Healthy Caramelized Apple Topping

These delicious Healthy Caramelized Apple Topping tastes great with waffles, pancakes and even a pork loin. It’s even delicious on its own. It’s the perfect fall AIP recipe!

My 3-year-old son’s new favorite word is ‘appa’ or apple for those that don’t speak toddler. It’s the time of year where apples are bountiful at the grocery store. They always hit us as we enter the store and my son is heaven. Appas are everywhere! He’ll yell and scream until I load more apples in the cart.

Are caramelized apples good for you?

This AIP dessert goes by a lot of names; fried apples, southern fried apples sautéed apples but they are all essentially the same thing. This version is a lot healthier than the traditional recipes because it doesn’t use loads of butter and sugar. I use coconut oil and maple syrup to keep it AIP friendly.

Not sure how to use this apple topping?

They taste great on their own but they are a great with these recipes.

• Great topping for Plantain Waffles
• As a side dish to Prosciutto Pork Wrapped Stuff Pork with Brussel Sprouts
• As a side dish to Rosemary Roast Pork
• As a topping for Coconut Panna Cotta
• As a topping for these Beth Blends Pancakes or Waffles.

Ingredients

• Coconut Oil: This will add a nice flavor, but you can use avocado oil which is more neutral.
• Apples: Just peel and slice thinly. They need to be about 1/4 inch thick to cook.
• Maple Syrup: Make sure you’re using pure maple syrup. Check the ingredients.
• Ground Cinnamon
• Salt: Make sure to use sea salt.
• Shredded Coconut: This is optional. But it’s a nice garnish and yummy addition.

How to cook caramelized apples?

1. Melt oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Then add the apples to the pan.

2. Let them sauté in the pan while stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 5 minutes total.

3. Stir in syrup, cinnamon and salt then reduce heat to low. Let simmer until apples are soft, about 5 minutes.

4. Serve warm with shredded coconut, if desired.

Tips for making the best Healthy Caramelized Apples

• You’ll need a large skillet or cast iron pan for this recipe. See my Best Pans for Chemical Free Cooking post if you need help picking out the best and safest pans. 
• The recipe calls for coconut oil as the coconut adds a wonderful flavor to the recipe however you can substitute for avocado oil, which is more neutral tasting.
• This is a super simple recipe and great for beginners.

What can I do with lots of apples? Here are a few of my favorite AIP dessert recipes featuring apples.

• Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter
• Gooey Apple Sheet Cake (Please note that this recipe includes eggs which is an AIP Reintroduction)
• Persimmon Butter
• Coconut Panna Cotta (This recipe doesn’t include apples but they would make a really good fall topping)
• Apple Pie Smoothie (Tastes. Just. Like. APPLE PIE!)

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Helpful Info for All Recipes

• I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise.
• I always use Himalayan sea salt or Celtic sea salt, unless otherwise noted.
• The majority of my recipes are strict AIP or include notations for reintroductions. However while I make every effort to label non-AIP ingredients and recipes sometimes they slip past me. If you have questions, please ask in advance.

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