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Skillet Fried Apples

By on | Updated on
5 from 2 votes
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If you love the fried apples at Cracker Barrel then you’ll love this Fried Apples Recipe!

Cracker Barrel is a favorite restaurant for folks and fried apples with cinnamon are one of my favorite menu items as they are a classic southern side dish. These Cracker Barrel Fried Apples are about to become your new favorite thing!

A spoon with Cinnamon Fried Apples held over a black skillet with Skillet Fried Apples covered in cinnamon and a sugary sweet sauce. In the background are three green apples, a glass of milk, a blue napkin, and cinnamon sticks.

With apple season around the corner, this is a great recipe to use up those Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples.

This delicious fried apple recipe with sliced apples truly shines when served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for one of our favorite Dessert Recipes or when served as one of our Southern Side Dishes with pork chops.

Table of Contents
Fried apples in a white bowl with a blue rim sitting on blue denim with a green apple, a glass of milk, partial view of 2 other apples, and a bowl with biscuits.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Easy Recipe. These fried apples with cinnamon are easy to make because they are skillet fried!
  • Delicious Treat. Tender apples are drenched in a sweet, sticky, cinnamon-y sauce making these fried apples a scrumptious apple dessert!
  • Texture. The apple slices are tender but not mushy, but with all the cinnamon and sweetness you get at Cracker Barrel.
  • Delicious Side Dish. Did you know these fried cinnamon apples are often served as a side dish to pork chops.

Why This Recipe Works

Tried and True Recipe. My grandmother first introduced me to this Southern fried apples recipe years ago as it was one of her favorites to share with the grandkids. So you can trust this recipe as it is a tried and true recipe that has been made for decades.

Overhead view of a blue and white bowl with skillet fried apples sitting on a blue denim napkin with three Granny Smith apples, a glass of milk, and 4 cinnamon sticks, with a bowl of biscuits and cornbread in the upper left corner. All on a light blue-gray, beige, and white board.

What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

Equipment

The affiliate links below will allow you to see the product on Amazon.com. If you purchase one of the items, I will receive a very small commission on the product, which does not increase the price.

Ingredients

Below, I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions if you don't have a specific ingredient. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.

Overhead photos showing the Labeled Ingredients for Skillet Fried Apples on a white marble background. Ingredients include Golden Delicious apples, brown sugar, apple juice, granulated sugar, butter, cinnamon, and cornstarch, each in individual bowls, except for the apples, which are sitting on the marble counter.
  • Butter. Be sure and use real butter and not margarine for the best result. I used unsalted real butter, but you could use salted butter.
  • Granulated Sugar.
  • Brown Sugar. You can use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar.
  • Cinnamon. Use ground cinnamon in this recipe.
  • Golden Delicious Apples. I used golden delicious apples because they have a sweet yet mild flavor, but if they are unavailable, you could also use Pink Lady, Fuji, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Gala, or Granny Smith apples.
  • Apple Juice. If you don’t have apple juice, you can use apple cider as a substitute and it will still be delicious.
  • Water
  • Cornstarch

How To Make Fried Apples

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir constantly until the butter and sugars are melted.

A 2-photo collage with photos side by side, the first on the left shows the individual ingredients, butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon, added to a black skillet. The 2nd photo on the right shows the brown sugary sauce after it has been cooked down.

Add the apples and coat them in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place a lid on the pan and bring it to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until tender-crisp. Gently stir every few minutes to not break up the apples.

A 2-photo collage with the photo on the left showing the sliced apples added to the black skillet, and the photo on the right after the apples have been cooked and tossed in the sugary sauce.

In a bowl or measuring cup stir together the apple juice and the cornstarch.

2-photo collage with the left photo showing a hand holding a small green bowl, with cornstarch inside, over a measuring cup with apple juice. The photo on the right shows the measuring cup with a spoon in a milky looking apple juice, in which the cornstarch had been stirred into the apple juice.

Slowly stream this into the simmering apples, stirring constantly. Cook for one minute until thickened.

A 2-photo collage with the photo on the left showing a measuring cup pouring out a cornstarch and water mixture onto fried apples in a skillet. In the left photo, it shows the finished fried apples with the sugary sauce.

Serve immediately.

A white bowl with blue trim holding Skillet fried apples in a sticky cinnamon sugar sauce, sitting on top of a denim napkin with a spoon on the left and 3 golden apples behind the bowl at the top right of the photo.

Recipe Tips

  • Peel or No Peel. If you don't want to peel the apples, you can still make them with the peel on. However, Cracker Barrel peels their apples, so we do it for this recipe. This recipe is spot on!
  • Sugar. If you want the apples to taste like Cracker Barrel fried apples, then I recommend using light brown sugar. However, if you prefer a little more flavor depth, use dark brown sugar. If you really want more depth of flavor, then just use all dark brown sugar instead of 1/2 granulated and 1/2 brown sugar.
  • Cinnamon. You can adjust the amount of cinnamon to your taste. You can add up to a tablespoon of cinnamon. Another option is to add other apple pie spices, such as ground nutmeg, ground clove, and ground allspice, or just use apple pie spice.
  • Applesauce. If you prefer to make applesauce instead, then I recommend following my recipe for Homemade Crock Pot Applesauce.
a photo showing a blue bowl with fried apple slices sitting on top of a denim napkin with spoons to the left of the bowl, 5 cinnamon sticks scattered about, 3 apples, a glass of milk and a bowl of biscuits in the background, all sitting on top of a light gray wood background.

What To Serve with Fried Apples

  • Ice Cream. Top the apples with vanilla ice cream or the ice cream flavor of your choice.
  • Yogurt. Spoon a dollop of yogurt over the fried apples.
  • Granola. Sprinkle granola over the fried apples.
  • Pancakes and Waffles. We love to serve these apples over Buttermilk Pancakes and waffles, but they also make a delicious side with breakfast.
  • Pork Chops. Serve these fried apples with pork chops, such as Instant Pot Smothered Pork Chops.
  • Oatmeal. Serve as a side dish with a bowl of oatmeal.

FAQs

How Do I Store Fried Apples?

Place the fried apples in a freezer-safe, airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Can I Freeze Fried Apples

Yes you can freeze the fried apples. Place them in a freezer-safe airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

A side view of a white bowl with blue trim inside with fried apple slices with 2 spoons on top of a denim napkin with 5 cinnamon sticks scattered about with 2 apples, a glass of milk, and an apple behind the glass of milk, a bowl of 3 biscuits.

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Recipe

Skillet Fried Apples Recipe

By Michele @ Flavor Mosaic
5 from 2 votes
Skillet Fried Apples are pan-fried in a sweet and sticky cinnamon sugar sauce that can be served as dessert with ice cream or as a side with pork chops or chicken.
Fried apples in a skillet and a spoon holding a spoonful of fried apple slices above the skillet with 3 golden apples with a glass of milk and blue napkin in the background.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 248

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2.5 pounds Golden Delicious apples (peeled and cored, 1/2 inch slices)
  • 1/2 cup apple juice
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions 

  • In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir constantly until the butter and sugars are melted.
  • Add the apples and coat them in the mixture. Place a lid on the pan and bring it to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until tender-crisp. Gently stir every few minutes to not break up the apples.
  • In a bowl mix together the apple juice and the cornstarch. Slowly stream this into the simmering apples, stirring constantly. Cook for one minute until thickened and serve immediately.

Video

Tried this recipe?Please Rate this Recipe!

Notes

Peel or No Peel. If you don't want to peel the apples, you can still make them with the peel on. However, Cracker Barrel peels their apples, so we do it for this recipe. This recipe is spot on!
Sugar. If you want the apples to taste like Cracker Barrel fried apples, then I recommend using light brown sugar. However, if you prefer a little more flavor depth, use dark brown sugar. If you really want more depth of flavor, then just use all dark brown sugar instead of 1/2 granulated and 1/2 brown sugar.
Cinnamon. You can adjust the amount of cinnamon to your taste. You can add up to a tablespoon of cinnamon. Another option is to add other apple pie spices, such as ground nutmeg, ground clove, and ground allspice, or just use apple pie spice.
Storage.  Place the fried apples in a freezer-safe, airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 336IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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Comments

  1. Abby says

    5 stars
    These skillet fried apples were better than the ones from Crackel Barrel! My kids asked me if I could make them again sometime this week.

    Reply

  2. Kara says

    5 stars
    My mom used to make these all the time, but I haven’t had them in ages. Brought back some happy (and yummy) memories!

    Reply

  3. volarekathy says

    These look delicious and easy to make. I’ve had the ones at Cracker Barrel and look forward to making these at home!

    Reply

    • Michele says

      Hi VolareKathy,

      Thanks for the nice comment.

      Michele

      Reply
5 from 2 votes

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