Soft, tender and sweet, learn how to make the perfect healthy stewed apples this apple season. There is so much you can do with stewed apples, whether that’s to make an apple crumble or apple pie, use them to top porridge or overnight oats or serve them alongside some yoghurt, custard or ice cream. It always helps to have a stewed apples recipe in your back pocket.
Jump to Recipe
My simple recipe makes a small batch but you can easily make a big batch by doubling, tripling or quadrupling the recipe. Stewed apples are great for gut health as they are easily digested and don’t put any extra strain on the digestive system. Plus they provide soluble fibre (prebiotic fibre) and insoluble fibre, which helps to feed the good bacteria in our guts. I’ve listed some more of the health benefits further down in the post for you to read. Some of my favourite ways to use these stewed apples is to top my Applesauce Overnight Oats with them or to use in my Gluten Free Apple Crumble.
What’s to Love About Healthy Stewed Apples
- easy to make – you don’t need to have excellent cooking skills to be able to make this recipe.
- use in a variety of ways – there are so many delicious recipes that you can use these yummy cinnamon stewed apples in. Or just eat them as they are!
- minimal & simple ingredients – make healthy stewed apples with just 4 ingredients, all of which are easily found at the grocery store!
- great for meal prep – prepare these stewed apples on a Sunday for a healthy dessert or healthy addition to breakfast and snacks throughout the week.
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
As I mentioned, you only need four ingredients to make these stewed apples. I found everything I needed at my local grocery store. I’ve popped down any possible substitutions below as well as any ingredient notes. The full recipe including ingredient quantities, can be found at the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- apples – you can use any apples that you prefer to use, whether that’s your typical cooking apples (Granny Smith apples), pink lady apples or honey crisp. I have chosen to peel the apples but you can keep the apple skins on if you prefer. The apple peel are highly nutritious and provide pectin, a soluble fibre and prebiotic, which promotes a healthy digestive system and overall health. It’s completely up to you if you use organic or non-organic apples. Non-organic apples may have some pesticide residues so make sure you wash them well.
- coconut sugar – you can also use brown sugar or maple syrup in place of coconut sugar. If you are trying to reduce the sugar content then you can reduce the amount of sugar or leave it out all together.
- ground cinnamon – cinnamon is also optional but it adds a delicious flavour and has lots of healthy properties. Cinnamon has anti-inflammatory effects and has antioxidant properties as well as so many more health benefits. You can swap the cinnamon for a cinnamon stick, just remove before eating. Or you can use apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice.
- water
How to Make Healthy Stewed Apples
First you will need to peel apples and then core and dice or slice the apples. I like diced apples but you can also do apple slices if you prefer.
Add the apple slices or diced apple to a medium saucepan. If you are doubling or tripling the batch then you will need to use a large saucepan. Add the water, coconut sugar and ground cinnamon to the pan. Stir to combine and turn the heat to high to bring the water to a boil.
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Keep stirring until the sugar is all dissolved into the water. Turn the stove to a medium heat and allow to simmer. Stir occasionally as the apples simmer. Once the liquid has reduced to a syrup-like consistency, turn off the heat and set aside. At this point the apple pieces should be soft and tender as well.
How to Use Stewed Apples
Here are some of my favourite ways to use stewed apples:
- serve over ice cream or custard for a delicious dessert.
- serve over yoghurt for a healthy dessert or snack.
- use to make apple turnovers
- use to top overnight oats, chia pudding, porridge or granola.
- make apple crumble or apple pie
Health Benefits
Gut health
Eating cooked apples instead of raw apples can help promote digestive health, particularly when you have been unwell or digestively challenged. Eating cooked and easy to digest foods like stewed apples can help your body to heal itself from leaky gut. Apples, especially apple skin, contains pectin, which is a soluble fibre that works as a prebiotic, feeding beneficial bacteria. The fermentation of pectin results in the production of short chain fatty acids in the gut microbiota. Short chain fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects which help to reduce hypertension, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, obesity and more.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer and antidiabetic effects and has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease. It can help to promote more stable blood glucose levels and reduce oxidative stress.
Healthy Stewed Apples
Equipment
- Chopping Board
- peeler
- Medium saucepan
- Large spoon
Ingredients
- 3 apples, peeled, cored and diced or sliced
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Add the diced apples to a medium saucepan along with water, coconut sugar and cinnamon. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce to a medium heat, stirring occasionally as the apples simmer. Once the liquid is reduced down to a syrup-like consistency, turn off the heat and set aside.
- Once cooled to room temperature, transfer apples to a glass airtight container and store in the fridge for up to one week.
Notes
Serving Suggestions
Use to top:- chia pudding
- porridge
- yoghurt
- custard
- ice cream
- overnight oats
- granola
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