Caramelized Apples
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.
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
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Notes
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.
- 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
Calories: 164kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 0.4gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 123mgPotassium: 148mgFiber: 3gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 238IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 0.3mg
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.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!