When isn’t Dolly Parton doing the most for her fans? Between donating money to schools, releasing some of America’s favorite albums, and publishing delightful cookbooks, she might as well be working 9 to 5 to make people happy. This recipe for her Southern fried apples seemed to be too good to be true — could it really be that simple to make dessert? But, as always with Parton, it was the stuff of dreams.
How to Make Dolly Parton’s Southern Fried Apples
First, pick the type of apples you’ll use. I would recommend starting with a tart apple like Granny Smith, as you’re cooking them in sugar, but this recipe will work with any you have on hand. Honestly, the hardest part of this recipe was peeling all of the apples. Next time I make this, I might even skip this step as long as my dinner guests don’t mind eating the apple skins.
Once you have the apples peeled, all you need to do is melt the butter that will become the base for the apples to cook in. Once the butter is melted and smelling delicious (already a good start!), stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon to create the sugary sauce. Once that is evenly mixed, simply add in the apples and cook them gently in a low to medium heat until they’ve softened slightly. You can cook the apples as much as you want, leaving them firmer and crisper with a shorter time, or soft and melted with a longer cooking time.
At first, I wasn’t sure about making Southern fried apples. But when I took the first bite of these delicious apples, I was transported back to my grandma’s kitchen where she would make me apple pie. The apples perfectly captured the taste and smell of a slice of fresh-baked apple pie like nothing else I’ve ever had! And, best of all, I didn’t have to mess around with making pie crust or baking something for a long time in the oven. What a perfect compromise for an early fall day.
I have to admit that this recipe made plenty of Southern fried apples to share, but I finished them all myself this time. I’ll be adding this recipe into my weekly rotation for sure, though, so I’ll be sharing with my neighbors before too long. I’m already daydreaming about what I could serve this with, from a warm oatmeal crumble to a delicious Greek yogurt bowl in the morning.
