This Crispy Baked Apple Fries recipe puts a sweet cinnamon-spiced spin on your standard salty French fries. Serve with strawberry preserve "ketchup" for dipping, and these crispy apple fries are the perfect quick and healthy afterschool snack, side dish, and dessert. Air fryer instructions included.
These baked apple fries are sweet instead of savory and an irresistible kid-friendly snack! I used Kiku apples to make these "French fries," and they roasted perfectly with crisp, golden surfaces and soft, juicy centers. Kiku apples aren't overly sweet, are a good size, and are great for baking, but Honeycrisp, granny smith, Braeburn, and pink lady are perfectly suitable alternatives.
Before we jump into the details, I should add; that baked apple fries double as an epic April Fool's Day prank. Don't tell anyone their apples; they'll be in for a sweet, tart, and tasty surprise. I don't know about you, but these apple fries look like the real deal to me! Enjoy!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Deceptively nutritious. Using a crinkle cutter makes these look like a batch of crispy potato crinkle fries.
- Sweet, healthy snack. The apples are coated in cinnamon and natural sweetener.
- Dairy-free & vegan. Apple fries are a great plant-based snack.
- Oven or air fryer. Instructions are included for both methods.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Apples - The best apples for cutting into fries and roasting in the oven are fresh and crunchy, like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonathan, Braeburn, or Pink Lady. Avoid softer, mealier varieties like McIntosh, Gala, Fuji, and Red Delicious.
- Cinnamon - A warm and cozy spice complementing the crisp, tart apples.
- Sugar - The sugar to your spice! I like using granulated stevia, coconut sugar, monk fruit, or maple sugar to make these fries without refined sugar. If refined sugar isn't a concern, you can use regular granulated sugar, light brown sugar, or some of each.
- Cooking spray - To coat the baking sheet (or air fryer basket) and prevent sticking. I use coconut oil spray, but you can use any neutral-tasting cooking spray.
How To Make Apple Fries In The Oven
Step 1: Prepare for baking apple fries. First, preheat your oven to 400F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Step 2: Cut apples into crinkle fries. Slice the apples into 3"-4" long French fries using a crinkle-cut knife.
Step 3: Toss with sugar and spice. Toss cut apple fries with sugar (or zero-calorie Swerve) and cinnamon.
Step 4: Bake the apple fries. Then, spread the apples out in a single layer on your greased baking sheet and bake until they are fork-tender and crispy on the outside (8-12 minutes). Serve with strawberry preserves or your favorite dessert dip, and enjoy!
Baked Apple Fries In Air Fryer
Step 1: Prepare for air frying. First, set your air fryer to 400F and let preheat for 3-4 minutes while you prep the apples.
Step 2: Prep apple fries. As the air fryer preheats, slice the apples into 3"-4" long French fries using a crinkle-cut knife. Then, toss the fries with sugar (or zero-calorie Swerve) and cinnamon.
Step 3: Cook in the air fryer. Then, spray the preheated air fryer basket with cooking spray and place the fries in a single layer at the bottom of the basket. Cook until the apples are fork-tender and crispy on the outside (about 4-6 minutes, tossing the basket halfway through). Serve hot!
Recipe Tips
- If you don't have a crinkle cutter, you can always cut the apples into different shapes like rings, wedges, matchsticks, and straight-cut fries.
- Toss fries with freshly squeezed lemon juice to enhance flavors and to keep the apples from turning brown.
- Coat apple fries in a light layer of cornstarch or arrowroot starch for the ultimate crunch.
- Don't overcrowd the baking sheet (or air fryer basket). Work in batches if you need to.
- Place an oven-safe rack on top of your baking sheet, and spread the apple fries onto the rack, so the heat comes in contact with the top and bottom evenly.
Variations
Dessert spices - Keep it simple with cinnamon or heighten the warm flavors with nutmeg, ginger, or allspice. You can also use a dessert spice blend like pumpkin pie spice, gingerbread spice, or apple pie spice.
Dips and sauces for serving - Serve any of these sauces and syrups alongside your crispy apple fries.
- Caramel Sauce
- Chocolate Sauce
- Strawberry Syrup
- Marshmellow Fluff'
- Peanut Butter Dip
- Almond Butter
- Strawberry Preserves
- Pumpkin Dip
- Raspberry Sauce
Storing & Reheating
Storing: Baked apple fries are best served hot out of the oven. To store extra, let cool, then keep in a shallow airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. I don't recommend freezing.
Reheating: Preheat your oven to 375F and reheat apple fries on a baking sheet until hot and crispy.
Recipe FAQ
It's not necessary, but it makes the most sense. Once cooked, the skins tend to slide right off anyway.
No. This recipe is best when prepared from start to finish immediately before serving while the apples are still fresh, crisp, and juicy.
To make apple chips instead of apple fries, use a mandoline slicer to slice the apples thin and then bake the chips in a single layer on an oven-proof wire rack positioned about a baking sheet.
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Baked Apple Fries
Ingredients
- 4 apples peeled
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon more or less to taste
- granulated stevia can also use sugar
- Cooking spray I use the coconut oil spray
- *optional: strawberry preserves for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
- Slice fries into strips with a crinkle cutter
- Toss with cinnamon and sugar or zero calorie Swerve
- Bake 8-12 minutes
Notes
- If you don't have a crinkle cutter, you can always cut the apples into different shapes like rings, wedges, matchsticks, and straight-cut fries.
- Toss fries with freshly squeezed lemon juice to enhance flavors and to keep the apples from turning brown.
- Coat apple fries in a light layer of cornstarch or arrowroot starch for the ultimate crunch.
- Don't overcrowd the baking sheet (or air fryer basket). Work in batches if you need to.
- Place an oven-safe rack on top of your baking sheet, and spread the apple fries onto the rack, so the heat comes in contact with the top and bottom evenly.
Nutrition
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Laura
I was actually going to try and make these for this theme but couldn't find a crinkle cutter in time. This is just so cute, can't wait to try it for us.
Amee Livingston
Laura, I've had my cutter for years and can't remember where I bought it. It definitely makes them look real! Thank you!
Tammi @Momma's Meals
WOW I really thought these were French Fries at first. How creative and fun. I can't wait to try them.
Liz
Love these guilt free fries! Need to pick up a crinkle cutter and give these a try!!!
Amee Livingston
Thank you Liz! They are fun and so easy!!
David+Crowley
very clever!
Amee Livingston
Thanks David!
Christie
Where on earth did you get that crinkle cut thing? I wanted mine to look like that but just never could find one. LOVE your applies fries. They were addictive for my poutine.
Amee Livingston
Christie, I honestly have no idea where I got it, I've had it so long! Check Amazon or a specialty kitchen store. Your "poutine" is fabulous! Loved that idea. 🙂
Sue Lau
Love how the cinnamon makes the apples look baked. Clever!
Amee Livingston
You do actually bake them, Sue, so they taste like apple pie without the crust! 🙂
Joy | The Joyful Foodie
I was totally fooled! These are such a great snack idea. My girls love fries, so I'm definitely going to try these on them next snack time. I need to get my hands on a crinkle cutter to make them more believable. 🙂
Amee Livingston
Thanks Joy!
Shaina
Love it! They REALLY look like crinkle cut fries, you could definitely fool anyone with these!
Amee Livingston
Thanks Shaina! I had fun tricking the kids with this one. 🙂
Valerie Cathell Clark
I just have to keep going back and looking at your dish! This is really perfect for April Fools Amee! I love it!
Amee Livingston
Thanks so much Valerie!
Hezzi-D
These sound wonderful and look exactly like fries!
Amee Livingston
Thanks Hezzi-D!
Sarah
DUDE! What a fabulous idea
Amee Livingston
They are fun to make! Thanks Sarah!
Cindys Recipes and Writings
These fooled me! They look like fries!
Amee Livingston
Thanks for stopping by Cindy!
Terri/Love and Confections
Such a cute idea - and they really do look like fries!
Amee Livingston
Thank you Terri! 🙂
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook
We love kiku apples! What a great fool idea, too.
Amee Livingston
Thank you Lauren! Aren't kiku's delicious?!!