These Homemade Fried Apples are exactly what you would get at Cracker Barrel. They’re simmered to tender-crisp perfection with a fantastic sweetness and light cinnamon flavor. Enjoy over pancakes, with ice cream, or alongside almost any breakfast.
For an extra special treat, serve these alongside our apple pie waffles with a drizzle of caramel sauce!
Copycat Cracker Barrel Fried Apples
If you’ve had Cracker Barrel Fried Apples before, you’re going to love this recipe. It is a spot-on Cracker Barrel copycat. The apples still have some texture and are not mushy at all, with a fantastic sweetness and light cinnamon flavor – just like you get off the Cracker Barrel breakfast menu.
We love to serve these over pancakes, but they make a great side with breakfast or any meal. You can add them to ice cream for a sweet dessert or serve next to a savory dinner dish. Either way, these are absolutely addicting.
To make things better, you’ll need just 6 ingredients and 30 minutes.
Ingredients Needed
This copycat Cracker Barrel recipe is made with just 6 simple ingredients.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Butter – For this recipe, I used salted butter for added flavor.
- Sugar – Equal parts of granulated sugar and light brown sugar sweeten the apples perfectly.
- Cinnamon – The only spice needed for the warm flavor.
- Apples – I used Golden Delicious apples. Peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch slices.
- Apple juice – You can also use apple cider (not apple cider vinegar!)
- Cornstarch – Helps to thicken the juices so the dish isn’t runny.
Recipe Variations
This is a copycat recipe so if you want a true Cracker Barrel flavor I wouldn’t stray away from it, but there are several ways to customize your fried apples recipe.
- Can I use different apples? If you can’t find Golden Delicious apples, Granny Smith or other baking apples such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Gala, or Fuji can be used instead.
- Do I need to peel the apples? If you don’t want to peel the apples, you can still make them with the peel on. However, Cracker Barrel peels their apples, so we do it for this recipe.
- Use more brown sugar. If you are looking for more depth of flavor, try using dark brown sugar in place of light brown sugar, or using all brown sugar instead of granulated.
- Add more cinnamon. You can also add up to a tablespoon of cinnamon for a stronger flavor.
- Switch up the spices. Other spices that would be good include our apple pie spice recipe or pumpkin pie spice recipe, ground nutmeg, ground clove, and ground allspice.
How to Make Fried Apples
This Cracker Barrel recipe for fried apples comes together in just a few simple steps. They’ll be ready to enjoy in under 30 minutes.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Combine the butter and sugar. Add the butter, sugars, and cinnamon to a skillet over medium heat. Stir to melt.
- Simmer the apples. Add the apples to the skillet and toss to coat them in the mixture. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the apples are crisp-tender. Gently stir every few minutes.
- Add the juice. Whisk together the apple juice and cornstarch. Add to the apples, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened. Enjoy immediately.
Serving Suggestions
- For Breakfast. Our favorite way to serve these fried apples is over pancakes, though they’re great with our apple pie waffles too. You can add them as a side to pretty much any breakfast.
- Savory options. If you’d like to take the savory dinner route, you can serve these with roasted pork tenderloin, apple cider chicken thighs, or even meatloaf. The sweetness of the apples makes a nice contrast to the savory main dish.
- Dessert. You can also use these apples as a filling for apple pie or apple hand pies. Or add some to a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an easy dessert.
Proper Storage
- Storing leftovers. Leftover fried apples should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to 5 days. You can reheat them quickly on the stovetop or just pop them into the microwave for a few seconds.
- Can I Freeze Fried Apples? Yes, any leftovers from this fried apple recipe can be frozen. Allow them to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat.
More Easy Apple Recipes:
- Slow Cooker Apple Butter
- Homemade Apple Sauce
- Homemade Apple Pie Filling
- Easy Apple Dumplings
- Baked Apples
- Apple Cobbler
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Fried Apples
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 & 1/2 pounds Golden Delicious apples , peeled and cored, 1/2 inch slices (see note below)
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir constantly until the butter and sugars are melted.
- Add the apples and coat them in the mixture. Place a lid on the pan and bring it to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until crisp-tender, gently stirring every few minutes.
- In a bowl mix together the apple juice and the cornstarch. Slowly stream this into the simmering apples, stirring constantly. Cook for one minute until thickened.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
I made this recipe and it was fantastic and sooo delicious. I substituted orange juice for apple. Still tasted like fried apples regardless of the fruit juice. I also rolled my peeled apples In lemon juice on my cutting board to keep apples from browning. Awesome recipe and very simple to make and um er, quick to devour.
I loved these! They tasted just like Cracker Barrel!