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Warm cinnamon fried apples with brown sugar glaze in a cast iron skillet served as a fall dessert

Cinnamon Fried Apples

Firm apple slices cooked in butter with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple cider until fork-tender and coated in a thick, glossy skillet sauce. A fast, versatile 15-minute recipe that works as a dessert topping, breakfast side, or savory pairing with pork.
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Prep Time 7 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 184
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 medium apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith recommended
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 2 tbsp apple cider or apple juice
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp maple syrup optional
  • 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water optional, for thicker sauce

Equipment

  • Large Skillet or Cast Iron Pan
  • Sharp Knife and Cutting Board
  • Wooden spoon or silicone spatula

Method
 

  1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat until foamy and fully liquid.
  2. Add apple slices and cook undisturbed 2 minutes. Stir once and cook 2 more minutes until edges begin to color.
  3. Sprinkle both sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt over apples. Stir to coat every slice evenly.
  4. Add apple cider and vanilla. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are fork-tender and sauce is thick and glossy.
  5. Stir in cornstarch slurry if needed and cook 1 minute to thicken. Add maple syrup if using. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Notes

  • Use firm apple varieties - Honeycrisp, Fuji, Braeburn, or Granny Smith. Soft varieties like McIntosh break down too quickly in the skillet.
  • Slice apples to a consistent 1/4 inch for even cooking throughout the batch.
  • Cook apple slices undisturbed for the first 2 minutes to build light color rather than steaming them.
  • If the sauce looks thin at the end, add the cornstarch slurry and cook 1 minute - remove from heat immediately after it tightens.
  • Reheat leftovers with a teaspoon of apple cider over low heat to loosen the sauce which thickens considerably when cold.