Old fashioned red hot cinnamon apples are a classic side dish or simple dessert. My great-grandma served them with pork chops but they are also wonderful with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream.
This vintage recipe only takes three ingredients to make. The candy gives these stewed apples there bright red color, cinnamon flavor and cozy nostalgic feel.
We recently hosted an apple cook-off for our family and friends. Two times a year we get everyone together and have them make something around a theme.
After much debate, my grandma settled on making these red hot apples as her entry. She said her mom used to make them to serve with pork chops.
I instantly fell in love with them. Something about the the bright red color and the vintage feel really drew me in.
In fact, my grandma recently gave me some of her recipe boxes so there are likely to be quite a few old fashioned recipes headed your way over the next several months. If there is something in particular you would like to see, you can always let me know about it in the comments below and I will do my best to make it for you.
Anyway, these apples were a fun way to connect to the cooks who came before me. Little Dude loved them as well, which is a surprise because I would have told you he doesn’t like the red hot candies.
Tips for Making Red Hot Apples
Red Hots are also known as Cinnamon Imperials, so you may find them other either name at the grocery store. Around Christmas time they usually have little tubs of them in the cake decorating section, but this time of year they were in a bag in the candy aisle.
It is best to use an apple that can stand up to cooking in this recipe. That way you won’t end up with bright red applesauce.
Jonathan, Jonagold, Braeburn and honeycrisp are all good options for cooking. They hold their shape wile cooking and have great flavor.
Storage
Store your stewed apples in the refrigerator for up to a week. When you transfer them to the storage container, keep them in the red juice.
They will become more vibrant and flavorful as they sit.
Where can you buy Red Hots?
Look for them in the candy aisle of the grocery store. Sometimes they also have tubs of cinnamon imperials in the baking aisle with the cake decorating supplies.
They have a long shelf life, so you can stock up on them during Christmastime if they are hard to find during other times of the year.
Red Hot Cinnamon Apples
Old fashioned red hot cinnamon apples are a classic side dish or simple dessert. My great-grandma served them with pork chops but they are also wonderful with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. apples
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup Red Hot candies
Instructions
- Wash apples. Remove cores and peel if desired. Cut into your preferred shape. Rings, chunks or slices work.3 lbs. apples
- In a large saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water over medium heat.1 cup granulated sugar,1 cup water
- Add the prepared apples and red hot candies. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.½ cup Red Hot candies
- Drop the heat to medium-low and simmer until the apples are cooked to your preferred tenderness. Add a couple of drops of red food coloring if you would like a deeper red color.
- Allow to cool then serve or transfer to a storage container and refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
- The apples are great served warm or chilled as a side dish, snack or simple dessert.
Notes
Red Hots are also known as Cinnamon Imperials.
Store your apples in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Use a good cooking apple such as Jonathan, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp.
