Cracker Barrel Fried Apples
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These Copycat Cracker Barrel Fried Apples are the ultimate sweet-and-savory treat—tender apple slices caramelized in a buttery blend of cinnamon and brown sugar. Whether you’re serving them as a cozy side dish or a warm, comforting dessert, they bring big country flavor to any brunch table.
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These Fried Apples are actually fried AND baked in the oven – it’s right in the menu description! These look a little darker than the ones at Cracker Barrel – but the taste is spot on! Also – you might be surprised at the TYPE of apples we used! It’s NOT Granny Smith!?!
Cracker Barrel Fried Apples Ingredients
The biggest surprise here is the kind of apples you’ll be using! Other than the apples – everything else is in your pantry – which is always great!
- Golden Delicious Apples – yup! I tried it with Granny Smith apples and they have a really tart flavor. And keep the peel ON the apple – that’s how they do at CB!
- If your family is picky – you can remove the peels but they will cook a little more quickly
- Butter – obviously! I used salted but unsalted will work fine as well.
- Brown Sugar – I used light brown sugar but for a richer flavor – you could use dark – OR for a lighter color, you could use a combination of white & brown.
- Spices – apple pie spice ++ cinnamon – APS is a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg & allspice – in case you don’t have the pre-made. Then you’ll want extra cinnamon – I highly recommend Saigon Cinnamon – it has a more savory flavor!
- Miscellaneous: salt, water & corn starch
How to Make Cracker Barrel Fried Apple Recipe
I always try and keep the recipes as close to the restaurant version as possible. With Cracker Barrel Fried Apples it means keeping the peel on and having them sweet! Plus they are fried AND baked! So lets get started:
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Core and slice apples. I used apple core/slicer but you could cut them into about 6-8 slices. You do NOT want thin slices – they’ll fall apart too quick and you’ll have applesauce!
- If you’re doing this ahead of time, feel free to sprinkle on lemon juice so they don’t brown.
- Melt butter and brown sugar in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. It’s important to use cast iron as it holds heat much better and will stay hotter. If you don’t have cast iron – be sure to use an large skillet that is oven safe – and the process will take a little longer.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the apples to the skillet and toss to coat evenly with sugar mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the apples start to get slightly browned. This may be 3-4 minutes if not using cast iron.
- Stir the apples so that all apples are browned. Remove from heat and sprinkle apple pie spice, cinnamon and salt over the apples and stir again. Add 1/4 cup water (or apple juice).
- Place pan with apples uncovered in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. If you’re not using cast iron – it may take 15-20. Check the apples on the early side – because you want to be sure they are not too soft. Test them with a fork – they should be fork tender but still a little firm.
- Remove apples from oven and stir.
- In a small bowl, mix the water and cornstarch into a slurry. Pour the cornstarch slurry in the pan. This will thicken the sauce.
- Serve as a side, dessert or with ice cream!
How to Serve Fried Apples
Fried Apples are delicious on their own but you can serve them in multiple ways. Here are a few ideas:
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!
- Top your pancakes or waffles with a big spoonful of apples!
- Pork Chops! Grilled pork chops taste even better with some fried apples!
- Cottage Cheese – top your cottage cheese with apples for a fruity treat.
- Use the fried apples as apple pie filling!
Tips, Tricks & FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass ones) in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds.
You could but they’re going to quickly lose their texture and become super soft when you thaw and reheat.
Of course! I tried (twice) using Granny Smith when testing these and they were just too tart to match to the Cracker Barrel apples. The best apples you could also use are Gala, Honeycrisp or Fuji for a similar taste.
Yes – place all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 2 hours.
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Cracker Barrel Fried Apples
Ingredients
- 4 large Golden Delicious apples sliced into 1/2” wedges
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp apple pie spice cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Core and slice apples. I used apple core/slicer but you could cut them into about 6-8 slices. You do NOT want thin slices – they'll fall apart too quick and you'll have applesauce!4 large Golden Delicious apples
- Melt butter and brown sugar in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. It’s important to use cast iron as it holds heat much better and will stay hotter. If you don’t have cast iron – be sure to use an oven safe pan – and the process will take a little longer.4 tbsp butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the apples to the skillet and toss to coat evenly with sugar mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the apples start to get slightly browned. This may be 3-4 minutes if not using cast iron.
- Stir the apples so that all apples are browned. Remove from heat and sprinkle apple pie spice, cinnamon and salt over the apples and stir again. Add 1/4 cup water.1 tbsp apple pie spice, 1 tsp cinnamon, pinch salt, 1/4 cup water
- Place pan with apples uncovered in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. If you’re not using cast iron – it may take 15-20. Check the apples on the early side – because you want to be sure they are not too soft. Test them with a fork – they should be fork tender but still a little firm.
- Remove apples from oven and stir.
- In a small bowl, mix the water and cornstarch into a slurry and add to the pan. This will thicken the sauce.1/4 cup water, 1 tbsp corn starch
- Serve as a side, dessert or with ice cream!
