easy for toddlers and older babies to chew, so no worries about the risk of choking that comes with raw apples. In fact, these are one of our favorite finger foods for babies.
These apples are cooked in a little butter or other neutral oil, so they are made with minimal ingredients. I’ve made them with both butter and coconut oil, and we love them both ways. These cooked apples are also a little easier to digest than raw apples, which might be helpful to know if your kiddo (or you) have issues with whole apples.
You can serve these warm or cold, according to your preference as a baby snack, snack for toddlers, or easy component to add to a toddler lunch idea.
(You may also like my Applesauce Bread, Cinnamon Apples or Instant Pot Applesauce.)
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at what you need to have on hand to make this easy sauteed apples recipe.
- Apples: You can use any type of apple you have or like, though tart cooking apples (like Granny Smith or Pink Lady) soften nicely without falling apart too quickly. If you use an apple that’s softer fresh (like Gala), they will cook a little faster. Just keep an eye on the timing if you go with an apple that’s not traditionally used for cooking a pie.
- Butter or neutral oil: This ensures that the apples don’t stick to the pan, and adds beneficial fats to the recipe.
- Cinnamon: Adding cinnamon adds delicious flavor to the apple recipe for kids.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the simple process involved in making these easy sauteed apples. Scroll down to the full recipe at the bottom of this post for all of the info.
Step 1. Warm the butter or oil in a skillet. Stir to coat and cook until soft when poked with a fork.
Step 2. Stir in the cinnamon and serve warm. (Or store and serve cold.)
TIP: This recipe scales up and down well, so simply adjust the amount of ingredients as needed.
How to Store
If stored in an airtight container, you can keep these sauteedapples in the fridge for 3-5 days. Serve them slightly warmed or cold, depending on your preference.
For an apples for babies option for blw, try my Sliced Baked Apples.
Serving Suggestions
For sweet options, try these over plain yogurt, oatmeal, or as a topping for pancakes. For savory, they’re a nice dinner side with chicken, roasted pork, or other roasted meats. They also work well as a simple snack with crackers and cheese or even just a cup of milk.
Best Tips for Success
- Use butter or coconut oil, according to your preference.
- Use any type of apple you prefer, though harder cooking apples work well here.
- If you use apples that are softer when eaten fresh (like Gala), they may cook a little faster.
- Double the recipe, if desired.
- Serve warm or cold, plain or over yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, chicken, pork, or another favorite meal.
- Portion out into snack containers to have grab-and-go snack options ready and waiting in the fridge.
- You may also like Sliced Baked Apples, Stewed Peaches, Favorite Early Finger Foods, and Apple Puree.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear if you make this recipe, so please leave a comment below with your feedback!
Simple Sauteed Apples with Cinnamon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
- 2-3 medium apples (cored and chopped; about 2 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Warm the butter or oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- When melted, add the apples. Stir to coat and cook for 10 minutes or until soft when poked with a fork.
- Stir in the cinnamon and serve warm.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve cold or warmed slightly.
- Use butter or coconut oil, according to your preference.
- Use any type of apple you prefer, though harder cooking apples work well here.
- If you use apples that are softer when eaten fresh (like Gala), they may cook a little faster.
- Double the recipe if desired to make more.
- Serve warm or cold, plain or over yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, chicken, pork, or another favorite meal.
- Portion out into snack containers to have grab-and-go snack options ready and waiting in the fridge.
Nutrition
This post was first published May 2020.
Great way to use up apples that sat a little too long on the counter. Delicious on their own, but we’ll be mixing them with plain greek yogurt all fall!
Should the apples be peeled???? Nancy Visconti
You do not need to peel the apples.
Have you ever frozen them to use for later? How does the consistency compare to your boiled apple recipe. Will they be as soft? Thanks!
Hi- These are a little firmer than the stewed apples, but you can simply cook them a little more to make them very soft. And they freeze really well!
Hi Amy,
Just wondering if it’s okay to peel the skin off the apples prior to chopping + cooking. Thinking of having these with your oat pancakes for Saturday morning and if we have left over sautéed apples, I will make some warm custard Saturday night to pour over the apples (which I’ll warm up too) for dessert before our weekly Family Games Board Night. I have two family members who prefer the skin off, three who are happy either way. By the way, we tried your banana and oat pancakes – delicious. A recipe that will be on rotation for sure, especially as we made the candied bananas to add to it with maple syrup of course. Husband insisted on adding ice cream to his the minute the kids raced outside to play hide n seek
ThankYou. 🇦🇺
Hi- yes, you can peel them if you prefer, it works either way. And I’m glad to hear that about the pancakes!
Made these with a mix of granny Smith and cosmic crisp. Great for BLW.
Easy and delicious. My son gobbled these up and so did we.
Hello,
I’m Jackson, I’m a chef who loves food, I’m always interested in new foods. Sauteed Apples is great! I just finished them tonight, taste is great and i had a great dinner with my little family. Thanks for your sharing.
Sincerely grateful!
it’s so great, it’s hard to describe it in a few words, it’s great! This dish used in winter is really good for health, both adults and children can use it
This is great! It seems so obvious but of course I’ve never thought to do that before. I’m part of a winter fruit CSA which is just apples right now. This will be perfect for us!
Oh awesome, I bet that’s a lot of apples!