Quick Warm Cinnamon Apples

Name: Quick Warm Cinnamon Apples
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 3
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 3 large apples, peeled + cut into ½ inch thick slices; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 2 tablespoons brown sugar (use 3 for Granny Smiths); ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 tablespoon lemon juice (omit for Granny Smiths); 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water; Vanilla ice cream, for serving

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Learn how to make warm, delicious cinnamon apples in a jiffy! These apples taste just like homemade apple pie filling but take no time to make at all! Taste delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top while the apples are still warm!

cinnamon apples in bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Warm, gooey cinnamon apples that taste just like pie filling (minus the pie crust, of course) are so warm and comforting. And what makes these even better is when you eat them up warm from the pot with a big scoop of cold vanilla ice cream.

It’s the perfect recipe to make if you’ve gone apple picking recently and have come back with buckets of fresh apples! You can make cinnamon apples with just about any kind of apples you like, be it Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Macintosh!

The thing I love about these cinnamon apples is that you can make them on the stovetop or even faster in the instant pot.

I’m sharing a recipe for a small batch that makes enough for roughly three people (two if you’re like us and you eat half the apples out of the instant pot.) They’re so warm, gooey, and delicious that way. But you could easily double or triple the recipe and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

These cinnamon apples are the perfect low-effort dessert to make for family and friends, especially if you aren’t a baker!

What do you need to make cinnamon apples?

Butter: just a couple tablespoons to saute the apples, sugar, and cinnamon in before you pressure cook them.
Apples: you can use just about any kind of baking apples for this recipe. I’ve tried the recipe with Granny Smiths, Honeycrisps, and Pink lady’s and all three of them brought something delicious to the mix!
Ground cinnamon: makes the entire house smell like a warm fall candle when you mix it with apples.
Brown sugar: I’m using brown sugar for this recipe because it gives the apples a deeper caramel-like flavor. Keep in mind you’ll need an additional tablespoon of brown sugar if you use a tart apple (such as Granny Smith)
Lemon juice: helps balance the sweetness in this recipe. You can omit this ingredient if you’re using a tart apple. You only really need the lemon juice for sweeter apples, such as Honeycrisp or Pink Lady.
Cornstarch: cornstarch slurry helps thicken the apples at the end so that the syrup is perfect to scoop up with vanilla ice cream!

steps to making cinnamon apples in the instant pot

How to make cinnamon apples:

Saute the apples and cinnamon. Peel the apples using a peeler then slice the apples into ½ inch thick slices. Add the butter to the instant pot (or skillet) and sauté the apples, cinnamon, sugar, salt, and lemon juice together for a quick 30 seconds.
If you’re pressure cooking: add ¼ cup of water, cover the instant pot, and pressure cook for zero minutes (yes, 0 minutes!) When it beeps, do a quick release and add the cornstarch slurry on the saute setting until the liquid thickens up!
If you’re making this on the stovetop: Add ⅓ cup water and allow the apples to saute and cook for roughly 2-3 minutes. Test the apples for doneness, you may need to cook them a little longer so they soften. Then, add the cornstarch slurry and stir to combine. When thickened, it’s ready to serve!

cooked apples with cinnamon in speckled bowl with melting scoop of vanilla ice cream

Other fall recipes you might like:

Yield: serves 3