Caramelized Apple Topping (VIDEO)

Sauteed to perfection in butter and brown sugar with a dash of cinnamon this Caramelized Apple Topping is the easiest and most delicious recipe to try this Fall! It's a versatile topping layered in warm comforting flavors that goes wonderfully on pancakes, waffles, crepes, and ice cream and can also be used in a variety of baked goods as well as savory dishes too.

Jump to:

• 🌟 Why this is the best recipe
• 📝 Ingredient notes
• 👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe
• 📚 Flavor variations
• 🎓 Expert tips
• ❓Recipe FAQs
• 🍎 More Apple dessert recipes
• 🍎 More frosting & filling recipes
• Caramelized Apple Topping (VIDEO)

🌟 Why this is the best recipe

1. Simple recipe – No fancy ingredients are needed to make this easy Caramelized Apple Topping recipe. The steps are very simple and it all comes together in just a matter of minutes. It's a great recipe even if you are just a beginner in the kitchen.
2. Super delicious – The butter and brown sugar meld together beautifully with the apples and cinnamon as the mixture cooks together. It's a delicious apple cinnamon topping that is layered in lovely caramel flavor. Looking for the best apple caramel sauce? You found it!
3. No special equipment is needed – To make this recipe all you need is a saute pan! Not even an oven in this case. And if you don't have a saute pan you can even just use a saucepan.
4. Super versatile topping – This is hands down the best caramelized apple topping for pancakes, waffles, crepes, cakes, ice cream, pork, and even cheese. The sauteed apples can also be used as pie filling, a topper for cupcakes, and mixed into a cake batter or bread dough. You can even turn the recipe into a more healthy apple topping for pancakes by adding honey instead of sugar or skipping the sweeter all together
5. It's a detailed tutorial - While this recipe is incredibly simple, I've shared as much information as possible. I want to help you make these easy caramelized apples for almost any recipe! So, don't skip the expert tips or FAQ!

📝 Ingredient notes

1. Butter: To help control the amount of salt always use unsalted butter for all baking unless a recipe indicates otherwise. And I also use European-style 82% fat content butter in all my recipes.
2. Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice prevents the apples from turning brown as well as balances out the sweetness.
3. Apples: Ideally, use a type of apple that is firm and crisp in texture such as Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp. However, any kind of apple can work. Just keep in mind that softer apples can sometimes fall apart while cooking.
4. Sugar: Both light and dark brown sugar naturally have molasses in them, which makes them a fantastic option. Yet, you can also use granulated sugar if you like or even a mixture to make caramelized apple topping or a combination of granulated and brown sugar can work fine as well. If you want to learn more about the different types of sugar and how to use them in baking, please read my sugar guide.
5. Spices: Cinnamon is almost always used to add a touch of spice to cooked apples. Yet, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, or pumpkin pie spice are also wonderful additions and go beautifully with apples. And a pinch of thyme or oregano adds a wonderful dash of savory flavor when serving cooked apples with meat or cheese.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

1. Best apples to use

When cooking apples you should ideally use a type of apple that is both firm and crisp in texture such as Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp. Firmer types of apples tend to hold their shape well. However, you can caramelize any type of apple, but do keep in mind that softer varieties can turn to mush.

The most popular type of apples used in baking are Granny Smith apples. Not only do they have a nice firm texture, but they also have a lovely tart flavor that melds wonderfully with brown sugar and butter. By using firm apples you will be able to cook the best crispy caramelized apples!

💡Top Tip:  Choose a type of apple that is firm in texture for the best consistency and tart in taste for the best flavor.

2. Step-by-step preparation process

How to make caramelized apples? It is a super simple process that only takes about 15 minutes. It's also a relatively flexible cooking method so you can cook them longer if you want to brown the apples more or less if want them to stay a bit more firm.

You can also modify the consistency of the caramelized apple topping by the amount of butter and sugar used making it drier or juicier. For example, if only a little bit of butter and sugar is used then the apples will caramelize but will be less juicy with less sauce. However, if more is used the topping will be saucier and have a deep caramel apple taste.

Yet regardless of what type of apples you choose to use, how much butter and sugar, or spices, the steps are exactly the same when caramelizing apples.

1. Peel and cut the apples into pieces that are identical in size. It can vary from smaller pieces to bigger slices, the key is to cut them more or less identical so they will be cooked at the same time. As you cut each apple sprinkle the pieces with freshly squeezed lemon juice to keep them from turning brown as you cut the rest.
2. Melt butter, sugar, and spices in a saucepan then place the apples in. Cook the apples over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the apples have softened and a glaze has formed. As the apples cook make sure to move them around the pan every few minutes so that they don't stick to the bottom of the pan or burn.

💡Top Tip: Make sure not to overheat the mixture while cooking as that would result in the butter separating. If that happens, switch to a hand whisk and whisk the mixture vigorously until butter and sugar come back together

3. How to use

This Caramelized Apple Topping recipe is incredibly versatile. It pairs really well with so many different types of dishes ranging from breakfast, brunch, and dessert to savory foods like meats and cheeses. Consider if you want to make your caramelized apples savory or sweet before adding the sugar and spices.

Here are a few ways to use this delicious caramel apple topping:

• Breakfast: You can use it to make caramelized apple pancakes or add it on top of greek yogurt! Top waffles, air fryer pancakes, and French Toast to add a bit of warm apple yumminess. Or, twist the sweet topping into some dough and make a delicious Cinnamon Apple Babka that goes wonderful with a simple coffee in the morning.
• Dessert: Ice cream, yogurt, pound cake, and crepes are all super yummy topped with cooked apples. You can also use them in baking too to make a caramelized apple dessert recipe like apple crumble or Apple Pie Cupcakes. You can even fill cake layers or choux party like this Apple Cream puff
• Savory: Pork and sauteed apples are a popular culinary match. They are also delicious when served with soft cheeses like warm brie or goat cheese.

💡Top Tip: The temperature of the apple topping impacts its texture and consistency. Hot caramelized apples are runnier; whereas, cold cooked apples are firm and the sauce thickens slightly. So you may want to keep this in mind when choosing how to serve the apple topping.

📚 Flavor variations

Cooked apples can be added to both sweet and savory dishes. So you may want to alter the flavor profile depending on how you want to use them. And because this caramelized apple recipe is so simple this is quite easy to do.

By adding more or less sugar you can easily modify the level of sweetness making it easy to use more sugar in dessert recipes and less in breakfast and savory dishes. It's also possible to make caramelized apple topping with no sugar at all or use an all-natural sugar like honey in place of the brown sugar. But do keep in mind that how much sugar you use will impact the final texture of the sauce.

You can also use different spices like nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to boost the warm caramelized flavor. Cardamon is one of my favorites when used with cinnamon on apples as it adds the slightest hint of sweet floral flavor. And herbs like thyme, rosemary, and oregano with a pinch of salt are a fantastic addition to cooked apples when serving them alongside grilled or roasted pork.

💡Top Tip: When using herbs to customize the flavor profile start with just a pinch and then taste before adding more.

🎓 Expert tips

1. Use high-quality 82% fat content European style unsalted butter for the best flavor.
2. Use a type of apple that is both firm and crisp in texture like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Softer apples can fall apart and turn to mush.
3. For a deeper flavor use dark brown sugar. It has a little more molasses in it than light brown sugar.
4. The caramelized apple topping must be chilled before being added to any kind of dough. Warm apples will melt and ruin the dough.
5. To create a firmer texture, which works well in pie, you will need to add a bit of cornstarch to thicken the glaze.
6. If you decide to add less butter and sugar, do not forget stirring constantly the mixture while cooking
7. Move the apples around the pan as they cook so that they not only cook evenly, but also so that they don't stick to the bottom of the pan or burn.
8. Add more butter and sugar for a saucier consistency and less for a drier consistency.
9. Be as creative as you like by adding herbs and spices. This versatile topping is very easy to customize.

❓Recipe FAQs

🍎 More Apple dessert recipes

🍎 More frosting & filling recipes