Get ready for the best Southern Fried Apples Recipe. This classic recipe is simmered to perfection for perfectly seasoned and tender apples. Serve it with breakfast, dinner or just because.
Once you try this Southern classic, you will be hooked. Anytime I have an abundance of apples, 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.
There are so many ways to enjoy these apples, and it really is the best comfort food. The cooking time is minimum. Your kitchen will smell heavenly as the cinnamon and sugar simmers. We also love to make Crescent Roll Apple Dumplings and Air Fryer Apple Chips.
Table of contents
What are fried apples?
Fried apples are cooked and simmered in butter, cinnamon and sugar. They are so tender and flavored perfectly with the best blend of spices.
While Southern in nature, they are enjoyed by everyone and sure to impress. They are loaded with flavor and so tasty.
What are the best apples to fry?
You can use a variety of apples in this recipe.
- 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.
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.
How to make fried apples
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.
How to serve fried apples
- 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
- Watch the apples closely while they are cooking. You may need to adjust the heat as needed. You want the heat to be at a simmer.
- Don’t overcook the apples. Make sure to not cook the apples too long or they will get mushy.
- Serve the apples warm. These are best served warm.
- Try apple pie spice. You can use this spice with fresh apples instead of the cinnamon.
- Salted butter. You can use the salted variety if you prefer.
- Fresh cut apples. Try to slice the apples right before cooking so they stay fresh and don’t turn brown. If you need to cut them sooner, make sure to soak them in lemon juice.
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.
How to use up leftovers?
Leftovers are delicious for a host of ideas. Some of our favorites include.
Any of these easy recipes would be fabulous with leftover apples. We love fried apples so it is not often we have leftovers though. Therefore, you might want to make extra!
More Apple desserts to try
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
- Cracker Barrel Fried Apples
- Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie Recipe
- Apple Crisp
- 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!
