Warm Sauteed Cinnamon Apples

Fall, I welcome you!

Okay, so I know I’m not the only one excited about fall! This is a new feeling for me, I’ll be honest. You see, I’m a hot-weather chick. I love warm humid temperatures and don’t mind when the seasons don’t change. I get this from my upbringing in Africa.

It also hasn’t helped that my United States autumns were spent in the north, where the prospect of a frigid, never-ending winter in Minnesota was what the changing of the leaves signified.

Now I live in the south and winters are so much more bearable. Pleasant even. FUN, compared with Minnesota! Plus add the factor that in the south summers are much longer and typically warmer, so the cooler temps are much more appreciated.

Add to that nausea from the first trimester of pregnancy (another baby – YAY!), exasperated by the heat, and I am embracing this fall like never before!

Nothing says “fall” like cinnamon and apples!

Warm Sauteed Cinnamon Apples was one of my first fall recipes to make. I love apples, especially cooked apples. And as I’ve made my journey to eating healthier, I’ve opted more towards fruit based breakfasts and desserts with natural sweeteners.

Most apple recipes come with crusts or toppings, which I LOVE, but since I’m currently on a gluten-free diet, I wanted something that didn’t call for wheat flour or grains.

I created this simple recipe as a topping for pancakes (I make these delicious – and moist! – coconut flour pancakes), but it is also great with (all-natural) vanilla ice-cream!

I even like them as a side dish with a few eggs for breakfast. The brave might try them over a pork roast. Oh, and as long as we’re talking about apples and breakfast, you might want to try my Apple Sausage Breakfast Bake!

A few notes about my recipe:

1. I use a little maple syrup to sweeten the apples up a bit. It can be omitted if you are trying to avoid sweeteners. A whole granulated sugar such as sucanat or honey can be substituted in a pinch, but you’ll be missing out on that good maple-y flavor.

2. Pretty much any combination of apples can be used in this recipe. Tart, baking apples will hold their shape the best, though. So you want to have a few of those if at all possible. I found that firm nectarines (okay, they’re not apples, I know) hold their shape better than the softer, sweeter apple varieties.

3. The recipe reheats pretty well, so it can be made in advanced and warmed on the stove before serving.

Enjoy!

Warm Sauteed Cinnamon Apples

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons butter
2 medium tart apples, such as Granny Smith, thinly sliced
2 medium sweet apples, such as Honey Crisp (I've also used nectarines, which hold their shape well), thinly sliced
1 cup apple juice, apple cider, or water
1½ teaspoon cinnamon
dash ground cloves
3-4 Tablespoons real maple syrup

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the apples and saute till hot, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the apple juice, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a boil and cook stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens.
Add the maple syrup and continue cooking and stirring for about 7 more minutes, or until the sauce is reduced by about half and the apples are tender.
Serve as a side dish, or over ice-cream or pancakes.

About Melodie Kejr

Melodie Kejr from Sweet Basil 'n Spice currently lives in South Carolina with her husband Kevin and one-year-old boy. Faith, family, missions, photography, food preparation, and studying nutrition are her biggest passions. Melodie has a unique perspective on life due to her upbringing in West Africa and years as a missionary in Liberia. She grew up without the fast paced life of her peers and enjoyed raising animals, sewing, riding bikes, hiking in the rain forest, and trying to make American tasting foods with limited local ingredients. When she is not getting her one-year-old out of trouble, Melodie spends most of her time experimenting in the kitchen. She loves taking real food concepts to recreate meals that appeal to the average American tastes as well as coming up with the most frugal way to eat a traditional foods diet.