Cinnamon Spiced Apple Rings

Get ready to make one of our favorite side dishes with this spiced apple rings recipe!

These homemade, old-fashioned apple rings are made with firm tart apples, Red Hots candy, and some spice. Perfect for adding a vibrant, sweet, and tangy twist to any meal, especially during the holidays.

Keep reading to find out why this easy recipe is a must-have for your holiday table!

Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.

🗝️ Key takeaways

• Quick & easy. These spiced apple rings are a colorful addition to any meal, offering a nostalgic taste of sweet apples and cinnamon. They're quick to make and sure to impress!
• Pretty. Perfect as a side dish for holiday dinners, cozy family meals, or any special occasion where you want to add a pop of color and flavor.
• Lemon juice. Using lemon juice helps keep the cut apples bright and beautiful.

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!

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

The guijillo chile is totally optional but give it a try. It adds a little extra spicy flavor.

📖 Variations

1. Leave out the chile for less spicy heat.
2. If you don't have the bright red color after 12 hours you can stir in a few drops of red food coloring.
3. You can make these with pears, too.
4. Like it super spicy? Add a pinch of cayenne. It will amp up the cinnamon flavor and tingle even more.

🔪 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.

1. Peel and core your apples. I use a melon baller spoon to take the cores out. So easy that way!
2. Slice them and drop them into lemon juice and water in a large bowl to keep them from turning brown.
3. In a heavy saucepan melt the candy in the water.
4. 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.

🍎 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:

🍴 Equipment

1. apple corer
2. large bowl
3. saucepan
4. paring knife
5. storage container - preferably glass.

🥫 How to store leftovers

Store any leftover spiced apple rings in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. They make a great snack or addition to salads.

💭 Things to know

• 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.

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!

📚 Related recipes

🍽️ Repurpose leftovers

• Apple Ring Pancakes: Add apple rings to pancake batter for a delicious breakfast.
• Apple Ring Salad: Mix with greens, nuts, and diced cubes of white Cheddar cheese for a refreshing salad.
• Apple Bread: Chop and use in this Amish Apple Fritter Bread.

📞 The last word

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

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.

Ooops.

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 comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Spiced Apple Rings

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Old-fashioned spiced apple rings are full of sweet, cinnamon flavor. They're the perfect side dish for pork and turkey. Let them sit in the syrup at least overnight for the best flavor.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American - Southern

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 8 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings:8 servings

Calories:217

Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

• ▢ 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

CAUTION: DO NOT can this particular recipe. There isn't enough acid to do it safely. Freeze for longer storage

You can use pears instead of apples - 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.
• 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.

 

You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 5.2mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.1mg

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.

First published October 2017. Last updated June 19, 2024 to make editorial corrections and for readability.

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Spiced Apples

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