Cracker Barrel copycat skillet fried apples make a delicious side dish for any brunch, breakfast, or dinner or a rich dessert over ice cream or custard. This is a simple & easy recipe that can be prepared in under an hour.
On the way home from church last week, Grace said, You know those apples we get when we’re at a restaurant?
“No, what apples?” I asked.
You know, those apples with the sauce? And they’re thick like apple pie?
“Oh, right. Yes, I know those apples,” I said.
Can we have those for supper tonight?
I knew there was a bag full of apples on the kitchen table, so I said “Yes, of course,” before I even considered that I didn’t know how to make said apples.
When we got home, I tried to Google said apples, but I didn’t even know what to call them. Cooked apples? Baked apples? Fried apples?
Instead of spending an hour surfing the web, I asked on Twitter. Fortunately, my friends Lisa and JessieLeigh came to my rescue and told me they’re called Fried Apples and explained how to make them.
I have trouble with calling them Fried Apples since they are not batter-dipped and fried, but I’m trying to get over that. I guess that’s what they’re called since you cook them in butter in a skillet.
The apples were delicious, and my kids ate every morsel of apples over the next couple of days. Both of them requested the apples at every meal until they were all gone.
How to make fried apples
- Peel, core, and wedge the apples. I peel them first and then use an apple wedger to cut them. Easy peasy.
- Melt the butter and brown sugar in a very large skillet or sauce pot over medium-low heat.
- Add the apples to the skillet and toss to coat evenly with sugar mixture. Place lid on the skillet and cook for a few minutes.
- Stir the apples so that the top ones go to the bottom and the bottom ones come to the top. After 5-10 minutes, sprinkle seasonings over the apples and stir again.
- Cook apples on medium low or low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 4 to 6 minutes to ensure even cooking and no burned apples.
- When the apples are starting to get soft, mix the water and cornstarch into a slurry and add to the pan. This will thicken the sauce. You can leave it out but your apples will be more like apples in juice than saucy apples.
- Continue to cook apples until they reach your desired softness. Mine took 40 minutes total.
- If your sauce thickens too much, thin it with apple juice or water. Mix well so that the sauce is the consistency you desire.
Here are a few more easy apple recipes that my family loves:
- Stuffed Baked Apples (Gluten-Free)
- Ham and Rice with Apples
- How to Make Applesauce in the CrockPot
- Apple Ring Pancakes
- My Favorite Apple Crisp Recipe
- Baked Apple Pecan Pancakes
These skillet fried apples are just like the ones from Cracker Barrel, so they were an instant hit with my family. I’m willing to bet that your family or guests will love them, too!
Cracker Barrel Copycat Skillet Fried Apples
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 large apples about 12 cups once they're cored and sliced into thin wedges
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 3 tablespoons water
- Apple juice or water as needed
Instructions
- Core the apples and slice them into thin wedges. (I left the skins on, but if you want to peel them, do that now, too.) I ended up with 12 cups of apple wedges.
- Heat a very large skillet (or a sauce pot would work, too) over medium-low heat. Melt the butter and brown sugar.
- Place all of the apple wedges into the pan and toss them around to coat with the butter/sugar mixture. Put a lid on the skillet (if you can, my apples had to cook down a bit before the lid would sit on), and let them cook a few minutes.
- Stir the apples to send the top ones down closer to the heat. Once they have begun to cook down, sprinkle the spices over top and stir them again.
- Cook on medium-low or low for 20-30 minutes, stirring at least every 4-6 minutes.
- When the apples are starting to get soft, combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Pour this slurry into the apples to make a nice, thick sauce. {Note: It's perfectly okay to leave this out. Your apples will be in juice rather than a thicker sauce.}
- Continue to cook the apples until they reach your desired softness. Mine took almost 40 minutes in total.
- If your sauce thickens too much, you can always thin it with apple juice or additional water. Just mix well to incorporate the extra liquid with the sauce.
A free cookbook? Yes, please!
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