A local shares his top favorite snacks from the Apple Barn
You get a little ego boost when you’re out and about and you pick a little snack that draws oohs and aahs from other guests. You walk out with your little treat, and someone says in admiration, “Oh, that looks good.” It is even better when someone says “What is that? Where did you get that?”
Both things happened to me on a recent trip to the Apple Barn complex right at the Sevierville-Pigeon Forge line. That’s right. I’m an apple snack influencer.
What is the Apple Barn complex?
The Apple Barn is a group of shops, restaurants, stores and a hotel related to and adjacent to an old Sevier County Apple Orchard. There are shopping options that feature quite a few knick-knacks, a bit of bric-a-brac and more than a little gewgaws and trinkets. There’s a Christmas-themed shop and lots of places to buy hard cider, pastries, ice cream and other snacks while you wait for a seat at one of two down-home-style restaurants on the property: The Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant and the Applewood Farmhouse Grill.
The best snacks at the Apple Barn complex
There is always a bit of “eye-of-the-beholder” in this. Do you prefer fried apple pies or apple turnovers? Would you rather have a caramel apple or a candied one? Do you prefer your ice cream plain or covered in toppings? They are all are valid opinions and what follows below are mine. But remember, I’m a certified influencer whose apple snack choices drew strong reactions from the crowd. Next time, I wouldn’t be shocked if there was applause.
1. Fried apple pie
There is something to be said of the flaky pastry dough that comes with an apple turnover, but it can’t quite compete with the fried apple pie. It’s all the goodness of a regular apple pie served in an easily edible format. It’s excellent with a dollop of ice cream but perfectly capable of standing alone. You can find it at the Cider Bar along with other fresh-made cider and homemade treats.
2. Apple cinnamon donut
I am staying in baked goods served at the Cider Bar with these cinnamon-dusted apple donuts that make for the perfect treat. They are light, fluffy – not too cakey – and covered in cinnamon. These are great to share on-site or take by the dozen back to the hotel for later.
3. Caramel apple sundae
You have to include something from the creamery on this list, and this treat is the perfect combination. Certainly, there are a variety of non-apple-flavored ice creams at the shop. But if you come to the Apple Barn, don’t you want something a little apple-y? This is a tart Granny Smith split into sections and served with vanilla ice cream in the middle and covered in caramel. It’s sweet, with a bit of the tart bite of the apple and full of classic flavors. Caramel goes perfectly with both the ice cream and the apple. Is it unwieldy – especially on a sunny day when the ice cream goes quickly? Yes. Did I accidentally walk around for the next two hours with ice cream and caramel in my beard? No comment. Was this a great snack? Unequivocally, yes.
4. Apple cider
Do I have an unusual connection to apple orchards and related items? Maybe so. I grew up around apple orchards in Indiana and as a boy, lived in Ft. Wayne where the famous Johnny Appleseed is buried. But back to my apple bonafides. My family has picked our own apples and made homemade apple sauce, apple pies and the like. I’m an apple guy. And nowhere is that more prominent than my cider addiction.
Fresh cider may well be my favorite thing. Each fall, I get a little too excited for harvest time when I finally get fresh cider. Can I find cider at the store at other times of the year? I can. But it’s not the same. It is an immutable law. If you go to an apple orchard in the fall, you have to get a cup of cider – or maybe a quart or even a gallon to take home. The Apple Barn cider is always freshly made and delicious.
5. Hard cider
One does not go to the Apple Barn Complex to party, per se. However, one can get a drink to enjoy while one waits an hour and a half for a seat at the Farmhouse Restaurant because one made the mistake of going to the shops first and not checking at the restaurant to get on the Sunday afternoon waitlist. Between the Cider House and the Winery, you have options of locally made fruit wines, hard ciders and more. You can even get an alcoholic slushy served in an “IV bag”. For the record you drink it through a straw. And you can carry it around while you shop and graze.
6. Fancy caramel apple
This is, in my opinion, strictly a to-go item. Eating caramel apples – especially caramel apples coated in a mass of toppings – in public is simply too risky a situation. I couldn’t eat a sundae without getting it in my beard. There’s no way I’m taking down a caramel apple without getting that thing stuck in there like gum. I do not want to have to cut a caramel apple stick out of my chin hair in public. However, these tempting treats are also too good to pass up. Take them home where you can use a fork and a knife and keep your dignity intact.
While no time is a bad time to visit the Apple Barn complex, it’s perfect for a fall getaway in the mountains. The flavors of the fall harvest are in full bloom, there’s just enough nip in the air – especially as the sun gets low in the sky – that a hot apple cider or beverage hits just right. But it’s not too cold or too hot to get out and explore. If you’re coming to the mountains this fall, carve out a little time to visit the Apple Barn. The complex is located at 230 Apple Valley Road in Sevierville.
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