Fried Cinnamon Apples are incredibly easy to make and can be used as a standalone dessert, a delicious side dish, or as an ingredient for many other recipes. If you are an apple lover, this dish is a fun way to add something new to the menu.
Simple ingredients and just a few minutes of cook time go into this Southern fried apples recipe. Once you see how quickly you can turn fresh apples into a decadent treat, you’ll start thinking of all kinds of ways to serve fried apples. Scoop them over pork chops, use them as an apple pie filling, or tuck them into some fun apple pie bombs or apple hand pies!
This easy recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator or freezer or you can serve them warm from the cast iron skillet for a bowl of comfort food that’s paired with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. It’s enough to get the mouth watering! Serve these with fried apples with a scoop of pumpkin ice cream or deep fried ice cream for the ultimate Fall dessert.
If you want to go the savory route, use these Fried Cinnamon Apples as a great side dish to a nice pork chop or grilled chicken!
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🍎 Ingredients:
- apples – choose crisp, tart and firmer apples such as Granny Smith
- butter and sugar to make a nice caramel flavor sauces
- lemon to keep the apples from discoloring
- a bit of flour to thicken the sauce
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitute maple syrup, honey, and/or light brown sugar for the white sugar in this recipe to sweeten the apples.
- If you want a to add nice warm spices to this, just use a bit of spice so it does not overpower the greatness of the apples. Try a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon.
- You can’t go wrong by using Granny Smith apples. They are the best apples for this recipe. They tend to make the best fried cinnamon apples as they are a tart apple and also quite hardy. A firm apple will hold up better during cooking than softer apples. Different varieties of apples are great too, consider Honeycrisp apples and pink lady apples are also great choices. Really, though, as an abundance of apples flow into the markets during apple season and festivals for Fall harvest, know that you can use any variety of apples to make this yummy dish.
- You can also slice the apples into apple rings (after removing the core from the center) these makes nice fried apple rings.
🔪 Instructions:
Step 1: As you peel, core, and slice the apples, toss them into a bowl and squeeze lemon juice over them. This will give you a little extra time to get them all prepped without worrying about the apples turning brown.
Step 2: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Step 3: Once the butter is melted, add cooked apples to the skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat until the apples begin to soften (about 5 minutes).
Step 4: Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over the apples, stir and continue cooking until the sugar dissolves into the butter and forms a sauce.
Step 5: Steps that do not have an associated picture can be written in a regular paragraph block between or after the columns.
Step 6: Sprinkle the flour over the fried apple mixture and continue stirring and cooking until well combined.
Step 7: Bring the apple mixture to a low boil and simmer over low for a few more minutes until the sauce thickens.
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Serve immediately!
Recipe Tips for Sautéed Apples
- Thin apple slices means that you only need to cook them for 5-10 minutes maximum. If you choose a thick slice size for your apples, then you will need to adjust your cooking time. Cooking time also depends on whether you want your apples to be very soft, almost like an apple sauce, or to be left with a slight crunch.
- The apples will release liquid while cooking which helps to dissolve the sugar added for the sauce. If you find that there is not enough liquid after dissolving the sugar, simply add in some water for the sauce. Don’t worry too much about a running sauce at that point since the flour added will thicken up the sauce.
- Using an entire lemon over the sliced apples is a great way to prevent the apples from browning and also offsets the sweet sugar by adding tartness. It’s a great way to enhance the overall flavor of these delicious fried apples.
- If you’d like to use unsalted butter in this recipe, add a pinch of salt to the skillet as well.
Recipe FAQs
Leftover fried apples can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
What Are Some Ways To Use Fried Apples?
Fried apples can be enjoyed in many ways! Here are a few ideas to get you going:
You could use them as a delicious topping over a serving of yogurt and muesli or on top of warm buttermilk homemade biscuits;
As a filling to breakfast crepes, French toast, sweet pies and pastries;
Drizzled over a scoop of ice cream;
Add them to various baked goods like muffin mixes or an apple crisp dessert;
Use them as a perfect filling with a caramel twist in this Dutch caramel apple pie.
Yes, you can! Once your fried apples are cooled, place them in a freezer-safe container or a Ziploc bag and store in the freezer for 3-6 months.
To reheat, thaw them out and then reheat in a saucepan over a low-medium heat.
Take note though that freezing apples may affect the texture once thawed and reheated. In some instances, they may become slightly more mushy.
These apples are great for serving with most pork dishes. These would go very well with any Thanksgiving or Christmas meal too or at your next barbecue.
More Delicious Apple Recipes
If you tried this Fried Cinnamon Apples Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Fried Cinnamon Apples
Ingredients
- 5 large Pippin apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 large lemon
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions
- As you peel, core, and slice the apples, toss them into a bowl and squeeze lemon juice over them.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- When the butter is melted, add apples to the skillet. Saute over medium-high heat until the apples begin to soften (about 5 minutes).
- Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over the apples, stir and continue cooking until the sugar dissolves into the butter and forms a sauce.
- Sprinkle the flour over the apples and stir to combine.
- Bring the apple mixture to a low boil and simmer over low for a few more minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Serve immediately!
Notes
Nutrition
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