These cinnamon sugar apple rings are dipped in a simple pancake batter, pan-fried until golden then coated in cinnamon sugar while they’re still hot. Think fresh apple cider donut, but with an actual warm, crisp apple inside.

A plate of sugar-coated apple ring fritters sits on a wooden board, with two whole red apples nearby.

I made these on a whim for an Instagram reel and had zero plans for them beyond that. Then I ate one straight from the cinnamon sugar bowl and immediately knew they needed a permanent home here too.

The idea came from the zucchini pancakes I made earlier this summer. I took the same basic approach but went sweet this time, slicing apples into rings, coating them in a cottage cheese pancake batter (my go-to when I get to the end of a cottage cheese container) and finishing them with plenty of cinnamon sugar. Apple rings aren’t a new idea around here either. These almond apple rings from my paleo days use a similar concept, just with an almond flour coating.

The apple rings get warmed through in the skillet but keep their crispness, while the outside cooks up golden and pancake-like. Fresh from the pan, they remind me so much of biting into a warm apple cider donut, except there’s an actual apple waiting for you in the middle.

A plate of sugared apple slices, coated in batter and fried until golden brown, sits on a wooden surface. The slices have a crispy, textured appearance and a dusting of cinnamon sugar.

Why You Need to Make These

More apple than pancake – The batter cooks into a thin, golden layer around each ring so you still get plenty of warm, crisp apple in every bite.
No deep frying – A lightly greased skillet gets the outside golden without stinking up your house with a pot of frying oil.
Pancake mix keeps it easy – Everything for the batter gets blended together in a couple of minutes using an immersion blender.
Cottage cheese boost – It adds some protein and once it’s blended until smooth, you’d never know it was there. Same idea as my cottage cheese pancakes.
No peeling – Slice, core (I have a secret tip on how to do this easily without a coring gadget!), dip and cook.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Apples: Choose a crisp, firm apple and leave the skin on. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji and Granny Smith would all work well. My guide to apple varieties is helpful if you’re staring at 14 different kinds at the store or orchard and wondering what to grab.

Pancake mix: I use 100 grams, which is about 1/2 cup. Use a pancake mix you already like since it makes up most of the coating. My go-to is Birch Benders gluten-free mix and I always have it on hand.

Cottage cheese: This gets blended completely smooth with the other batter ingredients. It helps create a thick batter that clings nicely to the apple rings.

Eggs: Two eggs give the batter structure and help it brown in the skillet.

Milk: This is only here to adjust the consistency of the batter. Depending on your pancake mix and cottage cheese, you may not need the full amount, or any at all.

Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves: These bring plenty of fall spice flavor beyond the cinnamon sugar coating.

Sugar and cinnamon: Mix them together for the coating that goes on immediately after cooking.

A hand holds a fried apple ring coated with cinnamon sugar above a plate stacked with more apple rings, all with holes in the center and golden brown edges.

My Pro Tip

Watch Your Batter Consistency

The batter should be thick enough to completely coat an apple ring but loose enough that the excess slowly drips off. Start without the milk and add it only as needed.

Step by Step Instructions

These come together quickly once the apples are sliced, so have your cinnamon sugar mixed and ready before you start cooking.

What to Do With the Extra Batter

You’ll probably have some batter left after coating two large apples. I intentionally didn’t try to scale the batter down further because you need enough in the bowl to properly dip the rings.

Easy solution: make pancakes with it.

Cook the leftover batter in the same skillet and sprinkle a little extra cinnamon sugar over the pancakes as they cook.

A close-up of apple slices coated in batter, fried to a golden brown, and dusted with sugar, served on a white plate atop a wooden surface. One slice has a bite taken out.

Storing and Reheating

These are definitely best straight from the skillet. The cinnamon sugar coating loses some of its texture in the fridge, so I wouldn’t make them ahead if you can avoid it.

If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat them in a lightly greased skillet or the air fryer to crisp the outside back up. Skip the microwave unless you’re in a hurry since it’ll make the pancake coating soft.

A fresh sprinkle of cinnamon sugar after reheating doesn’t hurt either.