Sautéed Cinnamon Apples: Perfect with Pork!

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Want to know the perfect complement to pork? Apples. And that’s why we’ve put together this simple sautéed cinnamon apples recipe. Keep reading to learn how to make them the easy way.

Sautéed apples, apple sauce. . .you name it, apples and pork are just meant to go together. 

As I wrote up the post for my amazing St. Louis Style Pork Ribs I was reminded of this fact and had to wonder why I didn’t think of this sooner. 

(Ribs, anyone?)

But, hey, it’s never too late to whip up a tasty batch of sautéed apples! So, that’s how this sweet treat came about. 

Are Sautéed Apples the Same as Apple Pie Filling?

They’re similar but fresh sautéed apples aren’t cooked to the mushy stage. That’s part of the joy of making them from scratch – you can leave them al dente. 

And that’s what I chose to do. These apples were sweet, packed full of a rich cinnamon-sugar flavor, and absolutely perfect for any pork dish. 

Like my Breakfast Fatty.

(Hey, apples are healthy, right?) Adding sautéed apples to the breakfast menu alongside my packs-a-punch fatty and you can almost feel like you’re sticking to your diet. 

Okay, not really, but that’s the joy of cooking: You can make things as you like them. And today I liked my apples sweet. 

So, let’s talk about what you’ll need to make sautéed apples. 

Sautéed Apple Ingredients

You will find a full recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a look at what you’ll need to make homemade sautéed apples. These are simple ingredients you might already have in your kitchen. If not, you can pick them up at any grocery store.

• butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)
• peeled/cored/sliced apples
• cold water
• cornstarch (for cornstarch slurry)
• brown sugar
• cinnamon
• lemon juice (optional)

Note: You can use tart apples or sweet apples, your choice. I went with Pink Lady, one of my personal favorites.

Hint: If you want to keep the apples from turning brown once sliced, squirt with a tiny bit of lemon juice.

How to Make Delicious Cinnamon Apples on the Stovetop

These came together so easily. I’m definitely going to make these next time I’m cooking pork.

Start by peeling, coring, and slicing your crisp apples. You can really cut the apples any way you like but I opted to leave them in slices. 

Go ahead and get the butter melting in the skillet so it’s ready when the apples are sliced. You don’t want to leave them sitting out exposed or they’ll start to discolor. 

Place apples in butter and simmer over medium heat for about 7 minutes or until they start to soften. (If they look like they’re cooking too quickly, lower it to medium-low heat.)

You don’t want them to get mushy. 

In a small bowl combine the cornstarch and water. Stir well. 

Pour over the apples. 

Now add the brown sugar and cinnamon. 

Stir well. You’re going to want to let this simmer over a low heat for another 3 minutes or so.

Stir to make sure the brown sugar and butter mixture doesn’t stick. 

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before serving. (Wouldn’t these be amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream?)

Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. They should stay good for 4 – 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing these, as they might turn mushy but if you do opt to freeze them put them in a ziploc bag (or freezer bag).

What to Expect from this Cinnamon Apple Recipe

You’re going to feel like you’re back in your grandmother’s kitchen once again as you eat these, friends. They’re packed full of cinnamon and the sweetness of the brown sugar. They’re perfect for the fall season or any time of year.

The real star of the show, though? It’s those apples. They’re “mostly” cooked but still have a bite to them. 

These apples are perfect alongside a pork dish, but they’re also a great dessert or breakfast treat. Best of all, this is such an easy recipe that offers an awesome way to use up those apples you’ve got sitting in your kitchen.

Let’s Look at Some Ways to Change These Up. 

This is one of those delicious recipes you’ll make more than once, so be sure to bookmark this page! But you can always make it your own with a few tweaks. Here are some suggestions:

Chopped pecans. A lot of recipes call for diced pecans mixed with apples. There’s a great recipe for Apple Pie Monkey Bread over at Out of the Box Baking that calls for sautéed apples and pecans mixed into the store-bought biscuits (forming an amazing Monkey Bread). The possibilities are endless! 

Applesauce: You can cooked these apples a little longer and mash them (like you would potatoes) after they’ve simmered in the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. If you’ve never had homemade applesauce you’re in for a real treat. It’s delicious. Applesauce can be spooned over pork or served on the side. 

Apple pie: You can spoon this into a pie shell and bake into an amazing apple pie. Top with a second crust. (Delicious!)

Ways to Serve Sauteed Apples

I’m already thinking of so many ways to serve these. (Not just with ribs.) Here are a few ideas that come to mind:

Serve them on French Toast: These apples would be delicious piled on top of warm french toast.

Pork Chops: Lots of people serve apples with pork chops. In fact, they’re an amazing and delicious side dish for a variety of entrees.

Apple Pie Filling: You can use this as a delicious homemade apple pie filling. It’s perfect for that.

Fall Baking: There’s no better time of year for warm cinnamon apples than during the fall. Apple season is a warm, inviting time of year! Check out all of the fall baking recipes at Out of the Box Baking for a ton of ideas!

Other Ways to Cook Skillet Cinnamon Apples

Skip the stovetop and make these any number of other ways, including:

In your pressure cooker: Make Instant Pot Cinnamon Apples! You can use any type of apple you like: Granny Smith apples, Pink Lady, Gala, Jazz, or any others.

In the oven: You can prep and bake your apples instead of making them on the stovetop.

In a crock pot: You can make these in your crockpot, allowing them to simmer in cinnamon and brown sugar even longer.

Large saucepan: If you’re making a jumbo recipe (say, double this size) you’ll need a bigger skillet or sauce pan. Make sure there’s room for all of your apple slices!

Healthy Cinnamon Apples: Skip the brown sugar and use a natural sweetner like honey or maple syrup. You can even use a sugar substitute (like Splenda brown sugar, coconut sugar, or Monk Fruit).

It’s up to you, friends! Use your own favorite way!

Other Apple Desserts

Looking for another simple dessert like this one? There are a ton of other apple recipes out there to enjoy. Here are a few we found while perusing the web: 

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Applesauce from Southern Home Express. This is a set-it-and-forget-it recipe for applesauce. It looks delicious and easy. (Hey, we’re all about easy at Backyard Texas Grill.) 

Caramel Apple Dip from South Your Mouth: Caramel and apples? Yeah, sounds amazing! This would be a great appetizer for one of our pork dishes. 

Easy Apple Cinnamon Bubble Up Bake from Back to my Southern Roots. I’m drooling as I look at this one y’all. It looks amazing and easy. 

There are so many apple dishes to try. No matter how you mix ‘em up, apples are going to be perfect with the meats we’re grilling here at Backyard Texas Grill. 

That’s it for this Post, Folks

Thanks for visiting. Don’t forget to pin the pictures below to Pinterest. And look for these recipes at Full Plate Thursday and Weekend Potluck.

About the Man Behind the Grill

Zach Morrow was born and raised in Texas and has always had a passion for great barbecue.

He’s at home behind the grill and loves to feed his friends and family home-cooked favorites as often as he can.

Zach especially loves trying new things and is excited to produce recipes like this one for Backyard Texas Grill.