Here’s a recipe for Slow Cooker Cracker Barrel-Style Fried Apples—sweet, buttery, and perfectly spiced, just like the restaurant version:
Ingredients
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6–8 medium apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or a mix), peeled, cored, and sliced
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1/2 cup brown sugar
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1/4 cup granulated sugar
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1 tsp cinnamon
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1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
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1/4 tsp salt
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2 tbsp unsalted butter
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1/4 cup water (or apple juice for extra flavor)
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1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
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Prepare apples:
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Peel, core, and slice apples evenly (about 1/4–1/2 inch thick).
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Combine ingredients in slow cooker:
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Place sliced apples in the slow cooker.
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Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
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Dot with butter and pour water over the top.
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Cook:
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Cover and cook on low for 3–4 hours or high for 1.5–2 hours, until apples are tender but not mushy.
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Stir occasionally if possible to coat apples in the syrup.
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Finish:
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Stir in vanilla extract at the end.
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Serve warm as a side dish, over pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, or even pork chops.
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💡 Tips:
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For a thicker syrup, remove the lid during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
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Use a mix of sweet and tart apples for balanced flavor.
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You can add a pinch of cloves or allspice for a more spiced flavor.
I can also give a slightly caramelized stovetop version that tastes almost identical to Cracker Barrel but cooks in under 20 minutes. Do you want that version?
