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Home » Classic Southern Recipes

Published: Oct 4, 2022 · Modified: Sep 3, 2024 by Pam

Fried Apples (Quick & Easy)

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pin image of close up spoonful of fried apples

Fried apples are a delicious, but simple, and easy to make side dish. They're perfect at breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.

bowl of fried apples

They're not actually fried, but rather apple slices that are cooked in a skillet with a few classic ingredients. Your house is going to smell delightful while these apples are cooking and they taste as good as that aroma!

Jump to:
  • Ingredients/Substitutions
  • How to make them
  • Should you peel apples before cooking?
  • Tips and Tricks
  • A few items you may need:
  • Storing
  • What to serve with your apples
  • 📖 Recipe
  • More simple, easy recipes

Ingredients/Substitutions

  • Apples, of course - Any good firm cooking apple will be great. Our favorites are Granny Smith's and we use them in our Apple Pie, Baked Brie with Apples and Bacon, Apple Berry Crisp, Apple Cobbler with Bisquick and our famous Grilled Apples. Several other varieties would work fine, and if you've ever wondered "what are the best cooking apples?" we've linked here to a great guide to apples.
  • Lemon juice - A little bit keeps your apples from browning as you're cutting them up. Actually, anything acidic will work like lime juice, etc. I've even heard of people putting their apple slices in watered down citrusy soft drinks like Sprite.
  • Butter - Use the real thing (always) and salted or unsalted is fine. (Just like in our Vegetable Au Gratin)
  • Brown sugar - We typically keep light brown on hand, but dark would work also.
  • Cinnamon
apples, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon

(see recipe card below for quantities)

How to make them

  1. Wash and slice your apples, keeping the slices as close as possible to the same size. This ensures even cooking.
  2. As you slice, toss them into a bowl with water and a bit of lemon juice. This prevents browning while you finish prepping the apples.
  3. Melt the butter in a skillet at medium heat just until melted and then add the apple slices.
  4. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon and stir well, turning the heat up to about medium-high.
  5. Now stir and cook until the apples are a bit less than the tenderness you like. (They will continue to cook a little after you take them off the heat.) Depending on the thickness of your slices this will take anywhere from 6-10 minutes.
  6. That's it y'all!

Should you peel apples before cooking?

It's entirely up to you. We don't because we like that extra bit of crunchy texture. Most importantly though, apples that are not peeled are significantly higher in nutritional value than peeled apples.

Tips and Tricks

As mentioned above cutting into similar sized pieces will give you apple slices that cook at the same rate.

Stirring as you cook also helps this process. Get the slices off the bottom onto the top and vice versa.

We do love our cast iron skillets so much that we have an entire category of recipes dedicated to them. But, for fried apples we prefer a lighter weight skillet. Why?

Apples are sensitive to the heat and it's easy to get them overdone and mushy. The way a cast iron skillet holds the heat is fabulous in many cases, like Hot Fudge Pudding Cake and Smoked Baked Beans. But, for apples a skillet that cools faster is best.

close up of spoonful of fried apples

A few items you may need:

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  • An apple slicer/corer is especially helpful, though not essential.
  • A lightweight skillet, as mentioned above.
  • Good quality cinnamon is always a nice touch.

Storing

Your apples will keep covered tightly and refrigerated for 5-6 days. Just rewarm them when ready to eat in a skillet or in the microwave.

We have not tested freezing.

What to serve with your apples

Naturally, you'll think of serving them with any Breakfast or Brunch food like Sourdough French Toast, Sweet Potato Muffins, Cinnamon Scones or this Keto Breakfast Casserole.

The really great thing about fried apples, though is that they are a delicious side dish with any meal - and they pair especially well with a pork main dish like Ham on the Big Green Egg or Grilled Pork Tenderloin. They also go well with this chicken and grits dish.

bowl of pan fried apples with ingredients underneath

📖 Recipe

square image of cooked apples in bowl

Fried Apples

Pam
Fried apples are a delicious, but simple, and easy to make side dish. They're perfect at breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.
5 from 18 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 8 minutes mins
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Side Dish
Servings 4 people
Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 apples, sliced about 3 large - 5 small
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Cut apples into equally sized pieces and soak in a bowl with the lemon juice and enough water to cover.
  • Drain the apples.
  • Melt butter in skillet over medium heat and as soon as melted add apple slices.
  • Add remaining ingredients and cook at medium high heat, stirring constantly for 7-10 minutes or until desired tenderness.

Notes

  • 3 large or 5 medium apples equals about 1.5 pounds
  • recommend a lightweight skillet
  • Any citrus juice can be substituted for lemon juice

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 73mgPotassium: 172mgFiber: 3gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 337IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cinda j says

    October 06, 2022 at 11:06 pm

    I cut the brown sugar in half. My apples were sweet enough, I'm TYPE 1 DIABETIC. They were delicious, and not mushy. Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Pam says

      October 10, 2022 at 9:47 am

      Awesome to hear Cinda! We typically use Granny Smith apples and they are quite tart so the amount of brown sugar is perfect with them.

      Reply
  2. Amy Joseph says

    October 09, 2022 at 11:02 pm

    5 stars
    This is a keeper, i put this recipe with my favorites

    Reply
  3. Dana says

    October 14, 2022 at 10:05 am

    5 stars
    My son loves these! He's at that picky stage so liked things to be pretty simple and this recipe was right up his alley. Of course my husband and I devoured some, too. Haha.

    Reply
  4. Toni says

    October 14, 2022 at 10:14 am

    5 stars
    This is such a great idea!! My kids loved it! Thanks!

    Reply
  5. gunjan says

    October 14, 2022 at 10:22 am

    5 stars
    These fried apples are my favorite now. I often snack on it when I crave something sweet. So good and so delicious every time I make it.

    Reply
  6. Jen says

    October 14, 2022 at 10:26 am

    5 stars
    Love how easy it is to make!! So perfect for any time of the day!

    Reply
  7. Tayler says

    October 14, 2022 at 10:26 am

    5 stars
    I made these fried apples last weekend and oh my goodness were they delicious! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe- we're going to be making it all fall long!

    Reply
  8. Katherine says

    October 14, 2022 at 11:17 am

    5 stars
    These fried apples are so easy, and perfect on my pancakes!

    Reply
  9. Dana says

    December 27, 2022 at 4:13 pm

    5 stars
    My kiddo loves apple and cinnamon, and this was a great way to amp up one of his most prized snacks!

    Reply
  10. Robin G. says

    December 27, 2022 at 7:06 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks these were great over our waffles this morning!

    Reply
  11. Kathleen says

    December 27, 2022 at 9:39 pm

    5 stars
    These delicious apples are so quick and easy to make. They are perfect as a side or topping for ice cream.

    Reply
  12. Tara says

    December 28, 2022 at 12:20 am

    5 stars
    These fried apples are perfectly spiced. Just the right amount of sweetness!

    Reply
  13. Tayler says

    December 28, 2022 at 12:37 am

    5 stars
    I've made these fried apples several times and they always turn out perfectly! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
5 from 18 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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