Nothing says fall quite like tender, spiced Caramelized Apples! This 20-minute recipe delivers all the best parts of the cozy, harvest season without the hassle of pie. Spoon them over pancakes or waffles, top with vanilla ice cream, or enjoy them as is, hot off the stove. However you dish these apples up, you won’t be able to get enough.
Why You’ll Love This Caramelized Apples Recipe:
- Autumn in a Bowl: Infused with cinnamon and vanilla, you’ll get the very essence of autumn in every bite!
- 20-Minute Recipe: All you need is 10 minutes to prep the apples and 10 minutes to cook. Easy-peasy!
- Dress Up or Down: Served as is, this caramelized apple recipe makes the tastiest snack (and a healthier option in terms of sweet treats!), but they can transform pancakes or waffles, or be dressed up with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream. If in doubt, always make caramelized apples!
Let’s Get Started! Here’s What You’ll Need:
Ingredients
Apples - You’ll need one pound of firm and sweet apples. I like to core, peel, and dice them, but you can absolutely leave the skin on if you prefer. I use Granny Smith, but Honeycrisp or Pink Lady varieties will also work. Just avoid mealy apples – they’ll get too mushy. If your apples are still good but no longer firm, try making apple butter instead.
Brown Sugar - The deep brown caramel sauce that bubbles up is courtesy of brown sugar. For healthy caramelized apples, half the amount of sugar the recipe calls for, and use maple syrup or honey for the other half. For a naturally-sweetened dessert, swap organic cane sugar or coconut sugar.
Cinnamon - Is there a better combo than apples and cinnamon? This warming spice adds depth and gives the dish its distinctively autumnal touch.
Vanilla Extract - Just like cinnamon, a splash of vanilla extract gives the apples a cozy, warm aroma.
Salt - A small pinch of salt is the best flavor booster.
Lemon Wedge - Tart lemon juice brightens all the flavors and prevents the apples from over-browning.
Butter - For caramelizing apples, we need a few tablespoons of butter for browning and to develop the rich syrup. Salted butter is recommended. Use coconut oil as a healthy substitute.
Equipment:
Paring Knife - To dice up the apples, you’ll need a sharp knife. Emphasis on sharp!
Measuring Cups/Spoons - Accurately measure the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract that this caramelized apples recipe calls for.
Mixing Bowl - You’ll need a bowl large enough to hold one pound of diced apples with some room to stir.
Cutting Board - A cutting board protects your counters from getting nicked.
Skillet - I always reach for my cast iron skillet, but any large non-stick pan will work.
Spatula or Spoon - Grab a heat-safe spatula or a wooden spoon to mix the caramelized apple slices on the stove.
How to Make Caramelized Apples
Prep Your Apples
Peel, core, and dice the apples and place them in a mixing bowl. Cut your apple pieces so that they are similar in size to help them cook evenly.
Make Sugar Mixture
Add the lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt to the apples and stir until they are evenly coated in the sugar mixture.
Tip: add the lemon juice first- if you get a seed in the bowl it's easier to remove before the other ingredients are in the bowl.
Cook the Apples
Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the apple mixture. Spread the apples in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples become more tender and the sauce has turned into a rich caramel color, about 10-12 minutes. Enjoy!
Recipe Success Tips
- Dice apples uniformly. You’ll want your apple chunks to be the same size so they cook evenly. The larger the chunk, the longer it’ll take to soften up.
- Place in one layer. Overlapping apple chunks will take longer to cook, so place them in a single layer in the pan.
- Adjust the heat if needed. As with other caramelized fruits, this caramelized apple recipe calls for stovetop cooking, but temperatures vary from stove to stove. If the sauce darkens and bubbles too early, reduce the heat to prevent scorching.
- If you want softer apples, cook them longer. After 10 minutes of cooking, I was happy with the sauce and texture I got – the outsides were nice and tender, but the inside still had a slight crisp. For softer apples, cook a few extra minutes. If the sauce is getting too thick you can add a tablespoon or two of water.
- Selecting bigger apples will be faster to peel, and faster still if you use a vegetable peeler instead of a knife. Cutting the apples can prolong prep time. I learned this the hard way when I bought small lunchbox apples, and had to peel 4 to get to a pound. Bigger apples will take less time.
Serving Suggestions
A warm bowl of caramelized apples can curb any midday snack or sweet cravings, elevate your breakfast pancakes or waffles (such as this apple pancake recipe), or easily transform it into a decadent dessert topping.
Serve caramelized apple topping with:
- Vanilla ice cream
- Whipped cream
- Greek yogurt
- Oatmeal
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration/Storage: Store leftover caramelized apples in an airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Freezing: Let the apples cool to room temperature before transferring them to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost them in the refrigerator overnight until thawed.
- Reheating: When you’re ready to enjoy caramelized apple slices again, reheat them in a saucepan on the stovetop for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat, or in the microwave on gentle heat. Add a splash of water if needed to loosen the sauce.
FAQs
Combine apple chunks or slices with a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and a dash of salt before browning them in butter in a cast iron pan on the stovetop. For the complete directions, see the recipe card below.
Common mistakes include using too high a heat (resulting in burnt apples or sauce), using a mealy apple variety, such as McIntosh and Braeburn apples (making them mushy), and undercooking the apples on the stove (making them too firm or not saucy).
Apples take at least 10 minutes to caramelize, but you can cook them up to 20 minutes for softer apples.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Caramelized Pears
- Caramelized Peaches
- Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies
- Instant Pot Apple Butter
- Oreo Cinnamon Rolls
Enjoy!
I hope you love these! Let me know below if you enjoyed them, if you had them by themselves or with something else. My favorite things to top them with are vanilla ice cream and pancakes!
📖 Recipe
Caramelized Apples
Equipment
- skillet cast iron preferable
- Cutting board and knife
- measuring cups and spoons
- medium mixing bowl
- spatula heat safe
- vegetable or apple peeler optional, can use regular knife
Ingredients
- 1 lb Granny smith apples
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 lemon wedge ⅛ lemon
- 2 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Peel, core, and dice apples and place in mixing bowl.1 lb Granny smith apples
- Add brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt, and the juice of the lemon wedge to the apples and stir until apples are evenly coated in the sugar mixture. Tip: add the lemon juice first, this makes it is easier to remove a seed if needed.¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 1 lemon wedge
- Melt butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, once butter has melted add apple mixture. Spread apples into a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally until apples become more tender and sauce has turned into a rich caramel color, about 10-12 minutes. Enjoy!2 tablespoon butter
Podcast or Video
Notes
- Refrigeration/Storage: Store leftover caramelized apples in an airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Freezing: Let the apples cool to room temperature before transferring them to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost them in the refrigerator overnight until thawed.
- Reheating: When you’re ready to enjoy caramelized apple slices again, reheat them in a saucepan on the stovetop for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat, or in the microwave on gentle heat. Add a splash of water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Dice apples uniformly. You’ll want your apple chunks to be the same size so they cook evenly. The larger the chunk, the longer it’ll take to soften up.
- Place in one layer. Overlapping apple chunks will take longer to cook, so place them in a single layer in the pan.
- Adjust the heat if needed. As with other caramelized fruits, this caramelized apple recipe calls for stovetop cooking, but temperatures vary from stove to stove. If the sauce darkens and bubbles too early, reduce the heat to prevent scorching.
- If you want softer apples, cook them longer. After 10 minutes of cooking, I was happy with the sauce and texture I got – the outsides were nice and tender, but the inside still had a slight crisp. For softer apples, cook a few extra minutes.
- Selecting bigger apples will be faster to peel, and faster still if you use a vegetable peeler instead of a knife. Cutting the apples can prolong prep time. I learned this the hard way – I bought small lunchbox apples, so I had to peel 4 to get to a pound. Bigger apples will take less time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. It is recommended to use your preferred calculator with the actual ingredients you use for optimal accuracy.
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