I love fried apples! I mean, seriously, hearts and flowers love them! How can you go wrong with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and sugar baked into apples for hours?! My love of Cracker Barrel Fried Apples inspired this Crock Pot Fried Apples Recipe.
Crock Pot Fried Apples Recipe
We’re known to stop at any Cracker Barrel we find during our travels just to enjoy a hot bowl of their fried apples. Sadly, we do not have a Cracker Barrel here in Spokane, with the closest one being in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, about an hour's drive away. Don't get me wrong, I have driven to Coeur d'Alene to enjoy a glorious bowl of fried apples, but that doesn't happen often.
So, instead, I made a big batch of this CrockPot Fried Apple Recipe and LOVED IT!
I even made copycat Cracker Barrel Pecan Pancakes. My next Cracker Barrel Recipe goal is to make chicken and dumplings and the oh-so-delicious Coke Cake. YUM!
I must confess that I often make this sweet slow cooker side dish while John is at work so I can sneak a bowl or two for myself before he gets home. Don't worry; he gets more than enough of this when he gets home. But I love curling up on the couch with a hot bowl of fried apples and watching a reality TV show. It is pure decadence!
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients needed to make epic Crock Pot Fried Apples! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.
- Large Apples
- Lemon Juice
- Cornstarch
- Light Brown Sugar
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Butter
Optional - nutmeg, apple pie spice, walnuts
Equipment Needed
- Apple Corer: Use a strong corer that removes the cores without bending.
- Apple Slicer: You can also use an apple slicer to cut them all simultaneously instead of one by one.
- Vegetable Peeler: You will want a vegetable peeler that is comfortable to hold and can peel the apples quickly.
- CrockPot: We suggest using a CrockPot with a digital timer that automatically switches the temperature to warm after a set time to ensure your apples cook perfectly without stressing about cooking time.
How to Make Crock Pot Fried Apples
I've included complete instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here's a quick version.
- Toss apples in lemon juice as you cut them.
- Spray your CrockPot with non-stick spray.
- Cover apples with cornstarch and coat evenly. Transfer to Crock Pot.
- Add brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter, and stir to combine.
- Cook on high for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Preparation and Storage
Make Ahead: This sweet copycat Cracker Barrel dish is make-ahead-friendly! It takes about three hours to cook in your slow cooker, freeing you up to work on other menu items or simply put your feet up and relax!
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and enjoy them within five days.
Leftover fried apples can be used in hand pies! Serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream...YUM!
Freezing/How to Freeze: Freeze any leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag and enjoy them within three months.
How to Reheat: Reheat leftovers using your microwave or stovetop, depending on how many portions you need to prepare. Let any frozen Fried Apples thaw overnight in the fridge to ensure they reheat evenly.
Recipe Variations
Substitutions: For the apples, you can use tart apples, granny smith apples, or, honestly, any apples you have in the house. The flavor may be a bit sweeter or more tart than copycat cracker barrel fried apples, but they will still taste amazing.
Apple options include pink lady apples, gala apples, Braeburn apples, honeycrisp, golden delicious apples
Vegetarian Option: These CrockPot Fried Apples are vegetarian-friendly!
Vegan Option: Vegans should replace the butter with a plant-based substitute to make this recipe safe for a vegetarian diet.
Gluten-Free: All the ingredients in this slow cooker recipe are naturally gluten-free, including cornstarch, making them safe for a gluten-free diet!
Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: The written recipe makes eight servings. Scale it up or down to your desired yield, keeping in mind that you may need to work in batches if you scale up.
Sugar-Free: The written recipe contains 25 grams of sugar per serving. Replace the brown and white sugar with sugar-free alternatives to make it sugar-free.
Tips for the Best Crock Pot Fried Apples
- Enjoy these slow cooker apples alone or with a heaping scoop (or two) of vanilla bean ice cream to take the flavor over the top!
- These cinnamon apples are a fantastic option if you’re looking for a holiday side dish! The apples are tender, and any easy recipe during the holidays is something to be jolly about.
- I’ve yet to try it, but you can use these Crock-Pot Fried Apples as an apple pie filling for a rich, indulgent flavor in recipes such as our Bisquick Apple Pie Cobbler and Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling Cobbler!
What to Serve with Crock Pot Fried Apples
Serve these CrockPot Fried Apples with other copycat Cracker Barrel favorites and all-American classics for a homestyle Cracker Barrel meal at home! Here are some menu pairing suggestions.
Sides: Cracker Barrel Carrots, Cracker Barrel Green Beans, Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams, Southern Style Green Beans, CrockPot Bourbon Baked Beans, CrockPot Tater Tot Chicken Casserole, CrockPot Corn Pudding
Main Dishes: Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings, Cracker Barrel Pancakes, Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken, Cracker Barrel Pecan Pancakes, Bacon Pot Pie, Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs, Crock Pot Steak Stroganoff, CrockPot Mushroom Pasta Casserole
Desserts: 2 Ingredient Lemon Bars, Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling, Orange Dreamsicle Salad, Bisquick Peach Cobbler, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies, Air Fryer Donuts, Cinnamon & Sugar Crescents, Raspberry Coffee Cake, Biscuit Donuts
When to Serve
- Breakfast
- Brunch
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Fall harvest parties
- Thanksgiving dinner
- Over vanilla ice-cream
- On top of waffles
- Perfect side dish for pork chops
Great Apple Recipes
Do you have a bunch of apples you need to use before they turn brown and icky? Here are some of our favorite apple recipes.
Check out our vegetarian CrockPot recipes, including epic holiday side dishes!
We have a ton of excellent apple dessert recipes!
Do you love recipes? Check out our copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and our CrockPot Recipes.
Follow Tammilee Tips on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for our recipe posts.
Crock Pot Fried Apples Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large apples peeled, cored and cut into wedges
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- ⅓ cup Light Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup White Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Butter melted
Instructions
- Toss apples in lemon juice as you cut them.
- Spray your crock pot with non-stick spray.
- Cover apples with cornstarch and coat evenly. Transfer to crock pot
- Add in brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, salt, butter and stir to combine
- Cook on high for 3 hours, stirring occasionally
Kitchen Tools
- Apple Corer
- Peeler
- Slow cooker
Nutrition
Originally shared July 27, 2015, updated March 22, 2020
Nancy
They came out perfect.
Melissa
When do you use the butter?
Ellen Christian
We usually go apple picking in the fall. I definitely need to try this soon!
Jacqui
I love fried apples!! Even better that it uses the crock pot. Easy and less heat!
Kelsey Apley
I love fried apples, we ate them a lot as a kid! I am gonna have to try your recipe! THanks so much!
Danielle K
These look so good! I love fried apples, but never thought to make in the crock pot. Will definitely be making this in the fall
Victoria Sconion
This looks so good! I want to make this... Your blog is an inspiration to recreate the recipes to allergy-friendly.
Melissa B
This recipe sounds delicious!