Made with just three ingredients, these simple Sauteed Apples pair perfectly with oatmeal, pancakes, and yogurt, as well as savory mains like pork and chicken. We also love to make them ahead for snacking on their own!
Whenever we have apples lingering in our fridge, I turn them into these delicious sauteed apples. This healthy apple recipe for kids is soft and pleasantly sweet and cinnamon-y without any added sugar.
Quick Look: Simple Sauteed Apples
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Serving: 4
- Flavor Profile: Naturally sweet apples with cinnamon
- Difficulty: Easy, perfect for everyday toddler meals and snacks
- Why to Make: It’s a quick way to cook apples for kids
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Table of Contents
They’re great on their own and served with all sorts of foods. (They also make a delicious filling for my Mini Apple Tarts, which turn them into a fast, easy dessert.)
These are easy for toddlers and older babies to chew, so no worries about the risk of choking that comes with raw apples. In fact, these are one of our favorite finger foods for babies, along with my Baked Sliced Apples.
Why this Recipe Works
These apples are cooked in a little butter or other neutral oil, so they are made with minimal ingredients. These cooked apples are also a little easier to digest than raw apples, which might be helpful to know if your kiddo (or you) have issues with whole apples.
You can serve these warm or cold, according to your preference as a baby snack, snack for toddlers, or easy component to add to a toddler lunch idea.
(You may also like my Applesauce Bread, Cinnamon Apples or Instant Pot Applesauce.)
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at what you need to have on hand to make this easy sauteed apples recipe.
- Apples: You can use any type of apple you have or like, though tart cooking apples (like Granny Smith or Pink Lady) soften nicely without falling apart too quickly. If you use an apple that’s softer fresh (like Gala), they will cook a little faster. Just keep an eye on the timing if you go with an apple that’s not traditionally used for cooking a pie.
- Butter or neutral oil: This ensures that the apples don’t stick to the pan, and adds beneficial fats to the recipe.
- Cinnamon: Adding cinnamon adds delicious flavor to the apple recipe for kids.
Featured Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Great way to use up apples that sat a little too long on the counter. Delicious on their own, but we’ll be mixing them with plain greek yogurt all fall!!” —Enzo
How to Make Sauteed Apples
Here’s a look at the simple process involved in making these easy sauteed apples. Scroll down to the full recipe at the bottom of this post for all of the info.
Step 1. Warm the butter or oil in a skillet. Stir to coat and cook until soft when poked with a fork.
Step 2. Stir in the cinnamon and serve warm. (Or store and serve cold.)
TIP: This recipe scales up and down well, so simply adjust the amount of ingredients as needed.
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How to Store
If stored in an airtight container, you can keep these sauteedapples in the fridge for 3-5 days. Serve them slightly warmed or cold, depending on your preference.
For an apples for babies option for blw, try my Sliced Baked Apples.
Serving Suggestions
For sweet options, try these over plain yogurt, Oatmeal with Raisins, or as a topping for Applesauce Pancakes or Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes. For savory, they’re a nice dinner side with chicken, roasted pork, or other roasted meats. They also work well as a simple snack with crackers and cheese or even just a cup of milk.
Best Tips for Success
- Use butter or coconut oil, according to your preference.
- Use any type of apple you prefer, though harder cooking apples work well here.
- If you use apples that are softer when eaten fresh (like Gala), they may cook a little faster.
- Portion out into snack containers to have grab-and-go snack options ready and waiting in the fridge.
- You may also like Stewed Peaches, Favorite Early Finger Foods, and Apple Puree.
More Fruit for Kids
I’d love to hear if you make this recipe, so please leave a comment below with your feedback!
Simple Sauteed Apples with Cinnamon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
- 2-3 medium apples (cored and chopped; about 2 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Warm the butter or oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- When melted, add the apples. Stir to coat and cook for 10 minutes or until soft when poked with a fork.
- Stir in the cinnamon and serve warm.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve cold or warmed slightly.
- Use butter or coconut oil, according to your preference.
- Use any type of apple you prefer, though harder cooking apples work well here.
- If you use apples that are softer when eaten fresh (like Gala), they may cook a little faster.
- Double the recipe if desired to make more.
- Serve warm or cold, plain or over yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, chicken, pork, or another favorite meal.
- Portion out into snack containers to have grab-and-go snack options ready and waiting in the fridge.
Nutrition
This post was first published May 2020.
Love this recipe, it is easy and so tasty!!! I just finished it last night and the result was unexpected, my wife and daughter both liked it, which made me happy. Thanks for your recipe
This is amazing and delicious recipe of cocktail to make it at home. I really like it. SO easy and quick way to cook, thank you for sharing this wonderful article.
Wow, this is really looking so delicious and tasty apples sautéed recipe. SO simple and easy to make it at home. I will surely try this. Thank you for sharing this article.
Just 15 minutes for a wonderful snack, not bad at all. Thank you for a quick recipe.
Btw, love your nutrition Information format, easy to understand.
I’m so glad!
Taught my g-daughter this recipe to teach her how to read a recipe and cook it. Came out delicious.
Thanks, Amy!
So fun!
Looks great! The recipe is quite simple and easy to prepare, added to the menu for this weekend. hope to enjoy the best Sauteed Apples with my family. Thanks and have a nice day!
I’m so glad to hear that!
This is awesome recipe.Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Fantastic recipe! Super easy to make and very delicious. It was hard to share with my toddler. Thank you so much!
I’m so glad! (I find it hard to share these too!)
This sound so good! At what age do you think it’s ok to leave the skin on for babies?
If you dice them into smaller pieces (a little bigger than a pea or just chop them smaller after cooking with kitchen shears) and cook until soft, they should be fine with or without skin from 9/10 months on.
Great – thanks Amy! My twins are 14 months and for some reason I keep peeling the skins. Will try leaving them on.
Veey helpful specialy for those first time moms. it can also help for your baby
Once you make these and put them in the fridge, do the apples harden back up or do they stay soft?
They do firm up a little, but not as hard as when uncooked. You can warm them a bit or let them sit at room temperature to serve again.
So simple and SO delicious! Tastes like the inside of an apple pie – everyone in our house loved this.
My 14 month old goggled them up! I sent the recipe to my other mom friends. And will definitely make again! So perfect for after apple picking! Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear this and so happy that she liked them!
Hi Amy, I found your recipe is sugar free as I am a health conscious I took it with oat meals. And yes its change the taste as well it was just WOW. Thank you.
This looks absolutely delicious! The apples have been so wonderful lately.
I have some Granny Smith that are too tart to eat raw ? so this is perfect!