Fried Apples Recipe For The Perfect Sweet Side
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This fried apples recipe is a total Cracker Barrel copycat. Coated in a deliciously sweet cinnamon-sugar sauce, these Southern fried apples make the perfect sweet side dish.
Growing up, Mama always let us choose the menu for a special meal on our birthdays. As you can imagine, these delectable fried apples were always on my list. This is how she made them and these are a striking twin to the Cracker Barrel fried apples. We also like to have them with our holiday meals, too. Fried apples are an excellent Thanksgiving side dish alongside family favorites like baked ham and sweet potato casserole.
Fortunately, this Southern fried apples recipe is a super easy fall recipe to make and a tasty way to prepare apples year-round (move aside, apple pie). All you need is some crisp fresh apple slices and then cook the delicious apple sauce. Featuring apple juice, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and cornstarch, it’s the perfect combination of sweet and spice. Once you have one bite, I guarantee you’ll go back for seconds!
Enjoy your Southern skillet fried apples for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Serve them with French toast for breakfast, roast chicken for lunch, and whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Recipe Ingredients
- Apples (Golden Delicious)
- Apple Juice
- Sugar
- Corn Starch
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
Place apples in a single layer in a large skillet.
Pour apple juice over the apple slices.
Cook apples over medium heat. You want these to just simmer until the apples are fork-tender. Keep an eye on these while you do the next steps. You’ll need to be nearby to turn them a few times in order to have them cook evenly.
While those are cooking, put corn starch, allspice, cinnamon, and sugar in a medium-sized bowl.
Stir that up with a wire whisk.
Once your apples are fork-tender, remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon so the juice remains in the pan.
Now, you really do want these fork-tender, not cooked to the point of surrender 😉.
Just set them aside in a bowl, big enough to stir a bit because we are about to pour a sauce over them.
That hot apple juice in your skillet is now going to be poured into your bowl of dry ingredients.
Whisk this together until smooth (until you get all of the lumps and such out).
Pour this mixture back in your skillet and cook over medium heat until bubbly and thickened.
Pour this gooey goodness over your cooked apples.
Stir it up until you have this magnificent dish overflowing with .
Enjoy!
Storage
- Store fried apple leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed.
- Once cooled, you can also store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating as instructed above.
Recipe Notes
- If you’ve never used allspice in your apple dishes, you are missing out! What allspice does is make the cinnamon *pop* in your recipes. It simply amplifies the cinnamon flavor. I like to add a pinch of it (a generous pinch) whenever cinnamon is called for in addition to the cinnamon.
- Another option is to use cinnamon and nutmeg if you prefer, or .
- Cut your apples in wedges but leave the skin on for a more traditional side dish. Don’t worry, it will be nice and tender when they are done!
- Substitute the sugar for brown sugar (or use a combination of both) for a more caramelized flavor.
Recipe FAQs
What is the best apple variety to use for this Southern fried apples recipe?
While I used Golden Delicious, you can use any kind of tart apple variety, like Granny Smith apples, Jonathan, Braeburn, Honey Crisp, or Pink Lady apples.
You might like these other appetizing apple recipes:
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups apple juice
- 4 large golden delicious apples unpeeled and cut into wedges
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 4 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- In a large skillet, combine the apple juice and sliced apples. Heat on medium until apples are fork-tender, turning often to enable even cooking. Be careful not to overcook apples. Remove apples from the juice with a slotted spoon and place them in a large bowl.2 1/2 cups apple juice, 4 large golden delicious apples
- In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir with a wire whisk until well blended. Pour hot apple juice into the dry mixture. Whisk vigorously until all lumps are gone. Pour this mixture back into the skillet and heat on medium heat, whisking constantly, until bubbly and thick.3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 tsp allspice, 4 tablespoons sugar
- Remove from heat and pour the sauce over the apple slices in the bowl. Stir until apples are evenly coated.
I can see using these apples on the cheesecake bar. The more toppings the better.
I made these apples for my husband and he was like a kid in a candy store! Thank you Christy! I have really enjoyed preparing your recipes for my family.
Christy my doctor will love you. I made these with Splenda and they gave my oatmeal a fabulous topping! Chlosterol dropping as we speak:)
These apples are awesome…and even better with some butter melted into the sauce. I do that with Cracker Barrel fried apples too. I know…gilding the lily, but there isn’t anything that a little butter or bacon grease doesn’t improve :0)
I made these to go with dinner tonight. I usually make a recipe that has a bit of butter and uses brown sugar and flour. The other recipe is good too, but I adore all the wonderful sauce with this recipe! They were so good, my husband and I would have finished the whole pot if I hadn’t taken it away so we can have leftovers tomorrow. I tweaked it a little bit, partly out of necessity. We had some white grape juice languishing in the fridge so I used that instead of the apple juice (you couldn’t tell it wasn’t apple), and I made the sauce a bit different. I held back 1/2 cup of the juice and stirred the dry ingredients into that in a measuring cup, then poured it right into the pan after removing the apples. Also cooked the apples in a sauce pan with a lid so I didn’t have to get my big skillet dirty. Regardless of how it gets assembled, this recipe is a winner for sure!
Just made this — o my goodness I eat the whole thing!
Yeah it smelled up my house and my 2 yr old granddaughter was taking a nap – she woke up had one spoon full left ..
I am making more – cause she is asking for more ” more granma – please” my heart melts when she say please.. Gotta go – thanks for giving this one out and it’s a cooler day like fall too!
I like the way you think…I’ll be sure and make mine when nobody is home but us chickens. 😉