These Apple Bites are moist almond apple treats with crispy edges and coated with crispy cinnamon sugar. It’s a delicious, healthy, gluten-free apple cookie bite, perfect to celebrate fall.
I love the fall season for two things. Pumpkin and Apples. While I make a lot of pumpkin recipes, like my Pumpkin Scones or Pumpkin Brownie Bites, I also am a huge fan of the taste and texture of baked apples, like in my Baked Apple Donuts.
These apple bites are crazy easy to put together and even easier to munch on. They’re so delicious that you’ll need an occasion to serve them if you don’t want to end up eating all of them yourself.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Almond Flour – Almond flour brings a nutty flavor and a gluten-free base to the bites. Almond meal can be used as an alternative. If you can’t have nuts, it might work with sunflower seed flour, but I haven’t tried.
- Cinnamon Apple Cider Syrup – This is a bit like maple syrup but mixed with apple syrup and spices. It adds sweetness and an intense apple-cinnamon flavor. If you can’t find it, you can swap it for other syrups and extracts.
- Green Apple – Green apples bring a tart freshness and moisture to the bites. Choose firm, crisp apples for the best texture. You can also use other apple types.
- Sugar – Used for the optional cinnamon sugar coating. You can use any granulated sweetener, like coconut sugar, allulose, erythritol, or brown sugar.
- Cinnamon – This enhances the apple flavor and adds a fall twist to the bites.
How to Make Apple Bites
This recipe is really easy to make in just a few minutes. Follow the recipe card further down and use the pictures below to see key steps.
Combine the dough ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
Mix until just combined with a silicone spatula.
Roll the dough into balls and dip them into the cinnamon sugar.
Bake the bite in a muffin tin for 12-14 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C).
Expert Tips
This is a no-fail recipe, but here are a few more tips to make it even better or easier.
- For the best texture, finely dice or grate the apple. Be sure to drain excess juice to prevent the bites from becoming too moist.
- If you don’t have cinnamon apple cider syrup, combine maple syrup with apple extract and ground cinnamon for a similar flavor profile.
- For a more complex flavor, try different spice combinations in your apple pie spice blend, such as adding a pinch of nutmeg or allspice.
- To ensure uniform baking, use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to measure out the dough for each bite.
- For a crunchier exterior, roll the bites in finely chopped nuts before baking.
- These bites can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Apple Dessert Recipes
If you like desserts with apples, you’ll love these other ones!
Did You Like This Recipe?
Leave a comment below or head to our Facebook page for tips, our Instagram page for inspiration, our Pinterest for saving recipes, and Flipboard to get all the new ones!
Apple Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup Almond Flour - (note 1)
- 5 tablespoons Cinnamon Apple Cider Syrup - (note 2)
- ⅓ cup Green Apple - unpeeled, ultra finely diced, about 1/2 green apple
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line two mini-muffin pan with mini paper liners, or line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease them using cooking oil spray. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, make the cinnamon sugar: stir sugar and cinnamon. Set aside for later.
- Peel, core, and finely chop half a green apple – as thin as you chop onion. You can also grate the apple if easier. Squeeze out the juice.
- Pack 1/3 cup of grated, drained apples in a measuring cup. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, stir almond flour, cinnamon apple syrup, and finely chopped apple. Stir until it forms a sticky, firm dough.
- Roll it into small balls, and roll them in the cinnamon sugar to add a crispy layer to the apple bites. This is optional. The recipe works without the coating.
- Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet or in the muffin holes.
- Bake the bites for 12-14 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until the edges are golden and dry.
- Let the bites cool down on the tray for 5 minutes, then gently transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Let them cool down for 30 minutes, and eat them plain or dipped in caramel sauce.
Super delicious fall treats – my family loved them
I’ve tested them, delicious, so putting them on my Thanksgiving list! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your great recipes for granny smith apples..these recipes are low in calories which is a good thing for everyone who might have some health issues who can still have these to eat without causing any serious harm to oneself thank you
..
Do you think that protein powder could be substituted for some of the flour? I went out to Amazon to purchase the syrup but it says they no longer have it and don’t know if it will be back in stock. Are there any other manufacturers of it?
You can swap the apple syrup for maple syrup, the apple flavor so less strong if you do, but a bit of apple extract can balance the flavor. Regarding protein powder, it should work, but some powder are way more liquid absorbent than almond flour it means you will need more syrup, or less protein powder to bring the batter together
Hi Carine,
How can i substitute the cinnamon apple cider syrup with??
Since I’m in Quebec Canada and i can’t find it anywhere, but I still want it to try the same
Anna
Sure, as mentioned in my note, maple syrup work the same, but it doesn’t add the lovely apple flavor.
Would any other flour work to make them school safe (nut free) thanks
Probably sunflower seed flour, but I haven’t tried