Brandied Cinnamon Apples

These brandied apples are cooked in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, warm spices, and brandy until the apples are tender and the sauce turns glossy and syrupy. The hardest part is peeling the apples, and not sipping up all the brandy while you cook.

This is a grown up cinnamon apple topping you can spoon on just about anything! The brandy gives the apples a nice finish that makes them taste like more than regular cinnamon apples.

WHAT MAKES THESE DIFFERENT

These are not plain cinnamon apples with a tiny splash of liquor hiding somewhere in the background. The brandy gets added in two stages so the flavor actually comes through.

Some of it goes into the sauce while the apples cook, and the rest is stirred in at the end. That little final splash helps the brandy flavor really come through and make it all worth it!

And it’s not overpowering. Not “whoa, somebody got heavy handed.” Just enough to make you feel like you didn’t waste your time buying the bottle.

RECIPE NOTES BEFORE YOU START

The best apples to use for this one

I used Gala apples because they are naturally sweet and soften nicely without needing a long cook time.

Other good options include:

• Honeycrisp for a sweet apple that holds its shape well.
• Fuji for a firm, sweet apple.
• Pink Lady for a sweet tart flavor.
• Granny Smith if you want more tartness to balance the brown sugar.

If you want neat apple slices, avoid apples that break down quickly. Softer apples can still taste good, but they may turn into more of a chunky apple compote instead of pretty apple slices.

What kind of brandy should you use

Use a regular brandy you enjoy drinking or cooking with. You do not need anything expensive. Apple brandy or Calvados also works well if you want to lean into the apple flavor.

Why the brandy goes in twice

The first tablespoon of brandy is mixed with cornstarch and added to the sauce. This helps the sauce thicken and gives the apples a little brandy flavor as they cook. That final addition keeps the brandy from tasting flat or completely cooking the brandy flavor out.

HOW TO MAKE THEM

1. Start by peeling, coring, and slicing the apples. Try to keep the slices close to the same size so they cook evenly.
2. Mix one tablespoon of brandy with the cornstarch and set it aside. This helps thicken the sauce later so it coats the apples instead of staying loose and watery.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the brown sugar. Let the sugar and butter dissolve until the mixture looks smooth and shiny. This only takes a short amount of time, so keep an eye on it and stir so the sugar does not scorch.
4. Stir in the brandy cornstarch mixture, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Then add the sliced apples and cook until they are tender.
5. You want the apples soft enough to pierce with a fork, but not so soft that they fall apart. The sauce should look shiny and lightly thickened, and it should coat the apples instead of pooling like water in the bottom of the pan.
6. Once the apples are cooked, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining brandy. Let the apples sit for about 2 minutes before serving so the glaze can settle around the fruit.

Pro Tip – For More Vanilla Flavor – I originally added the vanilla with the spices while the apples cooked, and that still works. If you want the vanilla aroma to stand out a little more, stir it in at the end with the final splash of brandy. It rounds out the sauce without taking over the brandy flavor.

TIPS AND TROUBLESHOOTING

If the apples are too firm

Keep cooking them for another 1 to 3 minutes, stirring gently so they cook evenly. Thicker apple wedges will need more time than thin slices.

If the apples are too soft

They cooked a little too long, or the apple slices were very thin. They will still taste good, but the texture will be softer and more like a chunky apple compote.

If the sauce is too thin

Let the apples cook for another minute or two so the sauce can reduce and thicken. The cornstarch helps the glaze come together, but it still needs heat to activate and thicken.

If the sauce is too thick

Add a small splash of water, apple juice, or brandy and stir gently until the glaze loosens.

If the brandy flavor is too strong

Let the apples sit for a few extra minutes before serving. The flavor will mellow slightly as they rest. For a lighter brandy flavor, next time use less of the final brandy addition at the end.

If the brandy flavor is too weak

For a stronger brandy flavor, use the full amount and make sure you stir it in after removing the apples from the heat.

BEST WAYS TO SERVE THEM UP

These brandy apples work as a brunch topping, dessert topping, or a sweet side for savory meals.

• For brunch, spoon them over waffles, pancakes, French toast, oatmeal, yogurt bowls, or crepes. I have a homemade DIY dry waffle mix that you can whip up to go with these apples. Plus, you get to keep the rest of the dry mix in your pantry for an easy go to breakfast using your own mix!
• For dessert, serve them over vanilla ice cream, pound cake, cheesecake, bread pudding, or bundt cake.
• For savory meals, try them with pork chops, roasted pork, holiday ham, roasted chicken, or a brunch plate with biscuits, bacon, and eggs.

And yes, if it is your day off, you can absolutely serve them with the rest of the brandy if you prefer… hehe

STORAGE AND REHEATING

These brandied apples are best when they are warm right out of the pan, but leftovers still reheat well.

• Store any leftover apples with the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The glaze will thicken as it chills, and the apples will soften a little more after sitting in the sauce.
• To reheat, warm the apples gently in a small saucepan over low heat until the glaze loosens and the apples are heated through. If the sauce looks too thick, stir in a small splash of water, apple juice, or brandy to get that spoonable glaze.
• You can also reheat them in the microwave in short intervals, stirring between each cooking time you add. Just try not to overheat them, because the apples can go from tender to mushy pretty fast once they have already been cooked.

FAQs

WHY THESE BECAME MY WEEKEND TREAT

These brandied cinnamon apples used to help me get out of bed on my weekends off from work, because they felt like a sweet little treat with a twist. Like the lady in the hot sauce commercial said, “I put that s%#! on everything.”

They were my way of turning a weekend morning or any morning I finally had off into a little adult brunch moment. Because nine times out of ten, we all probably deserve that moment.

And as the man of the house likes to say, “Treat yourself, don’t cheat yourself.”

MORE BRUNCH AND BREAKFAST RECIPES

Add these Blueberry Ricotta Waffles to your menu for breakfast! The waffles are soft, lightly sweetened, and tender from the ricotta and juicy blueberries.

If you are planning a whole brunch spread with a little grown up flair, my Buttermilk Waffles with Raspberry Mascarpone Cream fit right in. They have fluffy buttermilk waffles, raspberry mascarpone cream, and a champagne raspberry drizzle great for special occasions.

For another fruity brunch recipe, try these Fluffy Pancakes with Strawberry Champagne Glaze. The pancakes are soft and fluffy, and the strawberry champagne glaze has just the right amount of sweetness to round out the dish.

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