Not growing up in the south, fried apples were not a thing until I had them at Cracker Barrel in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in 2010. I was hooked on them, not because they are healthy or anything. But I only made them several times after that, because I knew I’d sit and eat the whole pan if left unattended.
I made them at home in 2012, using this recipe I came up with. In that recipe, I used far less butter and sugar, but had to use corn starch to thicken the sauce around the apples.
I saw this recipe on the back of a box of Dolly Parton Mac and Cheese (yes, that is a thing, just like the big Stoffer party trays), and I liked how simple it was. There was nothing fancy, just four ingredients. And no corn starch.
Dolly’s Fried Apples
Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (used Gala)
Directions:
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Add in the apples and stir to coat them.
Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, lowering the heat if it bubbles too hard.
Notes:
Use a crisp apple for best results; Gala is a good choice. This is very cinnamon-y. You might want to start at one teaspoon and work up. I liked it, but it might be too overwhelming for some, with the full amount.
The apples are delicious if chilled as well.
~Sarah