Warm, buttery Fried Apples made with cinnamon and sugar are the ultimate comfort food side dish or dessert. Perfect with breakfast, pork chops, or a scoop of ice cream.
Fried Apples are a simple and comforting treat that brings the flavors of fall to your table. Cooked in butter, cinnamon, and sugar, they’re tender, sweet, and full of warm spice. Perfect as a side dish for breakfast, a topping for pancakes or ice cream, or even on their own as a cozy dessert.
I love to make a skillet of fried apples. It is one of my favorite Easy Apple Desserts along with Easy Fried Apple Pies Recipe and Applesauce Bread.
Table of contents
Why We Love This
- Quick and easy – Ready in just a few minutes with simple ingredients.
- Warm and comforting – Perfect for cozy breakfasts or as a dessert topping.
- Versatile – Serve alongside pancakes, oatmeal, pork chops, or ice cream.
- Naturally sweet – The natural flavor of apples shines with just a touch of sugar and cinnamon.
- Family-friendly – A favorite with both kids and adults alike.
Ingredients
- Granny Smith Apples. The tartness of Granny Smith perfectly balances out the sweetness of the recipe.
- Lemon. Fresh is best.
- Light Brown Sugar. You can make Homemade Brown Sugar Recipe.
Get the entire ingredients for Fried Apples Recipe at the bottom of the page.
Additions
- Nuts. Add pecans or walnuts to the apples.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1. Prepare the apples. Peel, core and slice all of the apples.
Step 2. Once you have peeled the apples, place the apple slices in a large bowl. Coat them with the lemon juice from the lemon. This will help prevent them from browning.
Step 3. Melt the butter in a pan. Use a large skillet over medium-low heat to melt the butter. Whisk the sugars and ground cinnamon mixture into the melted butter.
Step 4. Stir in the apple slices. Cook the apples until they are tender for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
- Pork Chops. These easy slow cooker pork chops are so decadent with fried apples as a side dish.
- Pancakes or Waffles taste amazing with apples. Jazz up breakfast with a delicious homemade topping for your favorite breakfast items. French Toast is another great option.
- No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It is so creamy and delicious. This tastes like apple pie in a bowl.
Pro Tips
- Simmer gently – Keep the heat at a low simmer and watch the apples closely to avoid overcooking or turning them mushy.
- Serve warm – Fried apples are best enjoyed immediately while still warm and tender.
- Try apple pie spice – Swap cinnamon for apple pie spice to add extra depth and warmth to the flavor.
- Salted or unsalted butter – Use salted butter for a richer taste, or unsalted to better control the seasoning.
- Use fresh-cut apples – Slice apples just before cooking to keep them from browning. If prepping early, soak slices in a little lemon juice to preserve their color.
- Even slices – Cut apples into uniform pieces to ensure they cook evenly.
- Optional sweet boost – Sprinkle a little brown sugar over the apples while cooking for extra caramelized flavor.
- Add a splash – A small splash of apple cider, lemon juice, or maple syrup can enhance the flavor and create a light glaze.
How To Use Leftovers?
Leftovers are delicious for a host of ideas. Some of our favorites include.
FAQs
Any large skillet will do but I prefer to use a cast iron skillet. This type of pan makes it really easy to cook evenly. I find that you can control the temperature perfectly.
The butter melts evenly and the apples are cooked to absolute perfection.
Store the leftover fried apples in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep up to 5 days.
Just keep in mind that the longer they sit in the fridge the texture may change. The apples will become mushier.
–Granny Smith. I prefer Granny Smith because they are slightly tart. They combine with the sugar for the perfect combination.
–Golden Delicious apples. If you like Cracker Barrel’s fried apples, this is what they recommend. Just keep in mind this variation is easier to bruise. You will need to be extra careful handling this type of apples.
–Fuji apples also make a great selection. These apples are sweeter. If you use this type of apples, the amount of sugar might need to be adjusted. You will probably not need as much sugar as the recipe calls for.
While Granny Smith provides the perfect blend of tartness and sweetness, any of these types of apples would suffice. Anytime I have extra apples of any kind, I use them to make fried apples and have also used pink lady apples, Honeycrisp and braeburn.
More Apple Desserts
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
- Cracker Barrel Fried Apples
- Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie Recipe
- Baked Apples Recipe
- Air Fryer Apples Recipe
- Apple Crostata Recipe
Fried apples are a must try. Please leave a comment and star recipe rating once you try it.
Southern Fried Apples
Ingredients
- 4 Granny Smith Apples
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
Instructions
- Peel, core and slice the apples. Place them in a bowl and coat it with the lemon juice from the lemon to keep them from browning.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Then whisk in the sugars and ground cinnamon.
- Then stir in the apple slices. Cook the apples until they are tender, 10-15 minutes. Watch the apples closely while they are cooking and adjust the heat as needed. You want the heat to be at a simmer. Make sure to not over cook the apples as they will get mushy.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
