Apple fries are one of my favorite sweet treats! Crisp apple wedges are lightly battered and fried in a pan, then sprinkled with a cinnamon-sugar mix. What really sets these fried apples apart is the dipping sauce. You’ll love this creamy, caramel-infused dip.
Apple Fries
Apple fries with caramel cream dip is like eating your own little apple pie with every bite. My husband and I dreamed these up while driving home from a family hike and couldn’t wait to get home to try them out.
We both love apples but have a weird allergy where we can’t eat them raw, it makes or throats itchy and tight I know, it’s super weird and started when we were living in California—we can’t figure out what happened. As long as our apples are cooked, we are fine. But we have missed being able to eat crisp raw apples dipped in caramel, so we came up with this delicious creation. I’m SO glad we did!
The fried apples are lightly battered and fried in a shallow pan, then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. The caramel dip is creamy and caramel infused, and oh-so-yummy. The two together are a killer combination and a must-try for apple season!
Which type of apple should I use?
You can use any kind of apple for this recipe but we prefer tart and crisp apples, like granny smiths or pink ladies. Braeburn and Galas work great for this recipe too.
Never make it with a really sweet and soft apple like a red delicious, though. These types of softer apples cannot withstand the frying process. They’ll get very mushy and the flavor is not as good.
Caramel Cream Dip
You can’t make these apple fries without also making the caramel dip. This simple combination of cream cheese, cool whip, and caramel sauce is out of this world!
If you don’t feel quite up to the task of making homemade caramel, you can simplify it by using store-bought caramel sauce instead. I like the flavor of Mrs. Richardson’s Butterscotch Caramel as a store option.
If you want to make the fried apples extra tasty, though, try it with our homemade Caramel Butterscotch Sauce! It is my favorite sauce ever, we use it on all kinds of desserts. It is especially good for this dip.
More Apple Recipes:
If you have an abundance of apples this year or are just looking to try some new apple recipes, we have TONS to share with you!
- Dutch Apple Pie: This is our favorite fall pie. It is filled with tart apples and baked with a sweet and buttery crumb topping.
- Disneyland Apple Pie Caramel Apples: These Apple Pie Caramel Apples from Disneyland are my new favorite treat! Can’t make it to Disney? Bring the magic to your kitchen with this easy recipe!
- Traditional Apple Crisp: This is a no-frills, easy, traditional apple crisp recipe that can’t be beat. Just like the apple crisp the lunch lady used to make back in the good ol’ days (but better)!
- Copycat Bluebird Turkey and Brie Sandwich: Our Bluebird’s Turkey and Brie Sandwich Copycat is the best sandwich ever. It’s unique flavors are so good, like deli turkey, crisp apples, and brie cheese.
- Apple, Ham, and Cheddar Melts: Apple, Ham, and Cheddar Melts are my favorite lunch in the fall. It takes grilled cheese to a whole new level.
If you want to see ALL of our apple recipes, click HERE.
How to Make Apple Fries
Ingredients
For the Apples:
- 4 to 5 tart apples we used Pink Ladies
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup Wondra flour
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/8 cup cinnamon
For the Dip:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 8 oz Cool Whip or 1 cup whipping cream with 1/2 cup sugar- whipped until stiff
- 1 cup caramel sauce store bought or homemade (see above)
Instructions
- In a fry pan, or deep fryer heat vegetable oil for frying.
- Mix together the buttermilk and sugar in a medium size bowl. Peel and slice apples and add them to the buttermilk mixture as you go to prevent browning.
- In a shallow dish, put a layer of wonder flour. Pull the apples out of the buttermilk mix, one at a time and lightly coat all sides in the flour.
- When oil is nice and hot, gently place coated apples into the oil so they are not touching, when the bottom side begins to turn golden, flip over and brown the second side. Quickly remove to a tray lined with paper towels to soak up excess grease and cool. Sprinkle immediately with cinnamon and sugar while they are hot.
For the dip:
- Mix together the the cream cheese and cool whip until completely blended then stir in the caramel sauce. Place into a bowl for dipping and drizzle a little extra caramel sauce over the top.
Valerie Chandler says
My question is close to above, we have our 1st quarter teacher appreciation luncheon on Friday and was wondering if I made the night before if they would still be tasty the next day?
Emily says
They would not be as good. They really taste best freshly made and hot, like regular french fries.
Cherie Zundel says
I too am allergic to most raw fruits and veggies. My allergist said when you cook them it releases the allergens that cause the problems. I will be trying this recipe tonight, as I too miss apples oh so much! Thank you
Melissa says
This makes me so excited!! I too have the same kind of Allergy to raw apples ! I love apples and now i can only eat them baked or cooked…Same with peaches and plums… I am very excited to try the apple fries. Thank u for the recipe!
Laurie says
Have you tried using an air fryer?? Curious if it would work instead of frying in oil?
Favorite Family Recipes says
I actually don’t have an air fryer so I’m not sure! Let me know how it goes if you do try it!
laurei says
The allergy is actually a reaction to whatever is sprayed on the fruit. Wash with baking soda and water.
Sara says
It’s not the spray for me. It’s the same after I’ve thoroughly wash and remove the peel.
Micki says
I will be making these! I am also allergic to raw apples and I love caramel apples. These seem to be a very close alternative!! Thank you!!
Margaret says
The comments about fresh apple allergy made me wonder about the sprays that are used on apples. My daughter lived in the midst of a huge apple orchard in WA. They moved because the apples were sprayed several times before harvest. One of the workers told her to keep her children inside and wash down the outside play equipment after he sprayed the trees due to spray drift. Some of the sprays were so strong that she found dead birds afterward. She now uses soap and water and really cleans the apples before eating.
Eden Passante says
So good and so bad at the same time! Oh boy do I love anything caramel related around this holiday season! Definitely going to try these apple fries soon!!
Sharon King says
Will the apples turn brown after frying?
Echo says
No, the apples don’t turn brown because they are cooked after you fry them. Thanks for asking!
Tina says
should the apple itself remaining crispy or will/should it soften?
Echo says
Thanks for asking, Tina. The apples are crispy on the outside and softer on the inside. If you want them to be crispier, cook them a little longer in the oil.
marcela says
hola soy de Argentina quisiera saber a que le llaman suero?
y si la harina es comun o leudante?
gracias
Echo says
Hola Marcela, la harina es una harina común, pero cualquier harina debe funcionar en esta receta. La salsa de caramelo es una cobertura de helado caramelo que viene en un frasco. Aquí hay fotografías de ambos. ¡Gracias!
Jessica says
Oh my goodness these look delious! I’ll definetly be trying a batch, even though we’re off-season. I’m sure my daughter will devour them!
Kayla says
I’m making this for my final project in my Film class how many servings should I make for a class of 25?
Echo says
The answer depends on how many slices of apple you want to serve per person in the class. I cut 8 slices per medium-sized apple when making this recipe. If you use 5 apples, that will be 40 slices of apple. I think 4 apple slices (or one-half of an apple) is a good serving size per person. If that works for you, then One batch of this recipe (using 5 apples) will serve 10 people. If you triple the recipe, you will have 120 apple slices and can serve 4-5 slices per person. Hope this helps! Good luck with your project!
Dana Smith says
Oh I share your pain with the raw apple allergy. I must try these!
Maria McDowell says
These look delicious! My daughter has they same thing. She can’t have them raw but she can have them cooked. There are other fruits and vegetables that are the same as well. We took her to the allergist and she said she is allergic to the pollen that is in it. So, she is on allergy shots and they think she will be able to eat them again. She is 14 now but He has had it since she was about 4 or 5. She had eaten them for a little while and drank apple juice and then she said Mom, it hurts my throat. That is where it all started.
Bev Ross says
These sound delicious and I want to make them for my Bible Study. But the link to make caramel is not working.
Favorite Family Recipes says
I’m so sorry, I just fixed that on the recipe. It links to our Caramel Butterscotch Sauce here: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/3-dessert-dipping-sauces/
rita says
can they be fired in air fryer
Favorite Family Recipes says
Great question, we haven’t used an air fryer for this recipe but if we do, we will add it to the recipe. If you try it out, let us know how it goes!
Karen says
I saw that wet batter food cannot be used in air fryer because the air flow will push the batter away from the food. Article did suggest frying in oil on stove top until batter is set then finish in air fryer. I too was hoping these could be done in air fryer.
Peggy Morgan says
I have not tried this fried apples yet , but it sounds wonderful. The point of air frying is to limit use of oil. So I was thinking what if I freeze after battering, then put in air fryer and spray with coconut oil. I think I’ll try.Will let you know how it turns out.
Robin says
Mmmmm, sounds yummy! My husband and I used to get these same type of Apple’s at The Boston Fish House on the south side of Chicago. The also made fried strawberries coated in sugar. Delish!!
Favorite Family Recipes says
Woah– fried strawberries??? YUM!!!! That sounds amazing!
Jeannie Thouvenin Turner says
I have an air fryer couldn’t you lightly use Pablo bread crumbs seasoned with cinnamon and sugar but first spray apples with coconut oil then cook similar to a French fry could be a different taste but similar maybe?
Jeannie Thouvenin-Turner says
I mean mix bread crumbs and cinnamon and sugar together and you would probably have to spray the apples first roll in crum mixture and lightly spray., with the coconut oil. Sorry ladies I get to rethinking and realize that I didn’t explain myself correctly. My bad this happens when I’m making a new recipe that fits my keto way of life.
Erica Walker says
haha no you are totally fine! We haven’t tried it that way before but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work really well. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!