These sweet vanilla spiced apples are perfect served on top of ice cream, pancakes, or French toast. Ready in under 30 minutes and such a great use for all those fall apples.
Nothing says autumn more than sweet, soft, vanilla-spiced apples.
Kept in the fridge, you can make a batch of these vanilla spiced apples and have them on hand anytime you need a sweet treat.
They’re my favorite go-to for late-night desserts or an easy way to elevate breakfast in the morning.
Trust me, you’ll love these juicy and sweet vanilla spiced apples.
Plus, this recipe uses my favorite kitchen ingredient – vanilla bean paste!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Vanilla Spiced Apples
- Unsalted butter – This is the fat used for this recipe to help add moisture.
- Dark brown sugar – Dark brown sugar adds a deep, sweet molasses flavor, unlike traditional white sugar.
- Vanilla bean paste – A super-concentrated, thick, vanilla flavoring.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is used to thicken the juices in our vanilla spiced apples.
- Cold water – This gives us more liquid to help cook and soften the apples.
- Apples – Apples are juicy and firm, and widely available at any grocery store.
- Salt – All desserts need a bit of salt to help balance and bring out the flavors in the dish.
Uses for vanilla spiced apples
Firstly, you’re only limited by your imagination!
These vanilla spiced apples work well in many different places.
For desserts, you could spoon them over cold, creamy ice cream, or you could even eat them as is, in a bowl, with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
For breakfasts, spoon them on top of a stack of warm French toast or waffles.
Or use them mixed in a bowl of yogurt and granola.
Apple varieties
In most of your local grocery stores, there’s a huge variety of apples to choose from!
So how do you know which ones will be best for vanilla spiced apples?
My favorite type of apple to use for this recipe is Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady. They are crispy, crunchy, sweet, and tangy.
They also hold their shape and don’t dissolve into applesauce when cooked down.
I would stay away from McIntosh, Gala, fuji, or Red Delicious. These are often mealy apples, and will not hold their shape through the cooking process.
What is vanilla bean paste?
I’ve used vanilla bean paste here for a couple of reasons.
Vanilla bean paste is a thick, sweet, concentrated vanilla bean product.
You’re able to see the little specks of vanilla, and the flavor is front and center.
Vanilla bean paste is available online for purchase, or in gourmet food shops.
If you don’t have access to vanilla bean paste, you can always just use an actual vanilla bean!
To get all of the good pulp out of a vanilla bean, simply cut it down the middle lengthwise.
Storage and leftovers
Lastly, these spiced apples can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
They could be frozen but the apples will soften more with freezing.
More apple recipes
- Looking for a tasty breakfast? Try my Apple Pie Smoothie Bowl.
- Craving something cold and crunchy? Try my Shaved Brussels Sprouts Apple Bacon Salad.
- Love all things spicy? Try my Spiced Pork Chops with Charred Poblano Apple Salsa.
- Want a classic apple treat? Try my Apple Pie Coffee Cake.
Vanilla Spiced Apples
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 apples peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1-1/2 cups cold water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Add butter to a large skillet and melt over medium heat.
- Once butter is melted add apple slices and cook for 5 minutes to soften apples.
- Add brown sugar, vanilla bean paste, kosher salt, and stir to combine.
- In a mixing glass whisk together the cold water and cornstarch and pour into the apple mixture.
- Continue to cook over medium heat until apples are soft, about 15 minutes.
- When apples are soft you can turn up the heat to quickly thicken the syrup.
- The apples and syrup will be ready once it reaches a maple syrup consistency.