Warm Spiced Southern Fried Apples Recipe

If you're looking for a dessert that's warm, comforting, and easy to make, then you simply can't go wrong with spiced Southern fried apples. This recipe, courtesy of developer Jennine Rye, will walk you through the steps of making the classic Southern dessert, which features softened apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a sweet, buttery syrup to tie it all together.

"My favorite thing about this dish is how warming and delicious it is," Rye says. "It's a great way to use up any apples you may have sitting around, and a quick way to make them into a gorgeous dessert. Sometimes, simplicity is best!" Simplicity does shine through brilliantly in this dish, with it requiring 8 ingredients, and 20 minutes to whip up. Double or even triple this recipe to bring spiced apple joy to a holiday party or office gathering — your family and peers will be grateful that you did.

Apples are the star of this recipe, but Rye notes that not all apples are made the same, at least not for the sake of this recipe. "You will want to use apples that are firmer, and those which have a more tart, flavorful quality to them," she describes. Rye opts for Pink Lady apples in this recipe, but she notes that Granny Smiths work well here, or bramley apples, if you're able to source them.

To warm and spice up those apples, you'll also need butter, both white and brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and optionally some lemon juice. A squeeze of lemon helps keep the apples from browning, but it's not a strictly necessary ingredient.

While apple skins are tasty in some circumstances, we don't want them for these fried apples, so use a sharp peeler to carefully peel the skin off of each apple. Then, core each apple, and finally, cut them up into relatively even-sized slices. If you want to keep the apples from browning, go ahead, and toss the lemon juice and apples together in a bowl.

Place a frying pan on the stovetop over medium-low heat, then add in the butter, and allow it to melt. Add both sugars, the cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Stir everything together, ensuring that the sugar and spices are evenly distributed amongst the liquid.

Now, add in the sliced apples, and stir thoroughly — make sure that each apple slice is coated in the sweet syrup. Allow the apples and syrup to sit at a simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the apples are nice and tender.

Once the apples are warmed through, and perfectly tender, you can serve them as desired. Rye serves hers with some nuts on top, which adds some nice texture to an otherwise soft dish. Ice cream or whipped cream are also good serving options. 

As for when to serve these apples, Rye has a few suggestions: "They make a great midweek family dessert option, or they can easily be dressed up with some fancy ice cream to serve at a dinner party," she says. "I also love them on top of porridge or granola as a breakfast option in the colder months!" A dessert that conveniently doubles as a breakfast option? It's a sweet and spiced win-win.

If you happen to have leftovers — which is unlikely, due to the tasty nature of this dish — you can store them in a sealed container, in the fridge, for up to 3 days.