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Warm, buttery, and perfectly spiced, these easy fried apples are the best part of apple pie, without the crust and made in a skillet instead! Whether you’re serving them with breakfast, as a cozy dessert, or over ice cream, this quick stovetop recipe is a fall favorite you’ll make again and again.
Looking for more simple ways to put apples to use? You’ll love this Apple Slab Pie too! Or make Apple Pie Filling and pop it in the freezer for whenever you need it.
Why you’ll love these cozy fried apples!
Believe me, I LOVE old-fashioned apple pie, apple crisp, and apple dumplings, but even as a food blogger, I don’t always have time to whip up an elaborate dessert every night.
And that’s where these easy fried apples come in handy! They’ve got the flavor of apple pie, but without having to mess with the crust.
- So versatile: Serve warm apples with vanilla ice cream, spoon them over Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake, or eat them on top of Fluffy Homemade Pancakes or Bisquick Waffles for breakfast.
- Incredibly easy: All you’ll need to do is peel, core, and slice the apples, then fry them in a butter and sugar mixture until they’re tender.
- Great for meal prep: These sautéed apples store well in the fridge and the freezer so you can make them when you have time and keep a stash whenever the craving for something warm and cozy strikes!
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need
You only need a few ingredients for this recipe. You probably already have everything you need in your kitchen!
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Unsalted butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, add just a pinch of kosher salt instead of the full amount.
- Sugar – You’ll need both white sugar and light brown sugar, which adds a caramel note to these skillet fried apples.
- Apples – Granny Smith apples are tart to balance the sugar and firm enough that they don’t fall apart when fried.
- Warm spices – You will need ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice.
Variations
- Try different spices: Add a pinch of cloves or ginger, or swap in apple pie spice.
- Give them a boozy kick: Stir in 1–2 tablespoons of bourbon or rum.
- Swap out some of the sugar: Use honey or maple syrup instead of brown sugar.
How to Make Fried Apples
This recipe comes together in just a few steps in under 30 minutes!
- Start the sauce: Melt butter with the sugars in a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the apples: Stir to coat, then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the spices: Combine the spices and salt in a small bowl and stir to mix thoroughly. Add to the apples and stir to combine.
- Finish and serve: Cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the apples are soft and the sugar is dissolved. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and the sauce.
Enjoy these delectable apples on their own or with a few of the serving suggestions below!
Serving Suggestions
- Top sautéed apples with candied or toasted pecans, almonds, or walnuts.
- Drizzle the apples with Homemade Caramel Sauce for extra decadence.
- Sprinkle Easy Homemade Granola over the apples for some crunch.
- Add a dollop of Chantilly Cream.
- Use them as a topping for Bisquick Pumpkin Waffles and Cinnamon Roll Pancakes. Or even Baked Pork Chops!
How to Store Fried Apples
- Refrigerator: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container, and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: You can also freeze fried apples for up to 2 months; just thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating them.
- To reheat: Reheat the apples gently in a skillet set over low heat before serving. Or, warm them up in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this easy fried apples recipe, you’ll want to use a firm apple that won’t turn to mush when cooked. Granny Smith are usually considered the best apples for cooking and baking because of their texture and flavor. However, you can also use Honeycrisp apples, Pink Lady apples, Golden Delicious apples, or Braeburn apples.
You can cook old apples (assuming they’re not spoiled!), but keep in mind that an apple that doesn’t taste good for eating out of hand won’t be great for cooking with either. If your apples are mealy and flavorless, they won’t improve when fried, although adding sugar and spices does make them slightly more palatable.
I like to keep it simple with just cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, but you can also add a pinch of cloves or ginger for even more flavor. Or, use homemade apple pie spice. And don’t forget the salt—it really helps to bring out the sweetness of sautéed apples!
You can fry apples in oil, but I prefer to fry them in butter. The butter gives the apples a richer flavor and helps to create a nice caramelization on the outside. If you’re looking for a dairy-free option, you can use coconut oil.
More Apple Recipes You’ll Love
Cake
Apple Dump Cake
Quick & Easy Desserts
Apple Blondies
Quick & Easy Desserts
Easy Apple Crumble
Breakfast
Apple Cinnamon Muffins
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Need help with this recipe?
Click the buttons below to summarize it, adjust for diets, swap ingredients, or ask your own questions!
Easy Fried Apples
Equipment
- saute pan
- bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 6 large Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- In a large saute pan, melt the butter with both sugars over medium heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the apples and stir to coat everything in the butter and sugar. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring often.½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup light brown sugar, 6 large Granny Smith apples
- Combine the spices and salt in a small bowl and stir to mix thoroughly. Add to the apples and stir to combine. Cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the apples are soft and sugar is dissolved into a sauce. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a tablespoon of sauce.1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, vanilla ice cream
Notes
- Use firm baking apples: Granny Smith is ideal, since it keeps its shape when cooked, but I’ve also used Honeycrisp with success.
- Don’t forget to come back to the pan to stir: This will keep the apples from sticking to the bottom!
- Slice evenly for even cooking: You want all the apple slices to be roughly the same size so they have uniform texture when finished.
