Apple Rings (2-Ingredient Dough)

These Apple Rings are chewy, oven-baked apple slices covered with a delicious chewy dough and coated with crunchy cinnamon sugar.

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I love making desserts with apples in Autumn, like my Baked Apple Fritters, Apple Bites, or Baked Apple Donuts. The combination of cinnamon and apples that have caramelized in the oven is my absolute favorite thing to have when the days become shorter and the weather cools down.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Self-Rising Flour – It forms the base of the chewy batter that coats the apple rings, giving structure and fluffiness. It contains both flour and baking powder, which helps the batter rise. If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can replace it with all-purpose flour and add 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder. For a gluten-free version, it may work with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with baking powder already added but I haven’t tried that.
• Apple Juice – The juice provides sweetness and a hint of apple flavor to the batter. Use freshly squeezed apple juice for the best flavor and natural sweetness. If you don’t have apple juice, you can substitute it with pear juice or even water mixed with a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract for added flavor.
• Green Apples – These apples hold their shape well during baking and add a slightly sour taste to the sweet cinnamon sugar coating. Granny Smith apples are typically the best choice for this, but you can swap them with Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples for a sweeter option.
• Sugar – Used in the cinnamon sugar coating to provide sweetness and a crunchy exterior. You can substitute it with coconut sugar for a more caramel-like flavor or a sugar-free alternative like erythritol if preferred.
• Cinnamon – Cinnamon adds warmth and spice to the sugar coating, complementing the slightly sour apples and the sweet batter. You can swap it with pumpkin spice or nutmeg for a different flavor twist.
• Vegan Butter – This helps the cinnamon sugar adhere to the apple rings and adds a rich, buttery flavor. If you don’t have vegan butter, you can substitute it with coconut oil for a slightly different flavor or melted refined coconut oil if you want to avoid coconut taste.

How to Make Apple Rings

Making this recipe is really easy with the recipe card further down and the few pictures of key steps below.

Cut the apples in horizontal slices of the same thickness.

Core the center of the apple with a small, round, and hollow metallic tool, like a piping nozzle.

Mix all the batter ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Dip the apple slices into the flour mixture and place them on a baking sheet.

Bake the coated apple slices for 20 minutes at 375 °F (190 °C).

Prepare the coated sugar on a plate and dip the apple sliced in it after brushing some melted vegan butter on them.

Expert Tips

This recipe is really easy, but here are a few more tips to make it 100% no-fail!

1. Keep the Batter Consistency Right – If the batter is too thick, it may not coat the apple rings evenly. Add a splash more apple juice or water if needed to achieve a smooth, pancake-like consistency.
2. Use a Drying Rack After Baking – After taking the apple rings out of the oven, let them cool on a drying rack to prevent the bottoms from becoming soggy and help them retain their crispy texture.
3. Avoid Overcrowding the Baking Sheet – Leave enough space between the apple rings on the baking sheet to ensure even browning. Overcrowding can lead to steaming instead of crisping.
4. Brush with Butter While Warm – For the best adherence of the cinnamon sugar coating, brush the apple rings with melted vegan butter while they’re still slightly warm, but not hot. This will ensure the sugar sticks well without melting.
5. Control the Thickness of the Apple Slices – Make sure the apple slices are evenly cut, about 1/4 inch thick, for uniform baking. If the slices are too thick, they may not bake fully in the center.
6. Serve with Dips – Serve the apple rings with a side of date caramel sauce or dairy-free chocolate ganache for dipping.
7. Make Them Extra Crunchy – For an extra crunchy exterior, try broiling the apple rings for 1-2 minutes at the end of baking, keeping a close eye on them to avoid burning.

More Apple Dessert Recipes

If you love warm desserts with apples, you’ll love these:

Baked Apple Fritters

Apple Bites

Baked Apple Donuts

Apple Cider Donut Holes

Apple Rings

These Apple Rings are chewy, oven-baked apple slices covered with a delicious chewy dough and coated with crunchy cinnamon sugar.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 16 rings

Calories: 90.2 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 1 ¼ cup Self-Rising Flour - (note 1)
• ▢ 1 cup Apple Juice - (note 2), Freshly squeezed not reconstitued
• ▢ 3-4 Green Apples - sliced in 1/4 inch thick, cored

Coating

• ▢ ½ cup Sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
• ▢ ¾ tablespoons Melted Dairy-Free Butter (Unsalted)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 °F (190 °C).
• Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Slightly oil paper. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk self-rising flour and apple juice until a batter forms. Set aside.
• Slice apples with a sharp knife into about 1/4 inch slices (0.6 cm). I get 16 slices, if you get more, you might need to prepare more batter to cover the apple rings. Set aside.
• Use a piping nozzle or metallic bottle cap to core the apple and form an apple ring.
• Dip each apple ring in the batter, pull it out, and keep it for a few seconds above the bowl to let the excess batter run down. If some batter unsticks from the apple ring at this point, that ok.
• Release the apple rings on the prepared baking sheet, and use a teaspoon to fill any gaps where some batter might be missing.
• Bake the apple rings on the center rack of the oven at 375 °F (190 °C) until golden brown – about 20 minutes.
• Let them cool down on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before coating them.
• To coat, mix sugar and cinnamon in a shallow plate.
• Brush the lukewarm apple rings with melted vegan butter, then press them into the cinnamon sugar.

Notes

Note 1: Equivalent to 1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour + 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder. I didn’t try all-purpose gluten-free flour, but some good quality 1:1 blend should work.

Note 2: Use freshly squeezed apple juice sold in the fresh juice section of your store. The recipe work with any other juice, or water and a teaspoon of extract you love for flavors.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1ring | Calories: 90.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.1g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 0.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 5.2mg | Potassium: 66.8mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 11.3g | Vitamin A: 20.1IU | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.2mg | Magnesium: 6.1mg | Phosphorus: 14.6mg | Zinc: 0.1mg