My easy Spiced Apples recipe is perfect for those New England orchard apples! It's a cozy, 10-minute topping my family loves to spoon on ice cream or over hot buttered waffles.
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When you have plenty of apples on hand, perhaps after a family trip to the orchard in the fall, you're gonna need lots of recipe ideas to use them up. And making a pan of Spiced Apples is one of my favorite autumn apple recipes.
It's such a simple recipe to make, and so delicious. Fresh apples become soft and packed with flavor after a simmer with sugar, cinnamon, and a hint of cardamom. It's like a very easy apple compote.
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What this is: A delicious and versatile way to use up those fresh-picked apples from a fall New England orchard trip. A 10-minute stovetop recipe that transforms apples into a tender, spiced topping.
- You'll love this part: This warm, homemade apple topping is wonderful with crêpes or waffles, or as a dessert topping for cake or ice cream.
- How it's made: Peel and slice apples, then simmer them with spices and sugar.
Jump to:
What are the best apples to use for Spiced Apples?
Apple varieties can be tart, sweet, or both tart and sweet. For this recipe I prefer to use tart apples, to balance with the sugar in the recipe.
Apples are also classified by their firmness and how they cook down. Although McIntosh is one of my favorite tart apples, this variety becomes very soft when cooked. For Spiced Apples, I prefer the fruit to keep their shape once cooked, so I use Granny Smith apples or Braeburn apples.
Bring home fresh-picked apples for this recipe!
There are lots of things that are considered quintessentially New England—snowy Christmas scenes, gleaming fall foliage, hearty home cooking, and pure maple syrup, to name a few. And apples! Apples are New England and New England is apples.
Picking your own means you have your choice of dozens and dozens varieties grown at the orchards. The just-ripened apples are crisp and juicy, and have the very best flavor for your apple recipes. And best of all, apple picking is fun activity to do with friends and family each year. (And a great excuse to don your cozy flannel shirts!)
There are close to 400 apple orchards across the six states, so there's sure to be one near you! Peak apple-picking season typically runs from mid-September through October. Here are just a few to consider:
- Connecticut: Lyman Orchards in Middlefield
- Massachusetts: Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow
- Maine: North Star Orchards in Madison
- New Hampshire: Applecrest Farm in Hampton Falls
- Rhode Island: Phantom Farms in Cumberland
- Vermont: The Apple Barn in Bennington
Why you'll love this recipe
Easy, easy, easy—I think that's the first reason you'll love these cinnamon spiced apples! They only need a five-minute simmer on the stove and then five minutes to cool. Then they're ready to devour.
Cardamom is a favorite fall spice of mine—it's the spice that stars in my Lemon Cardamom Sweet Rolls—and it pairs perfectly here with apples and cinnamon.
The warm, sugared apples are a tasty topping on so many recipes. Try spooning Spiced Apples over a dish of vanilla ice cream, or fold them into delicate crêpes. The cooked apples can be ladled over a stack of pancakes or a fresh, split scone. If you like County Fair Fried Dough, try a piece topped with spiced apple chunks.
Another option is to chill and refrigerate the Spiced Apples, then enjoy them layered in a parfait or spooned over yogurt with crunchy granola!
Another cooked apple recipe!
Hearty Spiced Applesauce
A fragrant fall snack.
🔪 How to make 10-minute Spiced Apples
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Ingredients:
- Apples: Choose a tart apple variety that will hold its shape after cooking, such as Granny Smith or Braeburn.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the apple topping, and helps soften the fruit, too.
- Cinnamon: I like a strong-flavored cinnamon such as Vietnamese varieties. Check the expiration date on your cinnamon, and replace it if it's too old!
- Cardamom: Just a hint of fragrant cardamom adds a beautiful, earthy spice flavor to this topping.
Combine the apples and spices
Put the apples, spices, and sugar into a saucepan and stir them together.
Bring them to a simmer
Heat the apples over medium-high heat until they begin to simmer.
Simmer them 'til they're soft
Simmer the stovetop apples over medium heat for about five minutes. Then let them cool for five minutes more.
Spiced Apples FAQs
Yes, you can absolutely substitute brown sugar for the granulated sugar in this recipe. Brown sugar gives the apples notes of caramel and molasses—delicious.
Tips:
- For Spiced Apples with a stronger spice flavor, you can double the amounts of cinnamon and cardamom called for in the recipe.
Don't just take my word for it...
"I made this recipe with Golden Delicious apples, and it was DELICIOUS! I will make this simple and delicious apple dish again and again." — Ava G.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The recipe for Spiced Apples is below, and here are more apple treats:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Spiced Apples
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Ingredients
- 4 tart apples peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch to 1½ inch chunks
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- Stir together the apple chunks, sugar, water, cinnamon, and cardamom in a medium pan.
- Heat the mixture over medium-high heat to bring it to a simmer, stirring the apples often.
- Lower the heat a little to maintain the simmer, then cook the apples for about 5 minutes, stirring a few times—until the mixture has thickened and the apple pieces are a little soft but with a light crunch in the center.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow the apples to cool for 5 minutes. Serve the sauce while it's still warm.
Notes
- For Spiced Apples with a stronger spice flavor, you can double the amounts of cinnamon and cardamom called for in the recipe.
Nutrition
Anonymous says
Can you make with out cardamom?
Nancy Mock says
Yes, it's totally fine to omit the cardamom if you prefer.
Ava Glenn says
I made this recipe with golden delicious apples and it was DELICIOUS!
I will make this simple and delicious apple dish again and again! Thank you
Nancy Mock says
Hi Ava, Oh fantastic! I'm so glad you tried the recipe and that it worked as well with the Golden Delicious apples. How did you use the Simmered Apples? The last time I made them we dished them over vanilla ice cream. Thank you so much for trying my recipe, I'm really happy to hear your feedback!