Fried Apple Rings
Fried apple rings are whole cored, peeled and sliced apples that are dipped in a sweet batter, fried until crispy, then dusted with a cinnamon-sugar mix. Crispy on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside, these German treats are good for breakfast, brunch, dessert or a snack and are ready in minutes!
What are German Fried Apple Rings?
In Germany, they’re called Apfelküchle which translates to “little cakes.” They are sliced firm apples that are shaped like a doughnut, battered then fried. They are dusted with cinnamon sugar mix or sometimes, dusted with sifted confectioner’s sugar.
Best apples for fried apple rings
Large firm apples work best – Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Braeburn or Fuji; avoid using soft-fleshed apples like Red Delicious, McIntosh, Cortland or Gala-these tend to dissintegrate during the frying process, turn to a grainy mush, and don’t hold their shape.
What’s the difference between a fried apple ring and a apple fritter?
While both consist of fried apples, the German fried apple ring is a solid slice of apple, where in an apple fritter, the apples are diced.
Why use beer or carbonated water in the batter?
Carbonation is the key to a light, delicate crispy coating. Beer will reduce glutenization of the flour, resulting in a crisp fried apple. Carbonated water does not affect the glutenization and may produce a less crispy apple ring.
Ingredients and Equipment
You don’t need a lot of fancy ingredients to make fried apple rings, but I strongly recommend you invest in an apple corer! You’ll also need a sturdy bottom frying pan- acast-iron skillet works great! An accurate thermometer is always useful to determine the heat of the frying oil.
- Apples – use large firm apples like Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Granny Smith or Pink Lady; avoid soft-fleshed apples like Red Delicious, McIntosh, Gala and Cortland; these tend to break down when heated and don’t hold their shape.
- Apple Pie Spice
- Cornstarch
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Beer – use 1 tablespoon of beer or a tablespoon of sparkling/carbonated water; if you don’t have either, that’s okay. The recipe will still work.
- Egg
- Sugar
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Frying oil
How to make German fried apple rings
- Peel and core apples; slice in 1/4″ rounds, pat dry with a paper towel
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine cornstarch and Apple Pie Seasoning; dip each apple slice into the mixture and set aside on a wire rack
- Make the batter; heat the frying oil
- Dip apple slices in batter and gently place in frying oil that is 325-350° F; cook 3 minutes on each side until they are golden brown
- Combine sugar and cinnamon in a medium size mixing bowl; place each warm fried apple ring in the mixture, coating well; transfer to wire rack and allow to rest a few minutes
- Serve with a fork; if you want to use a sauce, I recommend honey, a simple powdered sugar glaze or a vanilla sauce
Recipe Tips
- Slice the apples a consistent 1/4″ inch
- The amount of frying oil will be determined by the size of your skillet; I used an 11″inch skillet and about 3 1/2 – 4 cups of oil
- Pat dry apple slices well; this reduces the moisture, allowing the cornstarch to act as a barrier between the apple and batter
- Make sure the oil hot enough; should be 325-350°F; below 325°F, the batter will fall off; above 375°F the batter will burn
- Test the batter: if you doon’t have a thermometer, drop a little batter into the hot oil; if it sizzes and retains its shape, the oil is hot enough
- The finishing sugar/cinnamon coating works best if the apple rings are warm
- If you don’t have beer of carbonated water, the recipe will still work
Looking for more apple recipes? Try my Vintage Fresh Apple cake or Apple Crisp!
Fried Apple Rings
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
- Long-handled tongs
- wire rack
Ingredients
- 2 large Honeycrisp apples
- ½ teaspoon Apple Pie Spice , sprinkle on apples
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Apple Pie Spice , add to batter
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon beer or carbonated water
- Oil for frying (see recipe notes below)
Dusting Powder
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Rinse, core and peel apples; cut into ¼" rounds and pat dry with a paper towel; set aside2 large Honeycrisp apples
- In a small bowl, combine the following, mix well and sprinkle over both side of the apple rings; set aside½ teaspoon Apple Pie Spice, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- In a large flat bowl, make the batter by combine following ingredients and whisk that together; set aside⅓ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon Apple Pie Spice, ⅓ cup cornstarch, 1 tablespoon sugar, pinch of salt, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon beer or carbonated water, ¼ cup milk
- Heat the oil in a large skillet until it reaches about 325℉; use a meat theemometer or drop a few bits of the batter into the hot oil to see if it sizzlesOil for frying (see recipe notes below)
- While the oil is heating, grab a small bowl and combine the following:¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Once oil is hot, using long handled tongs, gently place battered apple rings in a single layer in the hot oil and allow to cook on each side for 3 minutes; then gently toss, and fry for another 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly, then immediately dip the warm apple rings into the sugar/cinnamon mixture
Notes
Recipe Tips
- Slice the apples a consistent 1/4″ inch; one large apple yields about 5-6 slices
- The amount of frying oil will be determined by the size of your skillet; I used an 11″inch skillet and about 3 1/2 – 4 cups of oil
- Pat dry apple slices well; this reduces the moisture, allowing the cornstarch to act as a barrier between the apple and batter
- Make sure the oil hot enough; should be 325-350°F; below 325°F, the batter will fall off; above 375°F the batter will burn
- Test the batter: if you doon’t have a thermometer, drop a little batter into the hot oil; if it sizzes and retains its shape, the oil is hot enough
- The finishing sugar/cinnamon coating works best if the apple rings are warm
- If you don’t have beer of carbonated water, the recipe will still work
