Fried Apples with Maple Cinnamon Glaze (No Refined Sugar)
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Fried apples are a super easy comfort food that’s wonderful as a side dish or dessert. While most recipes call for white sugar or brown sugar and cinnamon, we’ve changed things up a bit with maple syrup. I hope your family enjoys it as much as our family does.
What make a good fried apples recipe?
If “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, then the perfect fried apples recipe is in the tummy of the apple eater.
Some folks peel the apples, some don’t. I’ve seen southern fried apples that call for vinegar, while others call for lemon juice, and still others use no extra acid at all. Some use fat apple slices, some use thin. Make the recipe your own!
There’s enough maple syrup and butter in this recipe to make a nice maple cinnamon caramel sauce, but if you want more apple and less sauce, go ahead and cut the fat and sweetener by half. Opt for coconut oil instead of butter for vegan fried apples.
Picking the Right Apples
I like a firm, tart apple like Cortland, Fuji or Granny Smith apples. The well known Cracker Barrel fried apples are made with golden delicious apples. Try different types and see which you enjoy best. If you have a favorite pie apple, odds are you’ll enjoy it fried, too.
One note – if you opt for an apple with softer flesh like Macintosh, you may find that the apples are tender before the glaze cooks down. Use thicker apple slices, and make sure to add apples after the syrup cooks down for a bit.
Don’t Scorch Your Fried Apples!
Place your skillet over medium heat or medium low heat for cooking. Once the liquid in the syrup and apples cooks down, the sugar can scorch quickly if you crank the heat up.
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I start with the syrup and butter (or coconut oil) in the skillet first, and cook until the mixture starts to thicken. When the apples and lemon juice go in, they add liquid. As we cook the apples, the glaze thickens again. When the apples are tender, serve your fried apples warm over pancakes, ice cream, “as is”, or as a side dish.
Fried Apples with Maple Cinnamon Glaze (No Refined Sugar)
Fried apples are a super easy comfort food that’s wonderful as a side dish or dessert. While most recipes call for white sugar or brown sugar and cinnamon, we’ve changed things up a bit with maple syrup.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stove top
Ingredients
- 2 medium apples
- 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- Juice of 1/2 lemon (1–2 tablespoons)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Sprinkle of Salt
Instructions
- Begin heating the butter or coconut oil and maple syrup on medium heat in a medium-size stainless steel or cast iron skillet.
- While the butter/coconut oil and syrup cooks, wash, core, and slice your apples. (Peel if you like.)
- Add the apples, cinnamon, lemon juice and salt to the maple syrup mix. Sauté the apples until tender, stirring and flipping gently so they cook evenly. (About 5-10 minutes.)
- The maple cinnamon glaze thickens as it cooks, and more when it cools. Your fried apples are done when the apples are tender and a spoon pulled through the glaze forms a line that disappears slowly.
- Enjoy the apples warm over pancakes, ice cream, as a side dish or just by themselves!
Get More Maple Recipes
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