Southern Fried Apples with Cranberries are sweet, buttery, and cinnamon-spiced-ready in 25 minutes for a cozy Thanksgiving or Christmas side or dessert!
Southern Fried Apples with Cranberries bring cozy, old-fashioned flavor to your holiday table and are a great alternative to homemade cranberry sauce. Tart Granny Smith apples and fresh cranberries are simmered in butter, dark brown sugar, and cinnamon until tender and glossy. Made in just 25 minutes on the stovetop, this quick and versatile recipe can be served warm as a festive side with roasted meats or as a simple dessert. Perfect for a Thanksgiving gathering or Christmas Eve dinner, these fried apples are a sweet-and-tart twist on a Southern classic.
🔍 Quick Look: Southern Fried Apples with Cranberries Recipe
- Ready in: 25 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Calories: ~197 kcal per serving
- Main Ingredients: Granny Smith apples, butter, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, fresh cranberries
- Elements of Taste: Sweet & Tart
- Cook Method: Melt, Cook, & Simmer
- Difficulty: Easy, making it great for cooks of all levels.
- Why You'll Love It: These Southern Fried Apples with Cranberries are buttery, cinnamon-spiced, and perfectly sweet-tart. Ready in just 25 minutes, they make a cozy holiday side or dessert for Thanksgiving or Christmas-simple, festive, and full of warm Southern flavor.
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Jump to:
- 🔍 Quick Look: Southern Fried Apples with Cranberries Recipe
- Why You'll Love This Southern Fried Apples with Cranberries Recipe
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make Southern Fried Apples with Cranberries
- My Top Tip
- Recipe FAQ's
- Make-Ahead, Storage, & Reheating Instructions
- More Cranberry Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love This Southern Fried Apples with Cranberries Recipe
- Only 5 Ingredients
- The Recipe is Simple
- Quick and Easy to Make - a 25-Minute Recipe
- It's Both a Side Dish & a Dessert
- It is Vegetarian
So, let's cook!
Ingredient Notes
Here's what you need to make my Southern Fried Apples with Cranberries:
- Granny Smith Apples - These are the best apples for this dish. They are tart, which is excellent with the sweet cinnamon butter sauce. Plus, they are firm and make beautiful slices that retain their shape when cooked.
- Fresh Cranberries - Choose cranberries that are firm, shiny, and deep red in flavor. This dish requires only a portion of a 12 or 16-ounce bag. Use the remaining cranberries to make my Whole-Berry Cranberry Sauce.
- Salted Butter - If you use unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon of salt to enhance the flavor. Substitute ⅓ cup neutral-flavored cooking oil and add ¼ teaspoon of salt to make a vegan option.
- Dark Brown Sugar - I adore the rich, caramel-like flavor of dark brown sugar. But, you can also use the exact same amount of light brown sugar for a lighter caramel flavor or use white granulated sugar for a cinnamon-forward sauce.
- Ground Cinnamon - This is the star of this dish and is an excellent pairing with apples and cranberries. You can also add a pinch of ground nutmeg for another flavor boost or substitute Pumpkin Pie Spice.
Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.
How to Make Southern Fried Apples with Cranberries
- Cook Butter, Sugar, & Spice. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the dark brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add Apples. Add the sliced apples and stir and cook 5 minutes. Cover and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add Cranberries. Add the cranberries, stir, cover and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes or until the apples and cranberries have softened. Serve & Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions: This makes a great side dish for a glazed baked ham or turkey dinner, and it's also a delicious dessert when served with vanilla ice cream or topped with homemade whipped cream.
My Top Tip
♡ Place peeled and sliced apples in cold water with a little lemon juice to prevent browning while they are being peeled and cut.
Recipe FAQ's
The ingredients for fried apples include tart, firm apples, salted butter, brown sugar, and a sweet baking spice such as cinnamon.
The best fried apples are made from any variety of baking apple that remains firm after cooking, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, and Fuji.
The best spices for fried apples are sweet baking spices, like cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. These spices also go well with cranberries.
Make-Ahead, Storage, & Reheating Instructions
- Make-Ahead: This dish can be made ahead and then reheated or served cold.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to one month.
- Reheating: Gently warm the apples in a covered skillet over low heat to prevent burning or in the microwave. A small amount of water might be needed to loosen the sauce.
More Cranberry Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Southern Fried Apples with Cranberries
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Ingredients
- ½ Cup Salted Butter
- ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
- 4 Cups Granny Smith Apples, Peeled, Cored, and Sliced
- 1 Cup Fresh Cranberries
Instructions
- Cook Butter, Sugar, & Spice. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the dark brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook and stir until the sugar has dissolved.½ Cup Salted Butter, ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar, 2 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
- Add Apples. Add the sliced apples and stir and cook 5 minutes. Cover and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.4 Cups Granny Smith Apples
- Add Cranberries. Add the cranberries, stir, cover and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes or until the apples and cranberries have softened. Serve & Enjoy!1 Cup Fresh Cranberries
Notes
Nutrition
Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
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Jan Nunes says
This is so much more than just a sweet apple side dish/dessert. It also makes a terrific pie filling!