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–+ servings
a close up of fried apples

Cracker Barrel Copycat Skillet Fried Apples

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.
4.61 from 215 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dessert, Side Dish
Servings 8 servings
Calories 204 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 8 large apples about 12 cups once they're cored and sliced into thin wedges
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoons cinnamon see note below about apple pie spice
  • ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg see note below about apple pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice see note below about apple pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom see note below about apple pie spice
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • Apple juice or water as needed

Instructions
 

Fried apples on the stovetop

  • Peel, core, and slice apples. I peel them first, use an apple wedger, and then slice the wedges in half or thirds. Easy peasy.
    peel and wedge the apples
  • Melt butter and brown sugar in a very large skillet or saucepot over medium heat.
    melt butter and brown sugar
  • Reduce heat to medium-low. 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.
    add apples to the skillet
  • 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.
    sprinkle seasonings over the apples
  • Simmer 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.
    apples cooking in a cast iron skillet
  • 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.
    add cornstarch slurry
  • Continue to cook apples until they reach your desired softness. Mine took 40 minutes total.
    continue to cook the apples
  • If your sauce thickens too much, thin it with apple juice or water. Mix well so that the sauce is the consistency you desire.
    a close up of fried apples on a wooden spatula

Fried apples in the Crockpot

  • Peel, core, and slice apples. I peel them first, use an apple wedger, and then slice the wedges in half or thirds. Easy peasy.
  • Place apples and cornstarch to the slow cooker. Stir to coat all the slices.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and spices, ensuring no lumps and stirring to mix well. Pour into the Crockpot.
  • Cut the butter into small cubes and sprinkle those overtop of the apples.
  • Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or until fork-tender.
  • Stir to redistribute the spices and sauce. Serve hot.

Notes

If you prefer, you can use apple pie spice in place of the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom. If you go that route, simply add 1½ tablespoons of apple pie spice when the recipe indicates adding the spices.

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 299IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
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