Fried Apple Crisp
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Fried Apple Crisp is made with tart apples, yummy granola, pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. This dish will make your house smell like an apple orchard on an autumn day, and warm you up from the inside out!
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What's Special About This Recipe?
I have a confession to make. When I set out to create Fried Apple Crisp, I thought of ways I could avoid dragging out my apple-peeler-corer-slicer. (ad) I don't like to peel things...especially potatoes, carrots, or apples. So, let's get straight to the fun part and leave the peeling for another day!
How, you ask? By frying those apples with their skins on!
I gotta admit...this batch of Fried Apple Crisp was the best I've ever tasted. It was even better than what you might expect. Frying the apples in my cast iron skillet, then finishing them off in the oven, was a crazy good idea.
Did I mention the topping? Yummy granola, pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon (mixed with butter) is a match made in heaven. It caused the house to smell like an apple orchard for hours! In fact, as I write this, I'm still smelling wafts of cinnamon-spice flying through the air.
How to Make Fried Apples
To make Fried Apple Crisp, you'll need Honey Crisp apples, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, granola, cinnamon, pecans...and the ability to resist temptation. 🙂
Start by slicing the apples, and be sure to leave their skins on. Honey Crisp apples are perfect for this dish because they're tart and have a soft skin after cooking.
Add apples to a cast iron skillet, (ad) then sprinkle with cinnamon, and stir. Add pats of butter, vanilla, and brown sugar.
Begin the frying process over medium heat, and watch these babies turn into dessert!
How to Make Granola Topping
After the apples are tender (about 15 minutes), it's time to make the topping. Granola is the perfect choice because it has everything you need in one bag.
I used a granola that didn't have much sugar added, but if you use one that has a lot of sugar in it, you may want to omit the brown sugar in the topping.
Simply add your favorite granola to a separate bowl, pour in chopped pecans, then add a little flour and brown sugar. With your hands, mix in softened butter until mixture is crumbly.
By now, the apples will need a little more moisture, so add a cup of water and stir well. It's time to add the crumbly topping, so go for it! Cover the entire skillet with that crumbly goodness and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
You're gonna love how amazing Fried Apple Crisp turns out!
Serving Suggestions
Serve Fried Apple Crisp with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream sprinkled with cinnamon, or swirl whipped cream on top.
More Fall Desserts
- Pumpkin Spice Flip Cake
- Fresh Apple Cake
- Granny Tag's Prune Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Coconut Bark
- Loaded Carrot Cake
- Pumpkin Spice French Toast
- Puff Pastry Apple Tart
Recipe Card
Fried Apple Crisp
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Ingredients
FRIED APPLES
- 4 large unpeeled honey crisp apples sliced
- ½ tsp. cinnamon or more if you like strong spices
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 6 pats of butter
- 1 cup water
TOPPING
- 2 cups oat granola low sugar or honey
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. flour
- ½ stick butter softened
Instructions
FRIED APPLES
- Slice apples and place in a 12 inch cast iron skillet.
- Sprinkle apples with cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla, then mix well.
- Add 6 pats of butter and fry apples over medium heat for 15 minutes until soft.
- Stir apples frequently during cooking. Reduce heat if necessary to avoid burning.
- After frying, add 1 cup of water and mix well.
- Allow apples to simmer while making topping.
TOPPING
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine granola, chopped pecans, cinnamon, brown sugar and flour in a large bowl.
- Add softened butter and mix together with hands until crumbly.
- Sprinkle topping over apples in skillet.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until golden brown and crunchy.
Notes
- A pat of butter is the same as a small slice off the stick.
- If you can't find honey crisp apples, feel free to substitute with another tart apple like granny smith.
- Any oat granola will work, but I used one without excess sugar added. If yours has a lot of sugar in it, try omitting the brown sugar in the topping. Taste it ahead of time to check.
- Fried Apple Crisp was featured on the NEWS!
- View the Google Web Story for Fried Apple Crisp!
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
Tried this Recipe and Loved It? ❤️ Please scroll down and leave a *STAR* review for others to view!
Just fantastic! Used Galas and a FULL teaspoon of cinnamon!
AND of course dark brown sugar and a bit of sorghum syrup. YUMMM!
Thanks Karen! So happy you loved my fried apple crisp recipe! 🙂
Perfect recipe for fall! Our family had this past weekend. Yum!
Thanks Karen! So happy y'all love my fried apple crisp recipe! 🙂
This is recipe is 10 stars! Most of the ingredients you will probably have on hand and what is not to like with butter, pecans, brown sugar and fresh apple slices. Jim and I had it warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream as you suggested and Oh My Goodness was it delicious! Thank you. Jane
Yay! That vanilla ice cream makes it! 🙂
Another winner! I love granola and oats, pecans..all the good stuff. Can't imagine omitting the brown sugar. Yes, once again, my mouth is happy. Debi- you're the best!
I'm so glad you loved it! I can't imagine omitting the brown sugar either! 🙂