Homemade Spiced Apple Rings
on Jan 09, 2024
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Get ready to fall in love with the easy homemade spiced apple ring recipe! Enjoy them on their own as a flavorful snack, or as a beautiful topping for desserts, salads, pancakes, and more.
These spiced apple rings bring back nostalgia with the bright red color and sweet, tart flavors! In the holiday season, homemade spiced apple rings in a jar are a lovely gift, and they’re a delicious topping to festive recipes and holiday cheese boards. They add a bright pop of color to almost any dish.
I love keeping a jar of these spiced apple rings in the fridge for healthy and sweet snacking. They’re tangy and sweet, so much better than the store-bought ones. I hope you love them as much as I do!
Watch Spiced Apple Rings Recipe Video
How to Make Spiced Apple Rings
You need only 6 ingredients to make these spiced apple rings (The full recipe with measurements at the bottom of the post).
- Apples – 6 apples or 2 pounds yields enough for about three 10-oz mason jars. Double the recipe if you’re serving more!
- Lemon juice – To prevent browning.
- Sugar and water – They create the base for the syrup.
- Cinnamon stick – For the cinnamon flavor.
- Whole cloves – For warm depth of flavor. You can also experiment with other spices like ground nutmeg or ground ginger.
- Red food coloring – It gives this treat its signature red color.
What are the Best Apples for Spiced Apple Rings?
For this recipe, it’s best to use apples that are firm and hold their shape well during the cooking. I’ve tested different types of apples and I find granny smith and honeycrisp are the best apples for making spiced apple rings.
- Granny smith apples have a bright green color. This is my favorite choice for this recipe because they have a tart flavor and firm texture.
- Honeycrisp apples have a sweet flavor and crisp texture. They can add a pleasant sweetness to your spiced apple rings.
Feel free to make this recipe with either of these types of apples. Other options include fuji, cortland, and golden delicious. They all have relatively firm textures.
This spiced apple ring recipe is super easy to make! Here’s how it goes:
- First, cut the apples. Wash and peel apples. Then slice them into ½-inch thick rings. (I recommend using a mandoline for quick, uniform slicing.) Use a small round cookie cutter or a piping tip to cut out the core from each apple ring. Place the apple rings into the lemon water mixture to prevent browning.
- Next, make the syrup. Combine water, sugar, cinnamon candy, and cloves In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar and candy dissolve. Allow the syrup to come to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer for 3 minutes.
- Then simmer the apple rings in the syrup. Drain apple rings to the syrup. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the apples are slightly tender. Remove the apple rings to the mason jars, and pour the spiced syrup over the apples. Tip: Choose the mason jars with a wide mouth so that it’s big enough for the apple rings.
Allow your spiced apple rings cool before serving. If you don’t use them immediately, store them in the refrigerator. They will last for up to one week in the fridge.
Spiced Apple Rings Serving Suggestions
These spiced apple rings are great on their own as a healthy and flavorful snack. They are also my favorite way to add a bright pop of color to almost any dish. Here are a few delicious ways to use them:
- Top them onto any dessert! They are delicious with ice cream, apple pie, cheesecake, bread pudding, or crepes.
- Add them to a salad. I like them with fruit salsa and quinoa salad.
- Use them as a topping to breakfast items. I like to serve them with pancakes, french toast, waffles, and yogurt parfait.
- Pile them on burgers or sandwiches. I like them with my Travis Scott burger and Italian pepperoni sandwich.
- Include them on a cheeseboard. They pair well with various cheeses and will add a delightful contrast and color to any cheese board at a holiday party during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Canning for a Homemade Gift
For longer storage or making this recipe into a homemade gift, here are some extra steps for canning spiced apple rings:
- Sterilize the mason jars by placing them in the boiling water.
- Once you’ve added the spiced apple rings and poured the hot syrup into the sterilized mason jars following my recipe, make sure the rings are completely covered with syrup. Remove air bubbles.
- Wipe the rims of the mason jars with a clean and damp close. Then place the sterilized lid onto the jars and secure them until they are fingertip-tight.
- Place the sealed mason jars into a large pot with a rack at the bottom, making sure the jars are covered with at least an inch of water.
- Bring the water to a boil and boil for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the mason jars from the water and place them on a clean, dry towel.
- Store them in a cool and dark place. Let them sit for a few weeks before opening.
More Favorite Topping Recipes
If you like this spiced apple ring recipe, try one of these topping recipes next:
Spiced Apple Rings in a Jar
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 medium-sized apples, my favorite is Granny Smith
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to prevent browning
For the Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 teaspoons whole cloves
- red food coloring
Instructions
- Add cold water to a large mixing bowl, then add lemon juice and mix well.
- Wash and peel apples. Then slice them into ½-inch thick rings using a mandoline or a sharp knife. Use a small round cookie cutter or a piping tip to cut out the core from each apple ring. (You can also use the tip of the knife to cut around the core).
- Place the apple rings in the lemon water mixture to prevent browning.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine 1 cup of water, sugar, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Stir constantly until the sugar and candy dissolve. Add red food coloring gradually to your desired color. Mix well. Allow the mixture to come to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer for 3 minutes. Carefully remove the whole cloves.
- Drain the apple rings from the water and add them to the syrup. Cook for 3-5 minutes over low heat or until the apples just start to soften but still hold their shape (Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches if needed)
- Add apple rings to the mason jars leaving about ½-inch headspace. Pour the spiced syrup over the apples, covering them completely.
- Use a non-metallic utensil to remove any air bubbles by gently pressing down on the apples in the jars. Cover with the lid and ensure the jars are properly sealed.
- Store the spiced apple rings in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
Can these be canned?
I was wondering the same thing as Cory. Would love to be able to send some jars to my daughter but need to be able to water bathe them.
Just what I was. looking for. Look very easy n also pretty!!thanks for.all the tips as well howl long will they stay fresh in the jars ??can I leave them in my jar box?
Never peeled apples for my spiced apple rings?
GIRL! I’ve been looking for this recipe for YEARS!! I first tried this when I was a Girl Scout camp in the ‘80s. It was one of my favorite desserts back then and I’ve looked everywhere for the recipe but none seemed to be right. Until I found yours!
Hi Christine, Amazing, thanks for your comment and glad you found what you were looking for!!