Growing up, Sunday dinners at Cracker Barrel were a family tradition, and nothing compared to their famous fried apples. The sweet, tender apple slices swimming in brown sugar and warm spices created pure comfort food magic. After years of experimenting, I’ve cracked the code to recreate these beloved fried apples at home.
This easy copycat recipe delivers the same nostalgic flavors you remember, whether you’re serving them as a classic Southern side dish or a comforting dessert topped with vanilla ice cream.
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Delight your family with a delicious fried apple recipe from Cracker Barrel.
These Southern-fried apples are delicious side dish when served with pork chops, but they become my easy apple dessert recipe when it is apple season. I know you will love serving this up just like the Cracker Barrel restaurants do, and when you make it at home, you can serve it up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This copycat Cracker Barrel recipe is an easy recipe. Who doesn’t love a delicious treat from your favorite restaurant?
What makes this the best copycat Cracker Barrel restaurant recipe?
Hands down, this is one of my family’s favorite apple recipes. These apples have the perfect blend of spices. Tender apple slices are perfectly cooked and wonderfully seasoned. These delicious fried apples can be served as a great side dish or as a dessert with a dollop of whipped cream. This is our go-to recipe for enjoying apples when it is apple season.
Cracker Barrel Fried Apples Ingredients
For the Fried Apples:
- Bacon drippings or butter – Provides rich flavor and prevents sticking while cooking
- Golden Delicious apples – Maintain structure when cooked and offer mild sweetness
- Lemon juice – Prevents browning and adds bright acidity to balance sweetness
- Brown sugar – Creates the signature caramelized coating and syrup
- Salt – Enhances all flavors and balances the sweetness
- Ground cinnamon – Adds warm, classic apple pie spice
- Ground nutmeg – Provides subtle complexity and traditional fall flavor
How to Make Fried Apples Cracker Barrel Style
- Core, peel, and slice the apples into 3/8-inch wedges.
- In a large skillet, melt bacon drippings or melt butter.
- Spread sliced apple evenly over the skillet bottom.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar and salt over the apple mixture.
- Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, and stir them occasionally. Cook until the apples are fork-tender and juicy.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg, and serve.
- You can add a squeeze of lemon at the finish for enhanced flavor.
- Serve these with a slotted spoon.
To Peel or Not to Peel Apples
You can leave the peels on the apples or take them off, which is entirely up to you. I think you can deviate from the recipe a bit if you want to use different types of apples in the recipe. You can get a delicious flavor by using a couple of other apples.
Please note the video below features apples that are not peeled. You can peel the apples if you want them exactly like they are at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurant.
What are the best apples to use for cooked apples?
Cracker Barrel uses the Golden Delicious type of apple, but many other apples have a better flavor when you cook them. I recommend different kinds of apples over golden delicious. Here are a few of my recommendations.
- Granny Smith apples have a citrusy-tart flavor and are very firm, so they don’t get mushy when cooked.
- Jonagold apples have a sweet honey flavor that holds up well when baked.
- Honeycrisp apples are sweet and tart with a hint of berry.
- Pink lady apples are sweet, and tart apples, they are also slow to brown.
Want to get the best flavor imaginable? Make this recipe with a few different types of apples
Storage & Reheating Instructions for leftovers
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Apples will continue to soften slightly when chilled.
- Reheating Method: Reheat gently in skillet over low heat for 3-5 minutes, or microwave on medium power for 2-5 minutes, depending on quantity.
- Freezing: Can be frozen for up to 3 months, though texture becomes softer after thawing.
Love Cracker Barrel? Check out these copycat recipes!
- Broccoli and Cheddar Chicken
- Hash Brown Casserole Cracker Barrel
- Easy Meatloaf Recipe with Ritz Crackers
- Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad
- Cherry Chocolate Cobbler
- Coca Cola Cake Cracker Barrel
- Cracker Barrel Southern Fried Chicken
Here are a few more easy apple recipes your family will love!
- Dutch Apple Pie Recipe
- Low Sugar Apple Pie
- Apple Pie made with Ritz Crackers
- Apple Cider Pork Roast
- Apple Pecan Chicken Salad
- Best Apple Crisp
- Caramel Apple Bread Pudding
Be sure to take a look at my all-time favorite fall recipes and the best Cracker Barrel copycat recipes.
Cracker Barrel Fried Apples Easy Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 golden delicious apples cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Spread the apples evenly over the bottom of the skillet and sprinkle with lemon juice, brown sugar, and salt.
- Cover and cook over low heat until tender and juicy, about 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, and extra lemon juice if desired.
i ate my apples and it was sour what should i do to make it taste less sour?
Sugar.
This is close to my family recipe. We use 1/8 c butter & 1/8 c bacon drippings. Can put C.B. to shame : )
I believe it!
Made these last night. My husband thought he had died & gone to heaven,,
Win! I am happy he enjoyed the apples.
MM…Perfect. My live in babysitter, Peggy used to keep a coffee can of bacon greace under the sink…she swore it had majical proporties. LOL..tasted good anyway; ). Thanks for the recipie. Getting ready for Easter dinner and discovering the cheap meats I used when I “had” to are still the tastiest today. The sides , such as these apples make the meal. Happy Holidays!
Hey Stephanie. I was wondering, do you think that sweet potatoes could be used in the place of apples in this recipe? I have a friend who loves sweet potatoes and I am always trying to find different ways of cooking them.
I don’t think they would work well. They don’t have juice like apples do. Now what does go well together is baked apples and sweet potatoes.
I think she needs a recipe for candied sweet potatoes. very yummy if you find the right recipe
I’m using Granny Smith and I still don’t have a thick syrup. Watery at best 🙁 What can I do?
Turn up the heat, and let everything cook down. Are you using butter, margarine, or bacon grease? If you are using a butter spread it isn’t going to work.
yup, turn up the heat and cook em like Stephanie said. Real butter is a must!
Real butter makes them better 😉
I am not a brave enough person to try canning these. I can can things, but I am not willing to put my limited knowledge of canning to test where it could endanger people. I do not create any canning recipes. I only use recipes from my Ball canning guide.
I would also like to know if it is possible to can apples like this?
Is it possible to can this?
What type of apples work best? I used Honeycrisp, which were good, but seemed to have a very high water content and I didnt get the thick syrup I expected.
You need to use apples that are meant for cooking, something like a Granny Smith, or another tart apple work best. Honey Crisp are wonderful to eat raw, but I don’t think they cook up very well.
Sounds delish. Instead of bacon drippings, is it possible to use butter?
Yes you can use butter instead.
Bacon dripping has always been used to season food in the south. Most had a specific can that set on the stove top to pour the grease in so you could just get a spoon full or two to cook with.
Well, yeah. It’s rendered lard.
Rendered lard is cooed down from pig fat you end up with pork rinds bacon grease is the fat remaining from cooking bacon that’s smoked.
Bacon drippings are a definite must if you can use it. What goes with pork chops? Applesauce! What is bacon? Pork….trust me on this one, it doesn’t taste like “bacon”.
Very good! We can’t use bacon drippings because of a pork allergy, so used canola instead. Delicious! Thank you!
You can use a couple of drops of Liquid Smoke ( Hickory Flavor you can find this at the grocery) in with any oil or liquid to give that flavor without using the actual fat.
Kitty,
Great idea on the liquid smoke. I keep some handy, it is my secret ingredient for when I make my balsamic-vinegar salad dressing.
I have to admit to skepticism about the whole bacon drippings idea, but I tried this recipe anyway. OMG!! It is EXACTLY like Cracker Barrel. I would have never, in a million years, expected this outcome. Kudos!! (My 1 1/2 yr. old daughter is pleased as punch, too!!)
I’m sure margarine can be substituted for the bacon drippings.
My grandmother used to make them with bacon grease and the taste of the bacon grease was undetectable. They were delicious.
The last time we tested, and tried this recipe was a couple of years ago. It is possible the recipe has been changed since then. I’ll keep it in mind to review the recipe again in the near future. Thanks for your comments!
Stephanie
I didn’t taste any bacon drippings in the fried apples . I would not be able to eat it because of indigestion.Are you sure bacon drippings?? I will probally use canola spray instead.Thanks
Are you sure about the bacon drippings? I detect any of that flavor in the apples when I’ve ate them. I’m hesitant to use it.