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Sauteed Apples (a la Mode!)

These sauteed apples are the perfect easy dessert! They take just minutes to make: serve topped with melty vanilla ice cream. Want an easy dessert? Look no further than these sauteed apples! There’s no baking necessary, and no advanced preparation. Just slice up some apples, saute them in butter and spices, and bam! Eat it warm topped with vanilla ice cream, and there’s really not much better. In fact, why even make apple crisp or apple pie at all? Here’s more about how to make this healthy dessert, and a few more topping ideas. Best apples for sauteed apples What variety of apple is best for sauteed apples? First off, please do not cook with red delicious apples. (Or perhaps, just stop buying them.) The ideal variety for sauteed apples is a firm, crisp tart apple. Crisp tart apples cook well and the tangy tartness accents the sweetness that’s naturally present. Here are some of the best apples for baking and cooking: Honey Crisp Jonathon or Jonagold Granny Smith Gala Fuji To peel or not to peel? Many people make sauteed apples with peeled apples. But we prefer leaving the skin on! Why? Skin on apples look prettier. The light […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

These sauteed apples are the perfect easy dessert! They take just minutes to make: serve topped with melty vanilla ice cream.

Sauteed apples

Want an easy dessert? Look no further than these sauteed apples! There’s no baking necessary, and no advanced preparation. Just slice up some apples, saute them in butter and spices, and bam! Eat it warm topped with vanilla ice cream, and there’s really not much better. In fact, why even make apple crisp or apple pie at all? Here’s more about how to make this healthy dessert, and a few more topping ideas.

Best apples for sauteed apples

What variety of apple is best for sauteed apples? First off, please do not cook with red delicious apples. (Or perhaps, just stop buying them.) The ideal variety for sauteed apples is a firm, crisp tart apple. Crisp tart apples cook well and the tangy tartness accents the sweetness that’s naturally present. Here are some of the best apples for baking and cooking:

  • Honey Crisp
  • Jonathon or Jonagold
  • Granny Smith
  • Gala
  • Fuji
Sauteed apples

To peel or not to peel?

Many people make sauteed apples with peeled apples. But we prefer leaving the skin on! Why?

  • Skin on apples look prettier. The light blush shade makes the apples look lovely, instead of just brown mushy mounds.
  • The apple skin adds texture. Sauteeing the apple with the skin gives a nice texture when you bite into it, instead of turning into mush.
  • The apple skin has lots of nutrients. Not that you’re looking for nutrients in a dessert recipe! But the apple skin has lots of vitamins like Vitamin K, Vitamin A and Vitamin C that you’re throwing away with the skin.

How to cut apples…the fast way!

You’ll need to cut the apples into 1/4-inch slices for this sauteed apples recipe. We recently learned a trick to how to cut apples the fast way. Yes, this one is a lifesaver, and we use it on a daily basis. Here’s the method or check out the video below!

  1. Holding the core of the apple, use a large chef’s knife to slice off four sides of the apple, cutting as close to the core as possible.
  2. Take one of the quarters and place it flat side down on the cutting board. Then cut it into thin slices.
  3. Repeat with the remaining quarters!

How to slice apples

How to make sauteed apples: a few tips

Outside of slicing the apples, there’s not too much to know about sauteed apples! But here are a few things to note before proceeding to the recipe below:

  • Heat the butter until it’s just starting to brown. It’s like making browned butter, but you’ll add the apples right after it browns. This technique infuses a bit of nutty flavor into the apples.
  • Cook until just tender. Some recipes for sauteed apples you cook them until they’re mush. Not here! We like our sauteed apples on the crisp tender side: this takes only 5 minutes.
  • Ice cream is required! These sauteed apples are just sweet enough on their own: they’re customized to serve a la mode! The ice cream adds the remaining necessary sweetness. A great dairy-free and vegan option is this Cinnamon Ice Cream.
How to make sauteed apples

Topping ideas for sauteed apples

What other toppings are great for sauteed apples? This fall apple dessert is perfect with so many things. Add your own flair to this easy recipe by topping with whatever tasty crunchy bits or drizzles that you’d like. Here are some ideas:

This sauteed apples recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, use coconut oil and vegan ice cream.

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Sauteed apples

Sauteed Apples (a la Mode!)


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

These sauteed apples are the perfect easy dessert! They take just minutes to make: serve topped with melty vanilla ice cream.


Ingredients

  • 3 firm large tart-sweet apples (like Honey Crisp, Jonathon, Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, etc) — enough for 5 to 6 cups sliced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 /2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3 tablespoons butter (or coconut oil for vegan)
  • 1/2 tablespoon Cointreau, optional
  • Vanilla ice cream or vegan cinnamon ice cream, for serving

Instructions

  1. Cut the apples into 1/4” slices (no need to peel unless you want to). In a medium bowl, stir together the apples with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
  2. In a large skillet heat the butter over medium heat until the butter is just starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the apples and saute 4 to 5 minutes until crisp tender. Add Cointreau if using and cook for additional 20 seconds. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Sauteed
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Sauteed apples

More great apple recipes

There are so many great ways to use apples, from breakfast to dessert. Here are some of our favorite apple recipes:

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Best Ever Sauteed Mushrooms

Attention, mushroom lovers: here’s THE perfect sauteed mushrooms recipe! It brings out the best savory flavor with lemon and fresh herbs. Hold on to your hats. This recipe truly makes the best sauteed mushrooms. They’re tender, juicy, and meaty with a brightness at the finish. Fresh thyme and oregano give an herby punch. Take one bite and you’ll exclaim “Wow!” (Yep, we promise. We did.) This recipe is plant based with not a lick of meat or dairy, but it has the feel of taking a satisfying bite of meat. It also takes only 10 minutes to make. Your side dish game will never be the same. How to make the best sauteed mushrooms on the planet OK, we jest! But only a little. These sauteed mushrooms are indeed very tasty. One bite is the very definition of umami. (If you’re not familiar, that’s the mysterious fifth flavor that rounds out sweet, salty, sour and bitter with savory.) All this is coming from a former mushroom hater. Yes, I’ve changed my tune because I’ve found that when cooked correctly, these little fungi are nature’s gift. Here’s what to do to make this easy sauteed mushrooms recipe: Clean the mushrooms and […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Attention, mushroom lovers: here’s THE perfect sauteed mushrooms recipe! It brings out the best savory flavor with lemon and fresh herbs.

Sauteed mushrooms

Hold on to your hats. This recipe truly makes the best sauteed mushrooms. They’re tender, juicy, and meaty with a brightness at the finish. Fresh thyme and oregano give an herby punch. Take one bite and you’ll exclaim “Wow!” (Yep, we promise. We did.) This recipe is plant based with not a lick of meat or dairy, but it has the feel of taking a satisfying bite of meat. It also takes only 10 minutes to make. Your side dish game will never be the same.

How to make the best sauteed mushrooms on the planet

OK, we jest! But only a little. These sauteed mushrooms are indeed very tasty. One bite is the very definition of umami. (If you’re not familiar, that’s the mysterious fifth flavor that rounds out sweet, salty, sour and bitter with savory.)

All this is coming from a former mushroom hater. Yes, I’ve changed my tune because I’ve found that when cooked correctly, these little fungi are nature’s gift. Here’s what to do to make this easy sauteed mushrooms recipe:

  • Clean the mushrooms and slice them.
  • Saute the mushrooms in olive oil for 2 minutes.
  • Add roughly chopped fresh thyme and oregano and continue to cook, about 4 to 5 minutes.
  • When the liquid is cooked out, turn off the heat and stir in fresh lemon juice.
Sauteed mushrooms

What’s the best type of mushroom to use?

Great question! The type we recommend for these sauteed mushrooms is baby bella mushrooms (also called cremini). Why? This variety is a more mature version of a white button mushroom, so it has a more robust flavor. As the name implies, it’s also a less mature version (baby!) of a portobello mushroom. You can use white button mushrooms if you can’t find baby bella mushrooms, but we recommend seeking them out if at all possible.

Can you use portobello mushrooms? Or a mix of other mushrooms? Yes! Portobello mushrooms have a great meaty flavor. They’ll just have a slightly different look here: simply chop the caps into bite-sized pieces. Using a mix of mushrooms is also nice (we do this in our Mushroom Pasta). Try a mix of baby bella with shiitake and oyster, which results in lots of flavor and texture contrasts.

Cremini mushrooms

Can you use dried herbs instead?

Short answer: No. For these sauteed mushrooms, you want the best flavor. And the very best flavor comes from using fresh herbs. The herbs we’ve used are thyme and oregano, which add an herby punch. You could definitely use other herbs you have on hand, but these offer the best flavor. It’s becoming easier to find these fresh herbs in grocery stores, and of course if it’s the summer: grow your own!

Longer answer: OK, if you absolutely must use dried, it will still taste good: just not sublime! Here’s the key: For 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, substitute 1 teaspoon dried herbs. (This works for any dried herbs.) So for the 1/3 cup fresh you’d substitute about 3 teaspoons dried oregano and 2 teaspoons dried thyme. I’m intentionally burying this info in hopes you won’t read it and just make it with the beautiful fresh herbs as stated!

Mushrooms in pan

Ways to serve sauteed mushrooms

There are so many ways to serve these sauteed mushrooms! They’re a fantastic whole food plant based (WFPB) side dish recipe, but there’s much more you could do with them.

Mushrooms nutrition

Alex and I eat these sauteed mushrooms because of their incredible flavor. But want more reasons to eat mushrooms? According to the New York Times, here are some of the nutritional benefits of mushrooms:

  • They’re low in calories and fat and cholesterol-free (like all vegetables!)
  • They have over a dozen minerals and vitamins (like potassium, magnesium, zinc, B vitamins such as folate)
  • They’re high in antioxidants (like selenium and GSH), which are believed to protect cells from damage and reduce chronic disease and inflammation.
Mushrooms in pan

Use them in pasta, bruschetta & more

These sauteed mushrooms are SO good, we’ve used the same concept of oregano, thyme and lemon juice in a few of our other recipes. There’s not just a favorite side dish, there are so many other ways to use them:

Mushroom pasta
This Mushroom Pasta is a fan fave! It uses a mix mushroom types, paired with the same flavors as this recipe.

This sauteed mushrooms recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Print
Sauteed mushrooms

Sauteed Mushrooms (Best Ever!)


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (8 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 2 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 9 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings

Description

Attention, mushroom lovers: here’s THE perfect sauteed mushrooms recipe! It brings out the best savory flavor with lemon and fresh herbs.


Ingredients

  • 16 ounces baby bella (cremini) mushrooms
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh thyme and oregano*
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil**
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Meanwhile, rinse the mushrooms and wipe off dirt. Then slice them. Chop the fresh thyme and oregano.
  2. In a saute pan or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often (the mushrooms will start to release their liquid at this point).
  3. Add the herbs and kosher salt and pepper and cook another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is cooked out and the mushrooms are tender. (Taste to assess doneness.)
  4. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice and stir. Taste and add another pinch salt as necessary.

Notes

*We highly recommend using fresh herbs here for the best flavor; do not substitute dried. 

**Step it up and add a richness with butter if you’d like!

  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Sauteed
  • Cuisine: Plant Based

Keywords: Sauteed Mushrooms

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes