This dish is a southern favorite, and after making a batch, I can see why! Thanks to just four ingredients, this recipe for fried apples is super easy to make and super versatile. Buttery, sweet and tender, cooked apples in a syrupy cinnamon sauce can be served with sweet or savory dishes, or simply eaten on their own—the possibilities are endless.
One of the more popular southern side dishes, fried apples are perfect with country breakfast classics like bacon, pancakes or thick waffles, or dinner staples like pork roast, easy chicken dinners or one-dish sausage recipes. They can even be folded into batters for desserts like apple cake and apple muffins. And ice cream! Because fried apples freeze well, you might want to make a double (or triple) batch.
Ingredients for Fried Apples
- Apples: Choose types of apples with a firm texture, such as Granny Smith or Braeburn; a tart apple will balance the sweetness, too. Here’s how to peel an apple, if you’re not a fan of the peel. When cutting the apples, make the slices all the same size—about 1/2-inch thick. Any thicker and they may take longer to cook through. If you have too many apples and simply can’t use them up, here’s how to store apples for future use.
- Butter: You’ll fry, or cook the apples down, in butter. You can use salted or unsalted butter, just pick the best butter for the best flavor.
- Sugar: Use white granulated sugar and add it to the recipe in two steps: First to cook down the apples, and another at the end of the cooking time to thicken the sauce.
- Cinnamon: What could be better with apples? Just a little cinnamon stirred in at the end is all it takes to complete your fried apples.
Directions
Step 1: Add the first ingredients to the pan
Place a large, heavy-duty skillet on the stove over medium heat and add in the cubed butter. Stir the butter until it’s completely melted; slide the sliced apples into the pan along with 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. Stir everything together until the apples are coated.
Editor’s Tip: We love using a cast-iron skillet to make this recipe. It does a fantastic job of cooking the apples and sauce evenly, even when set over low heat.
Step 2: Cook the apples
Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook the apples for 20 minutes, stirring them often, until they’re tender.
Step 3: Stir in the remaining ingredients
Remove the lid and stir in the rest of the granulated sugar and the cinnamon. Increase the heat to medium. Cook and stir the apples for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and fragrant. Serve the fried apples while warm—they’re delicious over any of the best vanilla ice cream brands.
Recipe Variations
- Add some spice: While delicious with just cinnamon, try this fried apple recipe with a sprinkle of additional spices like nutmeg, ground cloves and ginger. It will give your apples a delectable, holiday-like flavor.
- Stir in dried fruit: This is a great way to cook with dried fruit. Dried cranberries, pineapple bits, cherries or prunes give the fried apples more flavor and a little texture.
- Add bacon drippings: When making fried apples for breakfast, readers like adding a tablespoon or two of bacon drippings to the pan. The drippings give a subtle smokiness and savory flavor to the sweet fruit.
- Try a brown sugar swap: Replace the white sugar in the recipe with light brown sugar, and your fried apples will have rich caramel flavor and color.
- Make it a little less sweet: Our readers say that cutting the amount of sugar in half and adding a splash of lemon juice makes a batch of fried apples that are less sweet, but every bit as tasty.
How to Store Fried Apples
Once the apples have cooled completely, spoon them into an airtight container, and store them in the fridge. For the best texture, use the apples within four to five days. Reheat the apples over medium-low heat on the stove or in short bursts in the microwave.
Can you freeze fried apples?
Yes, and what a great reason to make a double batch. After preparing the fried apples, let them cool completely. Spoon the apples and sauce into an airtight, freezer-safe container and place it in the freezer. Store the frozen fried apples for three to six months. When you’re ready to use them, let the apples thaw in the refrigerator. Then, warm them up gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
Fried Apples Tips
What kind of apples are best for frying?
Choose apples that are firm enough to hold their shape once cooked; apple varieties that are on the tart side will balance well with the sweet, cinnamon sauce. Some varieties that meet both of these criteria are Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Empire, Braeburn and Cortland apples.
How do you thicken fried apples?
The sugar that you add near the end of the cooking time, and the final five to 10 minutes of simmering, should thicken the sauce. Still not thick enough? Whisk together a tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water. Add this slurry to the fried apples and simmer for another five minutes until they thicken up.
What do you serve with fried apples?
With that thick, sweet sauce, we love fried apples over ice cream, cornbread or with a slice of coffee cake. Fried apples can also be topped with streusel, like with these apple streusel muffins, baked like an apple crisp, or topped with biscuit dough for apple cobbler. But don’t stop at dessert! Make fried apples to top breakfast dishes, like waffles, pancakes and French toast. The sweet, spiced apples are also tasty alongside savory dishes like southern fried pork chops, a gorgeous sugar-glazed ham and roast chicken.
