Healthy Spiced Apple Skillet Cake

This healthy skillet apple cake is the perfect simple dessert for fall! Made with whole wheat flour, loaded with apples and lower in sugar, this perfectly spiced apple cake is healthy enough for breakfast.

This post was originally published September 2017 and has been updated.

I'm not quite ready to jump into all things pumpkin yet. I won't break out the pumpkin until October. It's still reaching the 90's here in Texas. So I like to ease into fall with apples and pears. For this period that Texans like to call 'fake fall,' I love this healthy skillet apple cake!

Why You'll Love This Healthy Apple Skillet Cake

Not only is this cake incredibly easy to make with just a bowl, a whisk and a knife, it's also incredibly delicious! You'd never know that it's actually a bit healthier. Whether topped with powdered sugar, ice cream, whipped cream, or a dollop of yogurt, you can whip up this perfectly spiced apple cake in no time for anything and everything from brunch to dessert. Get ready for your house to smell divine.

What Makes This Apple Cake Healthy?

Not that any cake is health food, but this cake is darn close without sacrificing any taste. It's made with white whole wheat flour (I like to bake with Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour), Greek yogurt, applesauce, and three whole apples, with just enough sugar and oil to make it still taste amazing. It's probably got less sugar than many breakfast foods, so go ahead and have a slice topped with some Greek yogurt with your morning coffee!

How To Make Skillet Apple Cake

1. Mix the wet ingredients (plus the sugar) in a large bowl. 
2. Stir in the dry ingredients. 
3. Fold in the apples. 
4. Pour the batter into a skillet. 
5. Top with cinnamon sugar apple slices and bake.

Tips and Ingredient Substitutions

• Make sure to whisk the wet ingredients well so that they are nice and smooth. 
• Careful not to over mix when you stir in the dry ingredients. Mix just until the flour streaks disappear.
• If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can bake in a round cake pan. You will have to increase the bake time for 8- or 9-inch pans. 
• If you don't have applesauce, you can use more yogurt. 
• You can use all purpose flour in place of whole wheat if you'd like. 
• To make this cake gluten-free, use your favorite cup-for-cup gluten-free flour.
• The apple slices on top are optional, but I think they're pretty!

More Apple Recipes You'll Love

• Whole Wheat Apple Walnut Galette
• Perfect Apple Crumb Pie
• Whole Wheat Lattice Apple Pie
• Apple Pie Brown Butter Blondies
• Apple Pie Overnight Oats
• Healthy Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Healthy Skillet Apple Cake

Print Recipe

This healthy skillet apple cake is the perfect simple dessert for fall! Made with whole wheat flour, loaded with apples and lower in sugar, this perfectly spiced apple cake is healthy enough for breakfast.

• Author: Kaleigh
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
• Category: dessert
• Method: baked
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the cake:

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup oil (I use avocado oil)
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ⅓ cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 small apples, diced

For apple topping:

• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 10-inch cast iron skillet or other baking dish with parchment (optional) and/or lightly grease with oil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk yogurt, applesauce, oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
3. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Whisk until flour mixture is just mixed in.
4. Gently fold in diced apples.
5. Pour batter into prepared skillet.
6. Thinly slice apple for topping. Place it in a bowl and toss with cinnamon and sugar. Arrange apple slices on top of the cake batter in a single layer.
7. Bake about 40 minutes (start checking at 35 minutes) or until center is set. Remove from the oven and cool.
8. Serve dusted with powdered sugar or whipped cream (optional).

Notes

• You can bake this cake in a round cake pan if you'd rather. You may need to bake a little bit longer if you use an 8 or 9 inch dish.
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Keywords: skillet apple cake, healthy apple cake, easy healthy apple cake, easy apple cake