A delicious recipe for fried apples with cinnamon made the old-fashioned way just like we love it. Great to use in your favorite sweet or savory recipes and simply enjoyed on its own with a scoop of ice cream.
Why it’s yummy
- Soft and tender, caramelized apples cooked on the stovetop with butter and cinnamon are the perfect base for any apple crumble, apple crisp recipe.
- Customizable - spice things up a bit and add vanilla paste or a little bourbon to your fried apples. Delicious!
- Multi-use fried apples - use these fried apples with cinnamon in your favorite recipes that call for apple pie filling, fried apples or just cooked apples and if needed reduce baking time in the end as these are already cooked and ready to be used! Serve these fried apples as they are with ice cream, biscuits and drizzle some tangy caramel sauce on top!
- Easy and quick - it takes about 15 minutes for this recipe of cooked apples on the stove plus prep time which is almost nothing - just cut the apples and you are ready to go!
- Homemade - simply the best and healthiest than any store bought options!
If you like recipes with apples be sure to check out my similar recipes such as..
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Ingredients
- Which Apples are best for baking? - in case you need to make fried apples really fast with whatever you have in hand I’d say, go for it. Been there, done that! But it is even better if you have a combination or just one type of the following you should end up with guaranteed the best possible result: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala or Pink Lady. These apples are crisp and hold up exceptionally well during cooking. I have been also recommended to use Jonagolds, Winesap, Braeburn for cooking/baking (especially apple piec and crumbles) but have never tried it yet myself. Let me know if you do use these and how it will turn out!
- Cinnamon - the classic and hands down, the best option so far out there. And I do recommend a particular cinnamon that has a strong cinnamon taste, this one. These fried apples with cinnamon wouldn/t be called this way afterall! If you’re not a fan or don’t have it, then possible a mix of pre-made apple pie spice mix, allspice, pumpkin pie spice or similar should work as well. A little bit of nutmeg instead of cinnamon wouldn't hurt either. Afterall frying apples with only butter and brown sugar taste delicious on it's own.
- Butter - for more ‘’cleaner’’ flavor (if you can say that) use unsalted butter. For more intense experience, use salted butter, both will work here.
- Brown sugar - I like to use Muscovado sugar in my sweet recipes rather than the regular brown sugar that is widely available in the store. Muscovado sugar is unrefined cane sugar, naturally dark sugar that has a stronger flavor due to higher concentration of molasses left in, ”wet sand-like texture” that is perfect for melting or blending anything really. Regular Brown sugar is usually the same white sugar but with molasses mixed back in that creates the darker color and enhances the flavor slightly.
Instructions
Peel, and cut the apples in fourths. Remove the cores, and then slice each part into thin slices, about ¼-inch thick.
In a large (I used 10 inch) cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
Once the butter is melted, add the sugar and cinnamon.
Stir well with a wooden spoon until sugar is well coated, moistened, and starts to become bubbly. Add in the sliced apples and stir to coat.
Cook stirring until apples reach desired consistency (they should become soft but not mushy), about 8-10 minutes for a crisp-tender and about 10-15 minutes very soft.
Enjoy the fried apples with cinnamon in your favorite cobbler, crumble or crisp recipe or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Tips
- The frying apples cooking time will depend on what are you going to use the apples for. If using it for an apple crumble or apple pie then 8-10 minutes is enough or even less as they will continue to cook in the crumble/pie later.
- Don’t overcrowd the skillet - this fried apples recipe is enough for one crumble pie about 8,9 or 10 inch baking dish. If you want to make some extra or need it in double amount avoid overcrowding the skillet and cook in batches.
- If the end result is simply to enjoy apples on their own or with an ice cream, I like to spice things up by adding 1 teaspoon or two of vanilla extract or paste, or even a little bourbon or sweet liquor toward the end of cooking.
- Slice them nice and even - for better result and even cooked fried apples, try to slice apples into uniform size. This way, all of them will cook even and not mushy.
- Wash the apples - you may already know this, but most of the apples sold in stores and markets are sprayed with a layer of wax to prevent moisture loss and make the apples more appealing. This should be properly washed off by scrubbing each apple with some soap and sponge.
Serving Suggestions
Fried apples with cinnamon are a classic dish that many of us grew up with. However many people use them in different ways for example:
- Serve them as they are, warm and with a mix of dried fruits (my favorite include, dried cranberries, prunes and pineapples) sprinkled on top.
- In your favorite apple pies, crumble, crisp, cobbler recipes.
- With vanilla yogurt asnd granola on top, makes a perfect breakfast!
- Savory - serve with pork chops or beef.
FAQ
Frying apples on the stovetop is very easy and I hope you enjoy these fried apples with cinnamon. Don't forget to show what you've made and tag @theyummy_bowl under your picture on Instagram.
Thank you for reading,
Love,
Julia
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Easy Dessert Recipes
Fried Apples With Cinnamon
Ingredients
- 5 large granny smith apples peeled, cored, and sliced (or Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady)
- ½ cup muscovado light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup butter unsalted or salted
Instructions
- Peel, and cut the apples in fourths. Remove the cores, and then slice each part into thin slices, about ¼-inch thick.
- In a large (I used 10.5 inch) cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the sugar and cinnamon. Stir well with a wooden spoon until sugar is well coated, moistened, and starts to become bubbly. Add in the sliced apples and stir to coat.
- Cook stirring until apples reach desired consistency (they should become soft but not mushy), about 8-10 minutes for a crisp-tender and about 10-15 minutes very soft.
Notes
- The cooking time of fried apples will depend on what are you going to use the apples for. If using it for an apple crumble or apple pie then 8-10 minutes is enough or even less as they will continue to cook in the crumble later.
- Don’t overcrowd the skillet - this fried apples with cinnamon recipe is enough for one crumble pie about 8,9 or 10-inch baking dish (you may even have some leftovers!). If you want to make some extra or need it in double amount avoid overcrowding the skillet and cook in batches.
- What are the best cooking apples? What apple is the best for cooking and holds its shape beautifully? Thankfully there are plenty. As mentioned above, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady, Gala are the most preferred options here. These apples are crisp and hold up exceptionally well during cooking.
- Can you make fried apples in the oven? You can make fried in the oven but they will be more on the soft side and not caramelized as much as we want them to be in a ‘’fried apples’’ recipe. My recommended temperature for this would be 350 F and bake until golden brown and fork-tender. However for best results, please refer to this fried apple recipe.
- Can you freeze fried apples? You can definitely freeze fried apples with cinnamon after cooking and cooling. Place the cooked apples into an airtight container, seal the lid and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge overnight. Warm the fried apples in a saucepan, in the oven, or microwave before using in your favorite recipe.
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
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Fried apples with cinnamon are the best all-year dessert, serve it with simple vanilla ice cream, on top of pancakes, waffles, toasts or use it in your favorite apple pie, crumbles or cobbler recipes.