Fried Apples

Fried apples have been a staple on southern tables for ages, and although they’re not winning any beauty contests, they more than make up for that with their buttery-brown sugar flavor. I grew up eating fried apples as a side dish to other savory foods – pork dishes, especially – but they were also served as dessert and alongside buttermilk biscuits for breakfast.

Start with a cast iron skillet if you have one. If you don’t have one a regular skillet will work too, but a cast iron skillet will give you some deliciously crusty bits on your apples.

Squeeze a bit of lemon over the apples and toss to coat.

Now, cover the apples with brown sugar and spices. This is kind of like making apple pie without the crust.

Dot the apples with lots of butter! As the skillet heats, the butter will slowly melt down and begin to fry the apples. If using cast iron, place the skillet over medium heat. Don’t be tempted to crank up the heat to hurry things along. The cast iron will slowly come to temperature. After a few stirs the apples become syrupy and well-coated.

This makes a quick dinner party dessert with a splash of bourbon in the brown sugar syrup. Serve the apples warm over vanilla bean ice cream, and don’t expect leftovers!

I developed this recipe for the American Butter Institute, and the recipe lives on their website Go Bold With Butter. Click over to print the recipe!

Fried Apples