These easy cinnamon spiced apple rings are bright red, cinnamon-candy bold, and just dramatic enough to make a plain pork chop feel underdressed. No canning, no extra steps-just a quick simmer and an overnight soak that turns basic apples into the side dish people hover over like they've been lost to polite society. 🍎🔥
🥰 Is this spiced apple rings recipe for you?
- you think a side dish should have a little attitude and not just sit there behaving itself
- you remember those bright red apples from childhood holiday tables and want that same "who brought these?" energy
- you need a make ahead side dish that looks like you tried a whole lot harder than you did
- you like sweet with a little cinnamon heat that sneaks up and taps you on the shoulder
- you want a make-ahead dish that quietly gets better while you ignore it in the fridge
Serve this with baked ham and watch people lose their ability to speak.
🧾 Ingredients you'll need for this spiced apple rings recipe
Somewhere along the line, these bright red spiced apple rings just… vanished. Now you get to have them anytime you want.
- Honeycrisp apples - firm, sweet, and not about to collapse into applesauce the second things get warm
- Guajillo chile - totally optional… but if you like a little low-key drama and a whisper of heat, toss it in and watch people get confused in the best way
- Whole cloves - tiny but bossy, bringing that old-school holiday flavor whether you invited them or not
- Cinnamon sticks - the backbone of the whole situation… warm, cozy, and doing the most without asking for credit
- Lemon juice - keeps your apples from turning that sad shade of "I waited too long"
- Red Hots or Cinnamon Imperials candies - the reason these turn that unapologetic bright red and taste like nostalgia with a little attitude
Don't forget to download the free kitchen cheat sheet to get extra tips, FAQs, storage information, and more.
📖 Recipe
Spiced Apple Rings Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- ¼ cup lemon juice, keeps apples from darkening
- 2 pounds apples, MacIntosh - Granny Smith - Honey Crisp - any firm fleshed apple that holds its shape when cooked
- 3 cups water, divided use -more if needed
- 2 cups cinnamon candy, Red Hots or Cinnamon Imperials - any hard cinnamon candy
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 guijillo chile, optional - adds a little heat
Instructions
- Add the lemon juice to 2 cups of water.
- Peel and core apples - slice into ½ inch thick rings.
- Drop the apple rings in the lemon juice as you finish each one.
- Heat ½ cup of the remaining water and the cinnamon candies in a saucepan.
- Stir often until the candy is completely melted, adding water as needed to keep the syrup from getting thick.
- Add the guijillo chile (optional), whole cloves, and cinnamon sticks.
- Drain the apple rings and pat dry.
- Gently stir the apple rings into the syrup.
- Cover and simmer, occasionally stirring gently, for 15 minutes or until apples are tender.
- Add the rings to a storage container and cover with the cooking syrup.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, or about 8 hours. Remove the cloves and cinnamon sticks before using.
- Store unused apple rings in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
- If you use very tangy apples add ¼ cup of sugar to the water with the red hots.
- Use firm-fleshed, tart apples like MacIntosh, Honey Crisp, or Granny Smith
- Watch the candies carefully as you melt them down. You don't want them to stick and burn.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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🔪 How to make apple rings step by step (even if you've never done it before)
This is easy. Like "don't overcomplicate it or I will come over there and take the spoon away" easy. We're melting candy, simmering apples, and letting time do the rest. If you can refrain from eating the candy, stir, and wait, you've already got this.
- Peel and core the apples-use a melon baller (to take the core out) if you've got one and feel like a genius for five minutes.
- Slice into even rings and drop them straight into a bowl of lemon water so they don't turn that tragic shade of brown.
- In a heavy saucepan, melt the cinnamon candy with the water, stirring so it doesn't scorch and ruin your mood. Add the apples and spices, give everything a gentle stir, and let it simmer just until the apples are tender.
- Take it off the heat and let those apples sit in that syrup as long as you can stand it-the longer they soak, the better they get. Plan on overnight in the fridge minimum.
Can you can spiced apple rings?
No. Absolutely not.
CAUTION: I wouldn't try to can this particular recipe for cinnamon spiced apple rings. There isn't enough acid to do it safely. Freeze for longer storage
😱 What can go wrong (and how to fix it)
🍎 The syrup turns thick and sticky like candy glue
You let it cook too long or didn't add enough water. No drama-just stir in a little hot water, bit by bit, until it loosens back up.
🍎 The apples are mushy and falling apart
They cooked too long or the apples were too soft to begin with. Next time, grab firmer apples (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith). For now? Congratulations, you've got the start of some very fancy applesauce.
🍎 They're not that bright red color
Some apples are stubborn and don't soak up color like they should. Let them sit longer-overnight is the minimum, but two days is where the magic really shows up. Still pale? A drop or two of red food coloring will fix their attitude.
🍎 The flavor feels flat or too sweet
It happens. Add a squeeze of lemon juice or a pinch of salt to wake everything up. If you're feeling bold, that guajillo chile earns its keep right here.
🍎 The candy sticks or scorches while melting
That heat got a little too ambitious. Keep it medium-low and stir like you mean it. If it's already scorched, don't try to save it-start over before it flavors everything like regret.
🍎 The apples didn't soften enough
They needed a few more minutes in the simmer. Put them back on low heat and keep an eye on them until fork-tender.
This is such an easy recipe - it's the perfect side dish for French Onion Chicken or Oven Roasted Quail!
👩🍳 FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
After you peel and core the apple turn it on its side. Cut it in half through the middle of the fruit horizontally. Now cut in even sized rings.
There could be a lot of reasons. (1)Different apples have different densities - I used honeycrisp. (2)Letting them cook a little longer helps them to soften enough to soak up more color. (3) Most of all, make them 2 days before serving and just let them sit in the fridge and soak up all the red syrup possible. If they do not turn as red as you'd like add a little red food color.
Lemon juice will help cut apples to maintain their original color. In this candied apple rings recipe the lemon juice is mixed with water and you just dip the rings in the lemon water for a few minutes.
The nice thing about this recipe is because the apples are red from the cinnamon candy it doesn't show if they turn a little brown.
You can use them as a side dish, which is especially good with pork chops or ham, or you can use them as a salad course by serving them on lettuce leaves with other fruit. My mom used to put a scoop of cottage cheese or cream cheese in the center and I like them that way, too. I also like them in ham sandwiches.
📚 More apple recipes
If you've got apples on your mind, don't stop here. Slide right into a skillet of southern fried apples-soft, buttery, and just sweet enough to make you question your self-control. Or go all in with cinnamon candy apple pie, where that same bold flavor shows up dressed for company in a flaky crust. And if you're feeling a little extra (which I fully support), southern fried pies are calling your name-golden, crisp, and filled with apple goodness that absolutely does not believe in moderation. 🍎
Cinnamon apple rings were usually just fished out of the syrup and placed in a relish dish to be passed as an accompaniment to turkey breast or pork loin when I was growing up.
I'd often sneak into the refrigerator and grab a slice out of the jar - not realizing that the rosy syrup left a telltale stain on my fingertips. Ooops. How did Mom always know?
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diana says
I did this as a flashback for Thanksgiving growing up. All the older folks had a flashback moment.
Couple of personal notes:
1. I would say the food coloring is a requirement to get the red you want.
2. I would use oil of cinnamon and up the sugar a little bit when I make it again.
Thanks for sharing the recipe and letting me find hug in jar.
Jessica says
Thank you for this! I found out a few weeks ago that Musselman apple rings were discontinued. My husband always had them as a kid for Christmas dinner or Thanksgiving. We kept up with the tradition with our kids. I will be making them every year now!
Richard Ladwig says
Thank you a million times over! I loved these and their smaller cousins (spiced crab apples). My family had forgotten all about them until I brought (what turned out to be the last few jars of Musselman's spiced apple rings) for the last few holidays. So when my Mom asked me to bring them this last Thanksgiving, and I couldn't say no, I was pleased to find your recipe ready and waiting. It was pretty easy and since I made them the day before, they had plenty of time to soak in all that syrup to the perfect red ring color. I've since bought a couple different apples and pairs to try, since there was plenty of syrup left, and I look forward to the results. Thank you again for helping bring some good old tradition memories back to the family!
Gloria says
Yummy I love the taste I don’t usually like spiced apple rings