The Best Caramel Apple Slices Recipe

For the apple pie without the crust— this recipe is perfect. Perfectly fried tender and sweet caramel apples dusted with cinnamon sugar— these caramel apple slices will become your favorite fall treat… right up there with our homemade apple cobbler and 3-ingredient cherry dump cake.

Apple fritters, fried apples, apple doughnuts, apple beignets, caramel apple slices, fried apple rings—no matter what you call them, one thing is true: these golden-fried caramel apple slices are going to be your favorite fall dessert. It’s the perfect combination of crisp apples and chewy caramel fried to perfection and topped with cinnamon and sugar. Warming and gooey, caramel apple slices are a fall treat perfect for a crisp autumn day (or all year round!)

What are Caramel Apple Rings?

The Caramel apple slices or rings are a dessert made by dipping apple rings in a caramel sauce and then frying them. This recipe is for a dessert that is not only delicious but also very easy to make. I think that I first had caramel apple slices at Cracker Barrel as a child, and I’ve loved fried apples ever since. These caramel apple slices are perfect for any occasion.

What’s the Best Way to Make Caramel Apples?

This easy recipe is quick and fun to make, and just like our cinnamon roll cake, these apple rings can be customized based on your tastes! You can leave the caramel out for a completely different flavor, using just the cinnamon & sugar dusting. No matter what you pick, making these apple fritters with your family will surely become a new favorite fall tradition.

Apple slices with caramel can be made in many ways, but once you’ve had them fried, you won’t want them any other way! Like our fried ice cream recipe, the fried batter makes all the difference! For our caramel apple rings, the fried batter makes the apple crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The dish can be served with caramel drizzled on top, with a bit of whipped cream, or next to a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

How to Make the Best Caramel Apples Recipe

This recipe is a great way to use those leftover apples from apple pie or apple cobbler. Fried apple rings are a delicious dessert perfect for parties, holidays, and other celebrations.

The Best Types of Apples for Making Caramel Apples

Apples are an important part of many people’s fall traditions. However, not all apples are created equal for caramel apple making. There are two main types of apples that work well for this type of recipe: Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples.

The Honeycrisp apple is a great choice because it has a crisp texture, which makes it easier to bite into, while the Granny Smith is a good choice because the tart apple flavor helps balance the sweetness of the caramel and sugar.

Ingredients for Caramel Apple Slices

Fried apple rings are a delicious dessert that you can make with just a few ingredients.

• Two large apples
• One jar of salted caramel (you can make home
  emade caramel if you prefer)
• One cup of flour
• Two tablespoons of sugar
• One egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp apple pie spice
• Cinnamon & Sugar Mixture

Preparing the Apples

This section will teach us how to prepare the apples before making the apple rings. This is a simple recipe that can be made quickly. It is perfect for dessert or even for breakfast— just like our Maple Bacon pancakes!

To begin, you have two choices: Peel or UnPeeled. We left them unpeeled for today’s recipe, but kids may prefer peeled apple slices.
If you choose to leave them as-in (unpeeled), you can wash and dry the apples. If you choose to peel the apples, peel them with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife and move on to the next step.

Next, you will slice apples by cutting the apple into thin slices (about 1/4″ thick) using a knife or mandolin slicer. Remove the core of the apple, as well.

PRO TIP
Place the apple slices in a bowl of cold water and cover them with water to prevent them from browning while you wait to fry them. When you are ready to move on, drain off any excess water and set the slices on paper towels or a clean dish towel to remove any remaining water.

Getting Ready to Make the Fried Apple Recipe.

Once your apples are prepared (sliced & ready to go), it’s time to prepare the rest of your ingredients. Pour your salted caramel into a bowl and set aside. Line a tray or cookie sheet with parchment paper. You also need to line a baking sheet or tray with paper towels and set aside – this will be used to set your apple rings after they are fried.

What’s the Best Way to Make Caramel Apples?

Begin by placing the apple slice on the handle of a wooden spoon or thick skewer (for easier dipping) and dip the apples in the caramel.

Spin the apple around to cover the entire edge of the apple with caramel. (You can hold it above the caramel for a moment after spinning it to let the excess caramel drip off the apples.)

Place the caramel apple slices on the parchment-lined baking tray. Repeat until all of the apple slices are covered in caramel.

PRO TIP
Freeze the caramel-covered apples for one hour. This will keep the apples crisp while frying.

While your apples are in the freezer, you can prepare the batter & oil. To prepare the batter, mix the flour, egg, baking powder, sugar, apple pie spice, and milk in a medium bowl.

To prepare the oil, we suggest using a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Pour about 3 inches of oil into the pot and heat the oil over medium heat. The oil will be ready when it reaches 380°F on your deep-fry thermometer or candy thermometer.

Remove the apples from the freezer and drop one slice at a time into the batter. Using a spoon, chopstick, or wooden skewer, remove the coated apples from the batter and gently shake off any excess batter.

Transfer the apple slice to the oil and carefully lower each apple ring in the oil. Using tongs, flip the slices one time while they are frying. Fry them until they are golden brown (about two minutes on each side).

Once golden brown, remove the rings with the tongs and transfer them onto the paper towel-lined baking sheet to remove any excess oil. Repeat the battering and frying with the remaining apple rings.

The last step is to dust your caramel apple fritter rings with a light-dusting or sugar and cinnamon.

Caramel Apple Options, Toppings, and Alternatives

There are many ways to change this recipe to make it perfect for you and your family.

• If you are low on time, you can use pancake batter instead of making batter from scratch.
• You can add a little bit of vanilla extract to the caramel.
• If you want to make more at a later date, you can save the caramel sauce in the refrigerator, then heat it in a microwave safe bowl (to make it easier for dipping) before using it next time.
• Top with caramel, caramel bits, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or melt butter and drizzle it over the rings.
• Enjoy as a dessert, breakfast, or delicious side dish.

Caramel Apple Pie Recipe with a Vegan Twist

Caramel apples are a popular treat for Halloween. The vegan twist on this recipe is that you can make the caramel apple pie without butter or milk.
In place of the egg, when frying, make a flour and water slurry Mix equal parts of water & flour in a small bowl. Whisk thoroughly.

This recipe is perfect for people who are vegan and want to enjoy a delicious dessert that tastes just like an apple pie. It’s also perfect for people who have food allergies because it doesn’t contain any dairy products or eggs.

No matter how you prepare or serve them, you’ll love them! Enjoy!