These sweet Southern-style Fried Apples are my go-to recipe whenever I have an abundance of apples, especially after apple picking. It’s so easy to fry apples, and they go with everything, so we quickly go through a giant bag of apples! Your family will be reaching for seconds of these sweet and sticky sautéed apples with cinnamon.
If you’ve still got extra apples leftover, then you should make my Apple Pie Recipe or Apple Strudel. They’re packed with apples and are so tasty.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Apples — the best apples for frying are a tart variety to balance out the sugar added to the apples. You want to get apples that will hold up when you fry, as some types can get mushy. The best apples to fry are Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady.
Sugar — you can use either white sugar or brown sugar. Brown sugar will add more of a toffee-like flavor due to the added molasses. You can even use a mix of both.
Butter — make sure to buy unsalted butter, or your fried apples may come out salty. There’s no added salt to this recipe, so you can’t simply omit salt to make up for using salted butter.
HOW TO MAKE FRIED APPLE
1. Peel, core, and slice the apples.
2. In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and cinnamon, stirring until sugar is moistened. Cook until the mixture is boiling, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the apples and stir to coat.
4. Cook, frequently stirring until the apples are cooked to desired tenderness, 6 to 10 minutes for crisp-tender and about 15 minutes for very soft apples. Serve fried apples immediately.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- Feel free to use a combination of apples if you don’t have enough of one variety.
- If you find this fried apple recipe too saucy, you can serve it with a slotted spoon.
- Don’t have cinnamon? Try using apple pie spice or nutmeg instead.
- Make sure to slice the apples evenly, as uneven apples will cause some pieces to be overcooked. Overcooked apples tend to lose their flavor and turn mushy.
- If you double the recipe, you’ll have to use a large skillet or two skillets as you don’t want to overcrowd the skillets.
- If you choose to keep the skin on the apples, make sure you give them a good scrub, as some apples have wax sprayed on them to help them retain moisture at the store.
- To mix up the flavor, try adding 3 tablespoons of bourbon towards the end of cooking, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or bean paste with the apples.
- For a thicker syrup, dissolve ½ teaspoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water and stir into the skillet with the fried apples. Cook for 1 minute, while stirring, until thickened.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What pan should I use?
I prefer to use a cast-iron skillet for this recipe as it distributes the heat more evenly. However, a non-stick skillet will work as well.
What can I serve these apples with?
There are so many ways to enjoy these fried apples! They can go with breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Serve them with some pancakes, waffles, crepes, vanilla ice cream, yogurt, oatmeal, pork chops, pork tenderloin, roasted turkey, baked chicken, and more!
How do I store leftovers?
Transfer leftover apples to an airtight container once they’ve cooled. Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Heat leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave just until warmed throughout when ready to enjoy.
Can I freeze this?
I don’t recommend you freezing these fried apples. After freezing and thawing, the texture of the apples may turn mushy.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this Fried Apple recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Fried Apples
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter (85g)
- ½ cup granulated or light brown sugar (100g)
- 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 large apples peeled, cored, and sliced (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady)
Instructions
- In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and cinnamon, stirring until sugar is moistened. Cook until the mixture is boiling, about 2 minutes.
- Add the apples and stir to coat.
- Cook, frequently stirring until the apples are cooked to desired tenderness, 6 to 10 minutes for crisp-tender and about 15 minutes for very soft apples. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Feel free to use a combination of apples if you don’t have enough of one variety.
- If you find this fried apple recipe too saucy, you can serve it with a slotted spoon.
- Don’t have cinnamon? Try using apple pie spice or nutmeg instead.
- Make sure to slice the apples evenly, as uneven apples will cause some pieces to be overcooked. Overcooked apples tend to lose their flavor and turn mushy.
- If you double the recipe, you’ll have to use a large skillet or two skillets as you don’t want to overcrowd the skillets.
- If you choose the keep the skin on the apples, make sure you give them a good scrub, as some apples have wax sprayed on them to help them retain moisture at the store.
- To mix up the flavor, try adding 3 tablespoons of bourbon towards the end of cooking, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or bean paste with the apples.
- For a thicker syrup, dissolve ½ teaspoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water and stir into the skillet to the fried apples. Cook for 1 minute, while stirring, until thickened.
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