Nothing says comfort food quite like fried apples. They are a simple, easy, frugal, and old fashioned comfort food.
Sometimes the most basic old fashioned recipes are the best recipes!
I do have one question though. Are fried apples a dessert, a side dish, a delicious breakfast treat, or all three?
I will admit that we have used them for all three.
What are fried apples?
They are exactly what they sound like. Apples that have been fried. They are an old fashioned type of treat.
Years ago they were a fairly common fall dessert. Apples were an easy fruit to grow and many yards and fields contained apple trees. The rest of the ingredients are basic everyday ingredients so they are an easy treat to make.
How do you make fried apples?
They are basically apples, butter, sugar, and cinnamon. That is it. You melt the butter, add the rest of the ingredients and cook them until soft.
You can cook fried apples in just about any pan, but I like to use my cast iron skillet to make fried apples.
What are the best apples to use for fried apples?
I like to use a tart apple, but Golden Delicious or other apples work well too. We grow several different varieties of apples and I have used all of them. Some varieties hold up better than others when cooked, but most varieties will work for fried apples.
Do I need to peel the apples when making fried apples?
It depends on what you like. You can peel the apples, but you don’t have to. My family prefers them peeled, but a lot of people leave the peels on the apples.
How do you serve fried apples?
They are delicious just as they are for a simple dessert or side dish. They are also good served over ice cream, with whipped cream, or used as a topping for pancakes, waffles, or french toast.
Fried Apples
Fried apples are an easy dessert, side dish, or breakfast treat.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 6 apples peeled and sliced into ¼ to ½ inch pieces ( I prefer granny smith or another good baking type apple)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large pan melt butter. (I like to use my cast iron pan for fried apples, but any skillet or fry pan will work.)
- Add apples, sugar, and cinnamon to melted butter and mix well.
- Reduce heat to medium low and cook until apple are tender about 10-15 minutes. You will need to stir often so that the sugar and butter mixture doesn't burn.
- Serve with whipped cream or ice cream for dessert, plain as a side dish or snack, or as a topping for pancakes, waffles, or french toast.
Originally published January 2012. Updated September 2019.
They are my favorite topping for oatmeal! 🙂
We love fried apples. I keep forgetting about using them this way though. We’ve had them for dessert with whipped cream and also as a side for a holiday breakfast. Yummy!
We have our fried apples as a side dish, partly cause I never thought of them for breakfast. I also don’t peel my apples just core and slice and for some added fun I sometimes add brown sugar.
Growing up, we always had fried apples with our pork and sauerkraut. I still make them and always think of my Mom when I do. (Also I just love fried apples anytime!)
I agree apples, especially fried apples, go very well with pork.
My husband will eat them for breakfast, as a side, or for dessert–s0 they can be whatever you choose! (He is a very “seasonal” eater–oatmeal, soup, and chicken n dumplins only in winter) My question is….do the apples lose their nutritional value when you add butter and sugar to them???
Well, they are still apples right and there is that saying an apple a day……….:-) But yes, I guess fried apples would not count as a healthy dish, but they are sooooo good.
Sounds odd, but do you know what is REALLY good with fried apples? Cornbread! Seriously, I know it sounds weird. Make sure it is a plain cornbread recipe or one with honey. Super yummy, just dip the cornbread in or crumble it up on top. Delicious 🙂 Talk about comfort food!
My daughter loves to make these as a snack. Just a little butter in the bottom of cast iron and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. She made them this last week over the wood stove during our power outage.
Thanks for the reminder…haven’t made these in a whlile & they’re a good way to use apples that are a bit soft. To make them easier, I don’t peel them. I think they stay together better too. Also, the sugar can be reduced if you’re so inclined. That may put the recipe more into the “side dish” category. 🙂
Simple is the best sometimes – would love this as my dinner 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
They look delicious! However, nothing “fried” happens in my kitchen. The recipe only calls for 1/4 cup butter…and perhaps I could get away with even less. Could the recipe be renamed, “Cinnamon Sauteed Apples?” I think that has a nice ring to it!
That would be a great name. 🙂
Think you could use pears instead? I have some pears that I need to use up before they go bad.
Yes, I think the same basic idea would work, pears just don’t need to cook as long or they will turn mushy.
Don’t peel them. You’re not making applesauce. If you eat them as an accompaniment to ham or pork chops or pork roast dinner (dinner is at noon) don’t add cinnamon. Cinnamon is for. apple pie. They are better with white sugar that caramelizes in the butter if you cook them long enough. None of the apples in all these pictures and those on Youtube are done. They should be translucent and it’s the peels that hold them together and give a little crunch to the apples we they are tender enough to melt in your mouth. Dessert with whipped cream or ice cream? Sounds like northerners to me. They were always on my Southern grandma’s table with any. kind of pork and biscuits or cornbread.
Thanks for sharing how you make them. I definitely think fried apples are one of those things that vary by region. I grew up in the far NW corner of Oregon. So it was very near the well known apple orchard areas of Washington state. I have lived in Oklahoma for years, but some things and recipes like fried apples still have my northern roots. We used them more of a dessert. We never would have had fried apples with a meal like they do in the south. It is always interesting to me to see how food varies so much by different regions.
Sautéed apples in a small amount of butter is. missing the point. Just make something ese.