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There’s something about the combination of apples and cinnamon that just feels like comfort to me—warm, cozy, and full of childhood memories. This healthy cinnamon apple cake made with Kodiak mix (affiliate link) is my WW-friendly take on that classic flavor pairing, and it comes together so easily.
It bakes up moist and golden, with a caramelized apple topping that makes it feel a little special—but still simple enough to enjoy as a weekday dessert, a cozy brunch addition, or even a low-point late-night snack.
WW Points and Nutrition
Each slice of this Kodiak Cinnamon Apple Quick Cake has about 160 calories.
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Ingredients + Easy Substitutions
This easy fall dessert uses just a handful of everyday ingredients. Here’s what I used—and how you can swap them if needed:
- Truvia (affiliate link) Sweet Complete Brown Sugar Blend – Adds that brown sugar flavor without all the calories. You can also use coconut sugar, Swerve Brown (affiliate link), or just plain brown sugar.
- Truvia Baking Blend (affiliate link) – A reduced-calorie sweetener that bakes well. Regular sugar or your favorite baking blend works, too.
- Ground cinnamon – I love how much flavor this adds—especially when it mixes with the apples.
- Butter – For the topping—it helps the cinnamon sugar turn gooey and golden.
- Apple – Use your favorite baking variety. I used a Pink Lady here, but Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith also work great.
- Egg – Helps hold everything together.
- Reduced-fat buttermilk – Keeps the cake moist and tender. If I don’t have any, I just add a tablespoon of lemon juice to milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Vanilla – For warmth and depth.
- Kodiak Buttermilk Power Cakes mix – This high-protein mix makes things easy and wholesome. Bisquick Heart Smart or a gluten-free baking mix are great alternatives.
- Nutmeg – Optional, but I love the extra warmth it brings.
How To Make Kodiak Cinnamon Apple Quick Cake, Step-by-Step
Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients.
Step 2: Place oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Step 3: Lightly spray and 8-inch round cake pan with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
Step 4: Whisk together the Truvia Brown Sugar, 2 tablespoons Truvia Baking Blend and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
Step 5: Add the butter to the prepared cake pan and heat in the oven until just melted.
Remove pan from oven and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.
Carefully place the apple slices over the sugar in the bottom of the pan, slightly overlapping the slices.
Step 6: Whisk together the egg, buttermilk and vanilla in a small mixing bowl.
Step 7: Whisk together the baking mix, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, the remaining 4 tablespoons Truvia Baking Blend (affiliate link), and the nutmeg.
Step 8: Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry mixture and stir with a large spoon, just until incorporated.
Step 9: Pour the batter over the apple slices and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Step 10: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Run a small thin knife between the cake and pan to loosen. Place a cake plate over the pan and invert to release the cake.
Step 11: Serve warm, topped with light whipped topping, a scoop of frozen yogurt or light ice cream.
Recipe Notes
- Baking Mix Options: This cake was tested with Kodiak Buttermilk Power Cakes. Bisquick Heart Smart, Pioneer Reduced Fat, or Carbquik will also work. You can even make your own healthy DIY baking mix.
- Apple Choices: Use your favorite variety — Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Jazz, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith are great for baking.
- No special tools required: A mandoline (affiliate link) can give even apple slices, but a sharp knife works just fine.
Serving Suggestions
This cake is best served warm. Here’s how I love to enjoy it:
- On its own—plenty of flavor as-is!
- With a sprinkle of cinnamon or apple pie spice
- Topped with a dollop of light whipped topping
- With a scoop of light vanilla frozen yogurt or low-calorie ice cream
- Drizzled with warm maple syrup for an indulgent twist
- Find More WW-friendly dessert ideas here
It’s one of my favorite WW-friendly fall desserts—simple, satisfying, and so good with a cup of coffee or tea.
Leftovers? No Problem.
I store leftover slices in an airtight container — either on the counter for a day or two, or in the fridge if I want it to last longer. A quick 10–15 second zap in the microwave (affiliate link) brings it right back to life.
If you’ve made this Kodiak Cinnamon Apple Cake, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Cinnamon Apple Quick Cake
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Truvia (affiliate link) Sweet Complete Brown Sugar Blend
- 6 tablespoons Truvia Baking Blend
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large apple (golden delicious, honey crisp, pink lady, etc.), peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup reduced fat buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-1/2 cups reduced fat baking mix
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Place oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Lightly spray and 8-inch round cake pan with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
- Whisk together the Truvia Brown Sugar, 2 tablespoons Truvia Baking Blend and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
- Add the butter to the prepared cake pan and heat in the oven until just melted. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Carefully place the apple slices over the sugar in the bottom of the pan, slightly overlapping the slices.
- Whisk together the egg, buttermilk and vanilla in a small mixing bowl.
- Whisk together the baking mix, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, the remaining 4 tablespoons Truvia Baking Blend, and the nutmeg.
- Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry mixture and stir with a large spoon, just until incorporated.
- Pour the batter over the apple slices and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Run a small thin knife between the cake and pan to loosen. Place a cake plate over the pan and invert to release the cake.
- Serve warm, topped with light whipped topping, a scoop of frozen yogurt or light ice cream.
Notes
(Must be logged into WWW on a smartphone or tablet.) 4 PointsPlus (Old plan) One reason why this snack cake is quick to make is because it begins with a healthy reduced-fat baking mix. There are lots of choices out there: Bisquick Heart Smart, Krusteaz, Gold Medal Baking Mix, Jiffy Baking Mix, Bobs Red Mill and one of my personal favorites, Kodiak. You could also make your own homemade Bisquick replacement, which I also prefer to do sometimes. If you have a gluten intolerance, be sure to use a gluten-free baking mix. Pick your favorite apple to make this cake. Some personal favorite apples for baking include: Fuji, Jonagold, Jazz, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady (which I used to make my cake), and Granny Smith. If you have one, you could use a mandoline slicer to prepare your apple slices all of a uniform thickness, but you could also just use a sharp chef’s knife on a cutting board (which is what I did). They won’t be the exact same thickness, but my cake still turned out delicious.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe source: Eat What You Love Everyday (affiliate link) by Marlene Koch
More WW-Friendly Kodiak and Cake Recipes
- A light, WW-friendly chocolate chip snack cake made with Kodiak mix (affiliate link), this Kodiak Chocolate Chip Snack Cake is quick to stir together in one bowl and perfect for lunchboxes or afternoon treats.
- Lunch Box Snack Cake – A simple one bowl kid-friendly snack cake perfect for midweek treats and lunchboxes.
- Bright, tropical, and surprisingly light, this Orange Pineapple Muffin Cake is made with crushed pineapple and citrus zest.
- Whole Wheat Mixed Berry Coffee Cake – A berry-studded breakfast cake that’s just sweet enough and full of wholesome ingredients.
- WW Friendly Apple Desserts – A roundup of easy, satisfying apple treats that won’t blow your points budget.
Can this be made ahead of time and frozen ?
Hi Roxanne,
I haven’t tried to make it ahead and freeze it. If you do would love to know how it turns out for you. ~Martha