my fried apples the recipe yields soft, buttery, perfectly seasoned apples. Enjoy them plain or use them as a supplement pancakes or ice cream. The recipe includes how to video!
The best fried apple recipe
I’m not sure there’s a better and easier way than slicing apples and baking them in the oven with butter, sugar and cinnamon. This baked apple recipe is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover apples, which I find myself in a bind year after year (I’ve accepted that I can’t control myself when picking apples).
I’ve been tweaking this recipe over the years and found that I like it with less oil than when I first posted it. It sounds crazy, but using less butter actually gives us a tastier sauce that thickens nicely. In this updated recipe, we use 3 tablespoons of butter (instead of ½ cup), a little more cinnamon, and a squeeze of lemon juice. If you were a fan of the old version, don’t panic! I will still link to it in the recipe card below.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- does a quick side dishLike the cinnamon apples they serve at Cracker Barrel.
- Incredible flavor despite buying just a few minutes to prepare on the stove.
- Easily satisfies an apple pie craving without pulling a rolling pin. This recipe really it’s delicious apple pie without the shell!
- It can be enjoyed plain, but tastes divine with vanilla ice cream. Or add an autumnal twist to your favorite breakfast; we like to serve them warm buttermilk pancakes or brioche french toast.
What do you need?
My recipe for fried apples calls for only seven ingredients. Before we begin, I will briefly review them.
- apple I recommend firm, tart apples for this recipe. I use Granny Smith apples, but Braeburn, Honeycrisp and Cortland will also work. If you prefer a sweeter apple, you may want to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe.
- Sugar. We will use a mixture of light brown and granulated sugar for sweetness and depth of flavor. Dark brown sugar can also work, but will be richer.
- butter. We will use a few tablespoons of butter to create a beautiful sauce that is very tasty. I used to use ½ cup of butter in this recipe, but recently discovered that I prefer it with less butter (so the apple flavor can shine through and thus the sauce is thicker!). I use salted in this recipe, but unsalted will work as long as you add a pinch of salt.
- Lemon juice. This brightens our apples and prevents them from being too rich. I always recommend fresh lemon juice, but since we’re using such a small amount, glass jars will work too.
- cinnamon. Of course! Apple and cinnamon go very well together. If you want more spice, you can also add a pinch of nutmeg.
SAM’S TIP: Try not to slice your apples too thin or they will puff up. I’m aiming for about ½” thick!
Keep in mind that this is just an overview of the ingredients I use and have used why. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe!
How to Make Them
- Prepare your apples peel, peel and cut into ½” slices.
- Melt the butter put in the pan, then add sugar and cinnamon and mix well.
- Add apples and mix well.
- Cook it Until they soften to a fork-tender texture, then serve and enjoy!
SAM’S TIP: If you cut them all about the same thickness, your apples will cook evenly; otherwise you may be left with some that are still very firm and the rest are tender.
Frequently asked questions
I definitely recommend peeling your apples for this baked apple recipe. While the apples themselves tend to soften and become juicy when cooked, the skins actually become hard and chewy.
This recipe will still work if you choose not to peel the apples, and some people may not even notice the texture of the peels. For me, it’s better to take the extra few minutes to remove the peels.
The flavors are very similar, but mine cinnamon baked apples the recipe is a little further. Today’s recipe is also a bit richer than the baked version. You really can’t go wrong with either!
We love serving them on their own, as a side dish, or on top of meals as breakfast waffle, sourdough pancakesor French toast.
Or save them for dessert and serve them with ice cream! As the apples cool, the “sauce” thickens and is perfect for spooning over vanilla ice cream (or mine). ice cream that doesn’t burn).
Enjoy!
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Fried apples
Portions: 8 portion
Calories: 148kcal
Prevent your screen from dimming
Instructions
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Melt the butter in a large skillet (I use 10″ cast iron) over medium heat.
3 tablespoons (42 g) salted butter
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Add the sugar and cinnamon and cook, stirring constantly, until all the sugar is absorbed by the butter (about 30-60 seconds).
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
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Add apples and lemon juice and cook, stirring often, until apples are tender, coated with sauce, and tender when pierced with a fork (about 10 minutes).
2 lb granny smith apples¹ 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
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Serve warm as desired, we enjoy serving them with vanilla ice cream or pancakes, although they are delicious on their own!
Notes
¹Apple
That was 4 big apples for me. Weigh the apples before measuring. I prefer Granny Smith, but any hard, tart apple will work well here.
butter
Unsalted butter can be substituted, just add ¼ teaspoon of salt when adding sugar!
It is saved
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Original recipe
The original fried apple recipe you can find it here.
Nutrition
Service: 1serves | Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 0.4g | Oil: 4g | Saturated fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated fats: 0.2g | Monounsaturated fats: 1g | Trans fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 194IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content depends on brands used, measurement methods, cooking method, serving sizes, etc. will vary depending.
This recipe was originally published in September 2019, I have since updated it to improve the recipe and provide more useful information.
