These easy healthy cinnamon sugar apple ring bites can be made gluten free, paleo, vegan, dairy free, refined sugar free, plant based, and low sugar. On a white plate is a circle of five freshly cooked apple rings coated in a thin layer of fluffy pancake batter and rolled in a sweet cinnamon sugar. The inside of the bite is shown to have a firm and soft, juicy texture from the apple with a golden crisp outside.

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These Cinnamon Sugar Apple Ring bites are made with a few simple ingredients can easily be made gluten free, dairy free, vegan, paleo, and refined sugar free. No matter what your dietary preferences are, you’ll be able to enjoy this delicious treat! If you love pancakes and apples, you’re going to fall in love with this recipe. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet treat on these chilly, Fall days!

Fall pumpkin recipes are great and always one of my favorites, but honestly, apple recipes are a VERY close second in my book and I don’t think people give them the excitement they deserve this time of year. The classic combination of apples with cinnamon tastes, smells, and feels so warm, cozy, and comforting which is ideal for the Fall time! It’s crazy that just two simple ingredients can instantly transform any recipe into a cozy fall staple. Some of my favorites I’ve been remaking lately are my Paleo Apple Cinnamon Muffins, Air Fryer Apple Cobbler, and Healthy Apple Cinnamon Bread. I’ve also been loving these Easy, Healthy Apple Pancakes, especially on a slow weekend morning. I love adding things to my pancakes like chopped fruit, blueberries, chocolate chips, etc. So when I saw this idea to cover a whole apple ring in batter and cook like a regular pancake, I knew I needed to try it! Let me tell you, it was WAY better than I imagined it would be and this version I’m sharing has a little twist to make things sweeter 😉 Cinnamon sugar!

In the Fall, I love going to pumpkin patches and apple orchards. Especially apple orchards because they’re pretty, apple picking is so fun, and there’s always fresh apple cider and cinnamon sugar donuts. AKA the main reason for going 😆 Apple cider donuts are some of my favorites and when I tried the original apple ring recipe, they reminded me of apple ring donuts, so of COURSE I had to add cinnamon sugar to replicate my favorite donuts! When I tell you I was shocked, I’m not exaggerating. I wanted to devour every ring but also savor every bite, they’re that good. Each bite has a sweet, warm, and soft yet slightly firm apple slice covered with fluffy, delicious pancake batter making it the perfect combination.

I love enjoying these as a little pancake stack or on their own for a little treat. They’re definitely not a replacement for regular pancakes but are a fun twist that also adds some extra fruit and fiber to your day!

Why You’ll Love These

Minimal ingredient – You really only need apples, pancake batter (plus the ingredients you need to make the batter), and cinnamon sugar. Super simple but with a lot of flavor!
Easy and quick – These are ready in minutes but taste as indulgent as a freshly baked apple fritter or cider donut. Perfect for a quick sweet tooth fix or easy breakfast!
Nutrient-dense twist – The key ingredient that not only gives these pancakes a natural sweetness but also a tasty texture is apple! Apples are high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, and are great for gut health. An easy way to get more vitamin C during cold/flu season while having a sweet treat? Yes please!
Dietary friendly – These rings are gluten free and can fit any dietary needs depending on what pancake mix you use! You can find a healthier pancake mix and easily make it paleo, vegan, dairy free, or use regular pancake mix. I’ve listed some of my favorite options below.

What You’ll Need

Apples – I like to use any red variety because this helps make the pancakes sweeter but you can use any color! Green will be a little more tart and yellow would be less sweet.
Pancake batter of choice – For this recipe, I used a simple gluten free batter. Other great options that can make these paleo, vegan, or dairy free, are Birchbenders, Miss Jones Baking, and Simple Mills. Just make sure to check batter and prep ingredients!
Cinnamon
Cinnamon sugar – I used one of my favorite premade blends from Primal Palate but you can always make your own cinnamon sugar by combining cinnamon and granulated sweetener of choice. For a lower sugar option I would recommend coconut sugar!

How To Make

Core the apples and then slice each into apple rings. (Tip: This tool is a LIFESAVER when it comes to coring apples and I’ve been using it loads for all of my apple recipes!)
Make the pancake batter according to the package, adding a few shakes of cinnamon. Set aside.
Heat a large pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add cooking oil or butter to lightly coat the pan.
Dip each of the apple rings into the pancake batter and then place onto the pan. Repeat with each ring. (Tip: This can be messy so I like to use a fork to help turn the ring into the batter to coat both sides. Depending on the size of your pan and apple rings, you might need to cook multiple batches!)
Cook for one to two minutes on each side, until slightly crisp.
When the apple rings are done, transfer to a plate, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and enjoy! (Tip: I used Primal Palate cinnamon sugar that’s a premade blend but you can always mix cinnamon with your choice of sugar for the same effect. Or just top with more cinnamon.)

Recommended Tools

Apple corer
Cutting board
Large cooking pan – GreenPan is my favorite for non-toxic cooking pans and pots.
Silicone turner
Glass mixing bowls

More Satisfying Apple Treats

Easy, Healthy Apple Pancakes (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

Healthy No Bake Apple Donuts (Gluten Free, Vegan)

Single-Serve Healthy Apple Poptart (Gluten Free, Vegan)

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