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These easy baked apple slices are a simple side dish for chicken, pork, and turkey, or a quick fall dessert with just 10 minutes of prep. Thanks to plenty of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, the warm dish tastes just like apple pie filling!
Table of Contents
- How to Bake Apple Slices | 1-Minute Video
- Why You’ll Love these Old-Fashioned Baked Apple Slices
- The Best Apples for Baked Apples
- Ingredients
- How to Bake Apple Slices
- How to Serve Old Fashioned Baked Apple Slices
- Are baked apples good for you?
- Preparation and Storage Tips
- Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Baked Apple Slices Recipe
- Baked Apple Slices Recipe
How to Bake Apple Slices | 1-Minute Video
Apple season is big business in Virginia, so there’s never a shortage of the sweet, juicy, fruit to enjoy throughout the fall. When we’ve made our apple butter, enjoyed an apple pie, and whipped up a batch of homemade applesauce, these easy baked apple slices are sure to make an appearance on our weeknight dinner table.
Why You’ll Love these Old-Fashioned Baked Apple Slices
A country style sliced baked apples recipe is the perfect way to take advantage of an abundance of fresh autumn fruit. Here’s why they will soon become a staple on your family’s table:
- Quick and Easy. You don’t even have to peel the fruit! This simple recipe comes together with just 10 minutes of prep time.
- Versatile. A great alternative to fried apples, the old-fashioned baked apple slices pair nicely with white meat entrees like pork, chicken and turkey, and work equally well as a simple dessert.
- Cozy. We all crave comforting, down-home dishes when there’s a chill in the air. Thanks to the warm spices, these old-fashioned baked apple slices feel like a cozy hug from Grandma!
The Best Apples for Baked Apples
The best apples for baked apple slices are those varieties with a firm flesh that won’t break down too easily. After all, you want apple slices…not applesauce! Good options include Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Braeburn, Gala, Fuji, Winesap, Pink Lady, Jonagold, or a combination of these.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a pan of easy baked apple slices. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Sliced apples: I typically use Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, or a combination of the two. There’s no need to peel the apples before slicing and baking, unless it’s your personal preference.
- Butter: mixes with the sugar, spices, and apple juices to create a thick, rich sauce that coats each slice.
- Light brown sugar and granulated sugar: sweeten the fruit and create a thick, syrupy sauce.
- Lemon juice: a common ingredient in apple pie filling and apple crisp recipes, the lemon juice provides a bright, acidic component that balances the sweetness of the fruit and enhances the apples’ natural flavors. It does not make the dish taste like lemon.
- Cornstarch: thickens the sauce.
- Cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg: warm spices that pair beautifully with fresh apples.
- Salt: just a pinch to balance the sweetness and add complexity to the dish.
How to Bake Apple Slices
These easy baked apple slices come together with just 10 minutes of prep — then the oven does the work! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Place the apple slices in a large bowl.
- Whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
- Pour the butter mixture over the apple slices; toss to coat.
- Transfer the apples to a 10-inch cast iron skillet or other similar oven-safe pan.
- Bake, uncovered, in a 350°F oven for about 25 minutes, or until the apples are tender but not mushy.
- Stir to coat in the sauce and serve warm.
How to Serve Old Fashioned Baked Apple Slices
This recipe does double-duty as both a side dish and as a dessert. I like to think of the apples in the same way that I would use applesauce. For instance, offer a warm bowl of baked apples with this 4-Ingredient Pork Loin Roast, with these Stuffed Pork Chops, with a Crispy Roast Chicken, or alongside this Maple-Glazed Roasted Turkey Breast. Hey, you can even take the simple route and purchase a store-bought rotisserie chicken to have with your apples!
At the breakfast table, serve baked cinnamon apple slices with oatmeal, or pair them with a sausage casserole, quiche, or tater tot casserole for brunch.
Finally, these baked apple slices also make a delicious dessert. They taste just like the filling from your favorite apple pie — minus the crust! Just top the warm apples with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and you’ll have a truly decadent treat with fewer calories! A drizzle of caramel sauce just takes it to the next level…
Are baked apples good for you?
Since we’re adding butter and sugar, baked apple slices are not quite as light and low-calorie as the plain, raw fruit. That said, they still include heart-healthy fiber and many essential vitamins (this article includes more detailed information about the health benefits of apples). A bowl of warmly-spiced baked apples is definitely a more nutritious option than a big slice of pie!
Preparation and Storage Tips
- The quick baked apple slices can stay at room temperature for up to 2 hours. After that time period, you will need to freeze or refrigerate them.
- Baked apple slices will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheat them gently in a skillet on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently, or microwave individual portions for about 30 seconds.
- You can freeze these apples, but they will have a slightly mushy texture when thawed. To freeze, allow apples to cool to room temperature. Seal in an airtight container or Ziploc bag, and the apples will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and then reheat according to the directions above.
Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices Recipe Variations
- Use your favorite warm spices, and adjust the amounts according to your taste preferences. For instance, just use cinnamon and skip the others. Or try cinnamon and nutmeg alone. Allspice is another great option to add to the mix!
- Don’t have cornstarch? You can omit this ingredient, but the sauce will not be as thick. It will be more like apple “juice” at the bottom of the dish (not bad, just different).
- Cut the ingredients in half to prepare a smaller apple slices recipe. Bake the fruit in a 1 ½-quart dish. The total baking time will be the same.
- Don’t have a cast iron skillet? Use a deep 9-inch square pan, an 11 x 7-inch baking dish, or even a deep-dish pie plate.
- Add fresh cranberries, dried cranberries, or raisins to the skillet for even more flavor and texture.
Tips for the Best Baked Apple Slices Recipe
- Use firm-flesh apples that will not break down during the cooking process. Good options include Granny Smith (for tart flavor), Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Braeburn, Jonagold, Winesap, Pink Lady, or a combination of these.
- We like the baked apple slices with skin; however, you can peel the fruit before slicing if you prefer.
- Slice the apples roughly the same size so that they cook evenly.
- The total baking time will vary depending on the type of apples that you use, and on the type of pan that you use. The apples are done when they’re fork-tender, but not too mushy. They should still have a bit of firm bite to them.
- Garnish the oven baked apple slices with toasted walnuts, pecans, or almonds for a nice crunch.
- For dessert, top the warm apples with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce!
More Apple Recipes to Enjoy this Season
Easy Apple Crisp
1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Apple Galette {Quick and Easy!}
3 hours hrs
Crockpot Apple Butter
12 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Looking for even more inspiration? Check out this convenient collection of more than 40 of our favorite apple recipes!
Baked Apple Slices
Ingredients
- 8 cups sliced apples (about 4 extra large apples or 6 medium apples)
- ¼ cup (½ stick) salted butter, melted
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a deep 8-inch or 9-inch square or round baking dish, or a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Set aside. Place the apple slices in a large bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
- Pour the butter mixture over the apples; toss to coat.
- Transfer the apples and any extra sauce from the bottom of the bowl to the prepared dish.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 25 minutes, or until the apples are fork-tender but not mushy. Give them a good stir to coat in the sauce, then serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Use firm-flesh apples that will not break down during the cooking process. Good options include Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Gala, Fuji, Braeburn, Jonagold, Winesap, Pink Lady, or a combination of these.
- We like the baked apple slices with skin; however, you can peel the fruit before slicing if you prefer.
- Slice the apples roughly the same size so that they cook evenly.
- The total baking time will vary depending on the type of apples that you use, and on the type of pan that you use. The apples are done when they’re fork-tender, but not too mushy. They should still have a bit of firm bite to them.
- Garnish the oven baked apple slices with toasted walnuts, pecans or almonds for a nice crunch.
- For dessert, top the warm apples with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce!
- Use your favorite warm spices, and adjust the amounts according to your taste preferences. For instance, just use cinnamon and skip the others. Or try cinnamon and nutmeg alone. Allspice is another great option to add to the mix!
- Don’t have cornstarch? You can omit this ingredient, but the sauce will not be as thick. It will be more like apple “juice” at the bottom of the dish (not bad, just different).
- Cut the ingredients in half to prepare a smaller apple slices recipe. Bake the fruit in a 1 1/2-quart dish. The total baking time will be the same.
- Don’t have a cast iron skillet? Use a deep 9-inch square pan, an 11 x 7-inch baking dish, or even a deep-dish pie plate.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in August, 2019. It was updated in September, 2021.
Sounds great.! Thank you!
I’ve made this a few times with different apples (Fuji, Gala, and Honeyscrip). It’s always been fantastic. I like to check on the apples after about 12 minutes to make sure they’re not going to overcook, and I’ve found that usually I take them out at this point.
SO good over ice cream. I’m very much a sweets person, and I was worried these wouldn’t be sweet enough, but alas they are AMAZING. Perfect combination of sweet and tart. Quite lovely with vanilla bean ice cream.
Thank you!!
That’s so good to hear, Madison! Thank you! I have a big sweet tooth, too, and I think they’re perfect. 🙂
I thought this was brilliant. I bought some apples that weren’t crisp enough so I looked around for what I could do. I mixed cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, sugar, lemon, and a dash of salt and vanilla. I added all the dry ingredients mixed it up well. Cut up the apples, and drizzled lemon over it so that they wouldn’t brown. Then I melted the butter for 40 seconds. Then added the rest of the lemon and vanilla to the dry mix, then I drizzled it over the apples. Came out delish. I have two German Shepherds that were very adamant that they have a nibble and they were instant fans as well. This was well worth it.
That’s great to hear! Thank you! 🙂
This looks so yummy and I’m putting them on my list! I have had trouble in the past with brown sugar being too hard to use. It’s hard to buy less than a pound. A couple years ago I learned to add molasses to white sugar until it is as dark as I want it to be. Molasses and white sugar hold much better than brown sugar. I have found the substitute very satisfactory and, in fact, it tastes much fresher to me than “bought” brown sugar. I’m just about to make up some and wanted to share my secret with you. Take care
Thanks, Marion. I’ve heard about that substitute, but I’ve never tried it myself. Glad to know that it works well! 🙂
Sooo glad I found this recipe. I do not cook. Like, ever. But I bought a bag of granny smith apples to eat raw and I didn’t care for them. So I thought, well I don’t want to waste them and I don’t hate baked apples AS A SIDE so let me find a recipe. This was one of the only recipes I found that wasn’t for a desert. I don’t like sweets. Other recipes were all like “tastes just like apple pie filling”… I cannot imagine why I would ever want to eat apple pie filling. Not judging those folks, just not for me. So anyhow… 5 stars, tasted great with pork loin, didn’t have to peel them and wasn’t too sweet! 🙂
Thank you so much, Wayne!
This is a wonderful recipe. It makes a large quantity. I defrost puff pastry and use the leftover apples to make apple turnovers.
Thank you, Mary! That’s a great tip!