Fried Apple Rings with Cinnamon Sugar
These Cinnamon-Sugar Fried Apple Rings taste similar to apple fritters and apple cider donuts with a bonus of a whole slice of apple in the middle! You don't need a lot of oil in the pan to fry these yummy apple rings.
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- Digital thermometer
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil or coconut oil
- 4 medium-size apples (Such as Granny Smith, Gala, Golden Delicious)
- ½ cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus ¼ teaspoon divided
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla optional-but I always opt in
- ¾ cup 2% or whole milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pour oil in a large cast iron skillet or heavy saucepan to a depth of at least 1 inch. Heat to 365° over medium-high heat. If you use a saucepan, you can use less oil to reach the 1-inch depth. You'll just fry fewer at a time.
- Meanwhile, slice apples crosswise into ¼-inch thick slices. Using a small circle cookie cutter remove center of apple so there’s about ⅜-inch apple remaining. You can also carve out the center with a knife or apple corer. You can toss the seeds and core but don’t throw away the apple in the centers! Chop them up in chicken salad or eat as a healthy snack (tomorrow after you’ve eaten the fried apples today!)
- In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon to make Cinnamon-Sugar for coating apple rings.
- In a medium bowl, whisk egg lightly; gradually add milk. Add flour; top with 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk dry ingredients together lightly on top of milk, then dig in and whisk all together. I just saved you a bowl so you don't have to mix dry ingredients together separately.
- Check your oil to see if it’s 365°. I like to use a digital thermometer. Using tongs, dip apple rings in batter, allowing excess to drip back in bowl. Fry 3 or four at a time 1 to 2 minutes or just until golden. Let drain on paper towels 1 minute; dredge them in then cinnamon sugar mixture while they are still warm and turn over with tongs to coat well. Eat warm and save any leftovers to warm them in the microwave the next day for breakfast.
Notes
Shortcuts: Dip them in pancake batter made from a box (Krusteaz is my fave). Purchase cinnamon sugar from the spice section of a grocery store or Dollar Tree. Make the batter slightly thinner than directions by adding additional milk or water 1 tablespoon at a time.
Best apples to use: baking apples such as Granny Smith, Gala, Golden Delicious, Johnathon, Rome
