If you're looking for a special side dish (or relish) to go on the table this vintage recipe is for you!

This is such an easy recipe - it's the perfect side dish for French Onion Chicken or Oven Roasted Quail!
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- So much tastier than the ones you buy at the store and so easy to make.
- These bright red apple slices are really pretty on the holiday table but they're just delicious anytime.
- You can make these with pears, too.
There are a lot of ways to make cinnamon apples but I think mine is the easiest.
It just takes a few minutes and once you've made them you can keep them in a jar in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in a freezer container for several months.
You can even save the syrup and use it again in a new batch!
Next time try grilled pear salad. SO good!
🧾 Ingredients

The guijillo chile is totally optional but give it a try. It adds a little extra spicy flavor.
📖 Variations
- You can use pears if you wish.
- No fresh pears? Go ahead and use canned pear halves. You won't need to cook them - just let them soak in the sugar syrup for a day or so.
- Like it spicy? Add a pinch of cayenne. It will amp up the cinnamon flavor and tingle.
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

- Peel and core your apples. I use a melon baller spoon to take the cores out. So easy that way!
- Slice them and drop them into lemon juice and water in a large bowl to keep them from turning brown.
- In a heavy saucepan melt the candy in the water.
- Add the prepared apples and spices and simmer briefly. Remove from heat and let the apples soak in the syrup for as long as possible.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip - CAUTION: I wouldn't try to can this particular recipe. There isn't enough acid to do it safely. Freeze for longer storage
- Use firm-fleshed, tart apples like MacIntosh, Honey Crisp, or Granny Smith. You can use pears, too!
- Watch the candies carefully as you melt them down. You don't want them to stick and burn.
- The longer the apples (or pears) sit in the red syrup the more flavorful they will be.
- Keep them in glass storage containers - they will dye plastic and I think it gives it a weird taste.
- Use toothpicks to stick the apple rings to a ham when you are cooking it and use the syrup in the glaze.
- If you happen to overcook the fruit don't worry about it - process it in the food processor for apple (or pear) sauce.
- Save the red cinnamon syrup in the refrigerator. You can reuse it to make more OR you can use it in cocktails and sweet sauces. Better yet - try this candy apple pie!
- These are so good with a scoop of cinnamon gelato.
- These are great with slow-cooker ranch chicken for an old-fashioned dinner.
👩🏻🍳 FAQs
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.
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.
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.
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.
🍎 Best apples to use
The best apples to use for spiced apple rings and similar recipes are apples that hold their shape when cooked or baked. For this reason MacIntosh apples are not a good choice. Choose from the following:
Apple Type | Flavor | Texture | Hold shape? |
HoneyCrisp | sweet | crisp & juicy | yes |
Braeburn | balanced sweet & tart | firm & crisp | yes |
Winesap | sweet; slight spicy flavor | crisp & juicy | yes |
Jonathon | sweet & tangy | crisp | yes |
Jazz | sweet, tart, tangy, slight spice | crisp & juicy | yes |
Granny Smith | very tart | crisp | yes |
📖 Related Recipes
Restless Chipotle has plenty of apple recipes - here are a few of my favorites!
- Dutch Apple Pie has tender, buttery apples in a classic, flakey crust and then is topped with sweet, crunchy streusel. It's a classic that everyone needs a good recipe for. PS - this is a GREAT recipe!
- Baked Brie with Apples and Bacon is probably one of the most popular appetizers in existence - at least in the fall. This recipe is as pretty as it is yummy - get ready to be bombarded with the "how did you make this?" question.
- Bourbon Apple Pandowdy is baked right in an iron skillet which gives it a nice texture and a comforting, welcome-home kind of presentation. It's absolutely addictive.
- Cinnamon Apple Sangria is crisp, sweet, and deliciously drinkable for all your fall parties! Adjust the sweetness of the sangria by using a sweeter or drier white wine as the base.
- Apple Fritter Bread has all of the yum of apple fritters but in a sliceable quick bread.
- We love this easy apple cake!
- Grilled Pear Salad isn't apples but it IS delicious!

📞 The last word
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 or pork 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.
Try leftovers in this recipe for Ham Sliders. Incredible!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it a 5-star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe

Spiced Apple Rings
Print Pin Recipe SaveIngredients
- 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
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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
- 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.
- The longer the apples (or pears) sit in the red syrup the more flavorful they will be.
- Keep them in glass storage containers - they will dye plastic and I think it gives it a weird taste.
- If you happen to overcook the fruit don't worry about it - process it in the food processor for apple (or pear) sauce.
- Save the red cinnamon syrup in the refrigerator. You can reuse it to make more spiced apple rings.
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.
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published October 2017. Last updated November 3, 2023, to add variations and other information and to make editorial corrections.
Shirl
The taste is great, but the color is not bright red. They look like one of your pictures. I hope they get red overnight in the fridge. I had to substitute imperals as I couldn't find red hots
Marye
The longer they sit the redder they get. I've never had a problem getting the color.
Cindy
Such a fun and tasty twist on apples. Thanks for sharing this yummy snack idea! 🍏🍎🍂😋
Becky Mansfield
I love making spiced apple rings with cinnamon! These are perfect for fall, especially when we've gone apple-picking and have so many apples to use. Thanks for sharing!
Cindy
I forgot all about these cinnamon apple rings.. I used to sneak the candy from my mom when I was a kid.
Mel C
I almost used Gala apples (phew - thank goodness I spotted your comment about them turning to mush!) - These spiced apple rings came out perfectly using Granny Smith apples. They were nice and tart - a perfect compliment to the sweetness and spice of this recipe!
Rita Joy
These spiced apples rings would be a perfect recipe for a big backyard apple harvest!
Camden Rusincovitch
I've never had anything like these spiced apple rings before. I'm looking forward to trying these out in the spirit of fall, lol
Cynthia
I haven't had spiced apple rings since I was a kid! Yum!
Alyssa
I've never had spiced apple rings before. I love anything cinnamon flavored, so I know these will be the perfect treat!