Healthy Cinnamon Apples – Steamed Apples {Vegan, Whole30}
Simple and sweet, these stovetop Healthy Cinnamon Apples are the perfect good for you comfort food. A bowl of cozy steamed apples are sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and Whole30 compliant. Cinnamon apples are also freezer-friendly and a perfect food for adults and kids alike.
I have been making these apples for so long that I could cook them in my sleep; they are that simple. Calling this a “recipe” is almost embarrassing.
When my (now) ten-year-old son Jack was a baby and ready for finger foods, the traditional store-bought options weren’t available to us. He had dairy and wheat issues and those ready-made puffs were off-limits to his tummy.
Plus we were broke as a joke so they weren’t even in our budget if he could have eaten them. The workaround I came up with was so popular and beloved that they were dubbed “Apple Jacks”.
I still make these cinnamon apples. We still love them.
What Can I do With a Lot of Apples?
A glut of apples is an amazing “problem” to have! When we have too many apples, we’ll can applesauce, can apple pie filling, make crockpot applebutter, make dried apples, and apple nachos.
And when we’re all done with that, we make cinnamon steamed apples!
What Are Cinnamon Apples?
My recipe is simple – chopped apples with a dusting of cinnamon. You’ll see lots of recipes out there for fried apples, or apples simmered in butter and sugar.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m 99.99% certain that those are absolutely delicious, but not ideal when you want something healthy and good for you.
The act of steaming concentrates the apple’s sweetness and takes these apples from yum to yuuuuuum. Even better, steaming locks down nutrients like Fort Knox.
How Long Does it Take to Steam Apples?
These steamed apples are ready in only five minutes. Yep, that’s it!
If you prefer to make apple slices instead of diced apples, you will need to add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time for a soft texture.
Is this Cinnamon Apples Recipe Vegan/Paleo/Whole30?
Yes! With just two wholesome ingredients, these cinnamon apples are everything compliant. And so dang good.
If you’re doing Whole30, the program guidelines would not recommend using this dish as “dessert” or a sweets replacement. I tend to serve them with breakfast or have them for a snack when I’m craving just a little extra something after lunch.
How to Serve Cinnamon Apples
We love them just as a side to a normal meal, but they are also amazing in oatmeal, mixed in with homemade Instant Pot yogurt, or on top of ice cream. They are also a key ingredient in my Apple Pie Pancakes.
Cinnamon apples are also the perfect final addition to your easy healthy meal prep. Nothing like a healthy little snack to finish up your lunch or dinner. You can also add them to Cinnamon Apple Donuts for an amazing texture and flavor.
Remember that dry ass little brownie you used to get excited about when it was TV dinner night growing up? You’d eat all that gross salsbury steak and gluey mashed potatoes, all while eying that hard little chocolate puck in its own compartment in the divided tray?
Those crappy brownies wish they could be these apples.
How to Make this Cinnamon Apple Recipe
*A detailed and printable recipe card is available at the bottom of this post.
Peel the apples, and dice in bite-sized pieces. In a pot fitted with a steamer basket, add enough water to cover the bottom of the saucepan. Cover the pan with a lid.
Steam the apples on medium-high until the apples are able to be pierced easily with a knife (about 4-5 minutes). Drain, place in a small bowl, and toss with cinnamon.
^I told you they were simple!
Variations on Cinnamon Apples
I tend to consider cinnamon a condiment and have a bit of a heavy hand with it. I reigned myself in for this recipe but you could (and should!) absolutely add more cinnamon to your version. And while you’re at it, how about a pinch of cloves and a dash of nutmeg?
A splash of homemade vanilla and/or almond extract is amazing with the base recipe. Just note, extracts are not allowed on the Whole30 plan.
Can You Freeze Cinnamon Apples?
YES, and you should! When my son was a baby, we froze “Apple Jacks” in Baby Cubes and 4 oz mason jars for quick snacks. Simply leave at room temperature for an hour or overnight in the fridge and they thaw beautifully.
Recipe Notes
- Need to make more or less of the recipe? Click and slide the “servings” number on the recipe card and the ingredients will adjust as needed. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
- Use an apple that will retain its shape and won’t turn into mush upon steaming. I prefer Fuji or Gala. And um, Washington grown. Obvs.
- Leave the peel on for added fiber and nutrition.
- There is no need to dice these apples unless you’re feeding little ones. Slices or wedges work perfectly fine and are faster for prepping! If you do cut your apples into large pieces, it may impact the cooking time.
- Five minutes of steaming works for our preferences for texture, but if you prefer a firmer apple, check at three minutes.
- Cool completely before freezing.
More Healthy Snack Recipes
- Lemon Bliss Balls
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Homemade Granola Bars
- Mexican Hot Chocolate Lara Bars
- Trail Mix Bars
- Strawberry Fudge Energy Date Balls
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WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving of Cinnamon Apples has 0 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.
Making this recipe or others?
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Simple and sweet, this Stovetop Cinnamon Apple Recipe is the perfect healthy comfort food. A bowl of cozy cinnamon apples are paleo, and Whole30.
Peel the apples, and dice in bite-sized pieces. In a pot fitted with a metal steamer basket, add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.
Steam the apples on medium-high until the apples are able to be pierced easily with a knife (about 4-5 minutes). Drain, place in a small bowl, and toss with the cinnamon.
Use apple that will retain its shape like gala or Fuji.
There is no need to dice these apples unless you're feeding little ones. Slices or wedges work perfectly fine and are faster! If you do cut your apples into large pieces, it may impact the cooking time.
Five minutes of steaming works for our preferences for texture, but if you prefer a firmer apple, check at three minutes.
Cool completely before freezing.
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I made these for myself because I’m trying to tame my sweet tooth! One of my favorite desserts is apple dumplings. A big NO for healthy eating. This dish gives the satisfaction of warm cooked apples and cinnamon without the sugar, butter and dumplings! One change to the recipe I made is that steaming go to is a Ziplock steamer bag. 2 minutes for one apple cut into chunks (not diced) was perfect. Thank you for your recipe!
Cathy, I’m just like you in that I have an evil sugar dragon that I am constantly trying to slay! I’m so glad these helped you fill the need you had today for something sweet.
They do freeze REALLY well, so have a few containers on hand for emergencies.
My daughter loves her Apple Jacks! Been fighting her on eating solids and this is one she will eat!
So glad Kat is liking them! 🙂
These are seriously delicious! I like everything tart so tossed in a little lemon (also prevents browning as they sit in the counter while your kids distract you), they satisfy my sweet and sour cravings!
Awww, so glad you liked them Kori. They’re the best!
Have you tried not peeling them? Would it mess it up?
Unpeeled is fine if you’re eating that day. But if you’re making them ahead of time, I find the peel gets kind tough and grody after 24 hours.
Have you tried making Apple Jacks in your insta pot?
I haven’t, only because it’s only 5 minutes on the stovetop. I can’t see the IP saving me much time if any.
This is just the kick I needed to stop buying ready made applesauce! Absolutely delicious and I love all your spice recommendations too. Thanks for an awesome recipe.
So glad you and little Odette enjoyed them!
I’m not gonna lie, I was that kid with the t.v. dinner and every once in a while I crave that Salisbury steak. I also occasionally crave spaghetti o’s, but I ate my full of those while I was pregnant.
These look amazing! I need to stock up on smaller mason jars… maybe I could freeze them in silicone muffin cups and keep them in baggies so then I can just plop one into our yum box.
Adding apples to the grocery list!
Oh, we were totally a TV dinner family! Healthy Choice was our poison of choice (barf).
I’m not sure how they would work in a muffin tin since there is no liquid. But if you try it out and it and it works please report back!
I used to sautee slices of apple in butter and add cinnamon to create a sweet treat for my MIL because she had lost so many of her teeth. I still do it occasionally just for myself for breakfast, add toast and a bit of cheese… yum. I also sprinkle cinnamon on sliced banana too.
Wait, do you combine the cheese and toast together with the apples, or serve them on the side?
I’m not a raw banana fan but I do love to caramelize them to put them on pancakes and waffles. Never thought to add cinnamon before. Genius!
The apples, cheese and toast are all separate items on the plate. The cinnamon is supposed to be good for your blood pressure so I try to throw it on fruit whenever I can.
I think cinnamon is also really good for regulating blood sugar! My grandpa was a diabetic and his doctor encouraged him to add it to lots of things. And it is delicious so that is an added benefit for all of us.
Making it a goal to try one new recipe from your site a week. These apples sound like a delicious treat.
I think I like how you set goals girl!!
Yum! My Great-grandmother used to make apples with cinnamon and sugar but I’ve never tried it with just cinnamon.
I bet it was soooo good with the sugar too!