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Home » Recipes » Fall Dishes

Southern Fried Apples

Published: Aug 8, 2023 · Updated: Apr 6, 2025 by Marye

Southern fried apples recipe is so easy and the sweet, buttery apples are even better than Cracker Barrel!
Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 25 minutes minutes
Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
A skillet full of fried apple slices.
Fried apples in a skillet with a text overlay for Pinterest.

If you love the popular Cracker Barrel side dish you'll love this easy recipe!

Don't want to scroll through the page to get to the recipe? Use the table of contents to click on the section you want.

Overhead view of fried apples in a skillet.
Table of Contents
  • 🗝️ Key takeaways
  • 🧾 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 🥫 Storage
  • 📖 Variations
  • 💭 Things to know
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 🍽️ Serve with...
  • 📞 The last word
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

🗝️ Key takeaways

  • I love that these are SO quick and easy!
  • This Cracker Barrel favorite is a delicious side dish for breakfast, dinner, or served warm with ice cream for dessert.
  • You'll get the best flavor out of this dish if you use a variety of apples instead of just one type.

There is nothing tastier than buttery, cinnamon apples fried up in the classic Southern way. Serve them with hot buttermilk biscuits at breakfast, as a side to pork chops for dinner, and over a big scoop of vanilla ice cream in the evening—a pure delight for any apple lover.

This sweet side is perfect with old-fashioned fried pork chops and gravy.

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

Ingredients for fried apples.

🔪 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Step by step images showing how to make fried apples.
  1. Peel, cut, and core your apples.
  2. Melt butter and sugar in a large skillet.
  3. Stir in the apple slices.
  4. Simmer over low heat until the apples are tender, and prepare for the delicious, warm spice aroma to fill the entire house.

🥫 Storage

You'll be glad to have leftover fried apples to spoon over your French toast tomorrow morning!

Place cooled leftovers into an airtight container or plastic bag and refrigerate for four to five days. You can reheat large amounts in a skillet, or simply microwave them!

Since this is such an easy recipe to scale and I don't always have fresh apples available, I'll double the batch and freeze leftovers for another time.

Store them the same way you would in the refrigerator, but place them in the freezer, instead. Let the apples thaw in the fridge before warming them up. I like to store the Southern fried apples in smaller portions so that they thaw more quickly and I can pull out just a little bit at a time.

Closeup of a serving of apples being removed from the pan.

📖 Variations

  • When using really sweet apples, like Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp, you may want to add a tiny pinch of salt or splash of lemon juice for balance.
  • I'm not trying to start a riot or anything, but, instead of apples, some people like to fry pear slices. If you have some, give it a try!
  • Instead of cinnamon, use apple pie spice for a festive twist on fried apples. Or, try a dash of nutmeg!
  • Add ¼ cup of raisins or chopped pecans.

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: Use a combination of apple varieties for the very best flavor.

  • For best results, try to cut the apples as evenly as possible so that they all cook at the same rate. It helps to use a very sharp knife or an apple slicer.
  • Let the apples come to room temperature (if they were cold) so that they don't reduce the temperature of the simmering, sticky caramel sauce too drastically.
  • Watch the butter, sugar, and apple mixtures carefully throughout the cooking process so that they don't burn. As trusty as an old cast iron skillet is, it can get too hot as soon as you turn your back!
  • If your caramel sauce becomes too thick (especially after reheating) you can loosen it up with a splash of apple juice or apple cider.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

Do I have to peel the apples?

Traditional Southern fried apples don't include the skins. They don't soften as quickly as the apples do and can taste hard and rough, ruining a tender bite of fried apples.

Does it matter if I use unsalted or salted butter?

Usually, you can't tell the difference, so use whatever you have on hand!

What if I don't have a skillet?

First answer: get one—quick! Second answer: use any heavy-bottomed pan that you own.

Are there other ways to serve Southern fried apples?

This delicious recipe is so versatile. Spoon the sauteed apples over homemade biscuits, pancakes, waffles, or toast. Serve it as a tasty side dish to your favorite homestyle meal, like a roasted pork tenderloin or big turkey dinner. Or, eat 'em with pie crust scraps or shortbread cookies for dessert!

Fried apples on a white plate.

📚 Related recipes

  • Delicious Crockpot Caramel Apple Cake needs just 3 ingredients, pretty much no baking experience, and you don't even have to use the oven!
  • The perfect accompaniment for a hearty meat dinner, or great with a tea-time salad, Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Apple Rings taste just as good now as they did when you were a kid!
  • Closeup overhead view of the macaroni salad in a bowl with a spoon in it for serving.
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    Sweet Heat Refrigerator Pickles
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  • A crunchy topped casserole with a serving spoon in it.
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🍽️ Serve with...

This simple side dish is a taste of fall any time of. year. I like to serve it with Slow Cooker Braised Pork and Cabbage or French Onion Chicken Bake, some steaming buttermilk biscuits, and a scoop of cinnamon gelato.

Or, serve for breakfast with bacon and a thick slice of toasted cinnamon raisin bread!

📞 The last word

Fried apples are an easy side dish that also works as a dessert or a topping for ice cream.

I love them with coca cola glazed pork loin! The sweet tanginess of the apples is perfect compliment.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

A skillet full of fried apple slices.

Fried Apples

5 from 2 votes
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Southern fried apples recipe is so easy and the sweet, buttery apples are even better than Cracker Barrel!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American - Southern
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings:6
Calories:354
Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3 pounds apples, about 6 apples

Instructions

  • Peel, core, and slice apples.
  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Whisk in the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon until smooth and well blended.
  • Turn heat down to low and add in the apples.
  • Cook over low heat stirring often until apples are softened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Simmer a little longer to thicken up the syrup but don't overcook the apples.

Notes

Storage:
Place cooled leftovers into an airtight container or plastic bag and refrigerate for four to five days.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Tips:
  • Use a combination of apple varieties for the very best flavor.
  • For best results, try to cut the apples as evenly as possible so that they all cook at the same rate. It helps to use a very sharp knife or an apple slicer.
  • Let the apples come to room temperature (if they were cold) so that they don't reduce the temperature of the simmering, sticky caramel sauce too drastically.
  • Watch the butter, sugar, and apple mixtures carefully throughout the cooking process so that they don't burn. As trusty as an old cast iron skillet is, it can get too hot as soon as you turn your back!
  • If your caramel sauce becomes too thick (especially after reheating) you can loosen it up with a splash of apple juice or apple cider.
 

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 263mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 597IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

First published August 4, 2022. Last updated to include more helpful information on August 7, 2023.

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About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

Comments

    5 from 2 votes

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    Love it? Give it 5 stars!




  1. Linzy says

    August 04, 2024 at 7:30 pm

    5 stars
    Fried apples are my favorite!! Thank you for sharing your recipe!

    Reply
  2. Lynda says

    August 05, 2023 at 7:48 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipes!!

    Reply
    • Marye says

      August 05, 2023 at 8:59 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  3. Louise says

    October 01, 2022 at 11:31 am

    In the recipe I just saw half cup sugar and when adding ingredients it says brown sugar is there 2sugars in the recipe and how much brown sugar

    Reply
    • Marye says

      October 10, 2022 at 1:16 pm

      Sorry that was an oversight. 1/4 cup and it's fixed now.

      Reply
Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

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NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

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