Cinnamon Baked Apple Slices

Cinnamon Baked Apple Slices are the perfect sweet treat, made with apple slices, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter, ready in under 45 minutes!

This recipe is a lighter (and less syrup) version of this Homemade Apple Pie Filling. If you want more recipes like these baked apples, check out this Slow Cooker Apple Crisp, and Cinnamon Baked Apples! 

Cinnamon Baked Apple Slices is a really simple dessert that everyone will love, made with sweet apples and sugar topped with cinnamon and butter. Like most apple desserts, you can serve these warm apples with your favorite vanilla ice cream or caramel sauce. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

Apples. Always use fresh apples for the best flavor and texture. My favorite type of apple to use is Granny Smith apples, because they have a good flavor and texture when baked, and my grocery store always has them in stock. 

Lemon Juice. Lemon juice adds a bright acidic flavor that balances out the sweetness of the sugar. It also helps stop the apple from oxidizing, so they won’t turn brown after slicing. I always add a few tablespoons lemon juice to apple recipes for this reason. 

Butter. I use unsalted butter so I can control how much salt is added to the dish. The fat helps add some texture and flavor to the cinnamon sugar sauce. 

Granulated Sugar. You can use all brown sugar or all white granulated sugar, but I find that a combination of both works the best. 

Spices. I use cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. You can also use pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, or just leave the spices out altogether. 

How to Make Cinnamon Baked Apple Slices

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar and spices.
2. Peel, core, and slice apples, trying to keep them all around the same size. Add apples to baking dish with lemon juice and stir to coat. Sprinkle sugar mixture on top of the apples evenly, then stir to combine. 
3. Add butter on top of apples. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until apples are soft and a fork goes through easily. 

Jacqui’s Tip! For a healthy dessert version, leave the sugar out completely and top with vanilla greek yogurt and walnuts or almond slices. 

What Apples are Best for Baking

There are a lot of different varieties of apples, with some working better than others for baking recipes. Here’s a few of my favorite apples to use for baked apple slices. You can read a complete list over here. 

1. Golden Delicious Apples are my favorite apples for snacking in general. They are also on the sweeter side and less tart, and hold up great when baking. You can use less sugar when using these. 
2. Granny Smith Apples are more tart and do well in recipes that have sugar to balance them out. 
3. Honeycrisp Apples are very sweet and crisp in texture, perfect for holding up to the heat of the oven. 
4. Braeburn Apples hold their shape in the oven and won’t get soggy. These are great for apple crisp. 

Frequently Asked Questions

More Dessert Recipes

• Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
• Fudgy Gluten Free Brownies
• Chocolate Chip Mug Cookie
• Chewy Almond Paste Cookies
• Instant Pot Apple Crisp

Baked Apple Slices Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days. 

Freeze in an airtight container for 2-3 months. 

Cooking Tips

• The cooking time can vary depending on how big you slice your apples. The bigger the pieces, the longer they take to bake. Check them around 25-30 minutes, adding time until the apples are fork tender.  
• I don’t usually add cornstarch to this recipe, but if you want a thicker cinnamon sugar sauce (more like pie filling), whisk 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in with the sugar mixture.
• Top with caramel sauce, maple syrup, or chocolate for a different dessert recipe variation. 
• You can replace the sugar with honey or maple syrup as an alternative. 
• Add certified gluten free oats to softened butter and a tablespoon brown sugar, mixing together completely. Sprinkle the butter mixture on top of the apples for more of an apple crisp. 

If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!

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