Baked Apple Fries — Breaded and baked with oats, cinnamon, and sugar and dipped in caramel! Totally beats regular French fries!!
Easy Apple Dessert Idea
I’ll take apples that are breaded and baked with oats, cinnamon and sugar over regular French fries any day. Especially when I can dip them in salted caramel. I love ketchup, but caramel sauce will always win.
What I love about these ‘fries’ is that they remind me of apple pie, minus the work. Anything that can give me the taste of apple pie, but save me from actually having to make one is a bonus. Unless we’re talking about this Caramel Apple Crumble Pie that even non-pie makers can make in 10 minutes.
The apple fries have a crunchy coating that reminds me of pie crust that meets granola. It’s a combination of quick cook oats, unseasoned Panko breadcrumbs, cinnamon, and sugars. Whatever coating falls off the apples and onto the baking tray is the best tasting ‘granola’ ever.
The fries aren’t as firm as traditional French fries and the apples have the texture of apples in an apple pie, but they’re breaded for crispiness. Soft warm apples, chewy oats, and crunchy breadcrumbs are a wonderful combo and the scent while they bake is heavenly.
There’s a bold but pleasant pop of cinnamon that perfectly complements the apples. When you’re up to our eyeballs in apples, you’ve got to try these. We inhaled the entire batch in 15 minutes.
What’s in Apple Fries?
To make this caramel apple dessert recipe, you’ll need:
- Apples
- Unsalted butter
- Quick oats
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Caramel sauce (optional)
How to Make Apple Fries
Peel, core, and slice the apples. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Add the apple slices and toss to coat.
Place apples on a baking tray, spaced evenly and with as much space in between as possible. If any are stuck together, break them apart. You want the oven air to circulate freely on all pieces so they get as crispy as possible.
Bake the apple pie fries until the coating is drier, set, and lightly golden brown.
What Type of Apples Should I Use?
I used Fuji apples and recommend a firmer apple, like Fuji or Gala. Granny Smith is okay if you like tarter apples.
Can I Prep These in Advance?
No, these apple fries are best enjoyed right away as they lose their crispness over time.
Tips for Making Apple Pie Fries
If you don’t normally buy quick-cook oats, pulse old-fashioned oats in the blender for 10 seconds and now you’ve got quick-cook.
Panko breadcrumbs are sold nearby regular breadcrumbs, but they’re larger, coarser, and get crispier in the oven. I use Panko for my savory breaded recipes and swear by them for crispy results.
For a twist, add pumpkin pie spice, ginger, nutmeg or your favorite warming spices. There’s so much big flavor packed into the little fries that they don’t need dip, but The Best and Easiest Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce doesn’t hurt. Twist my arm.
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Baked Apple Pie Fries
Ingredients
- 3 large or 4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch wide strips (I used Fuji and recommend a firmer apple like Fuji or Gala. Granny Smith is okay if you like tarter apples)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (3/4 of 1 stick)
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats, pulse whole-rolled for 10 seconds in a blender to get quick-cook
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- optional pinches of pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, ginger, etc., to taste
- caramel sauce, optional for dipping (The Best and Easiest Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat, parchment, or spray with cooking spray.
- Peel, slice and core apples into 1/4-inch wide segments. Error on slicing apples thinner rather than thicker side for best results. Place apples in a large bowl; set aside.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Pour butter over apples and toss to combine with a soft-tipped spatula; set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients (except caramel sauce) and stir to combine.
- Add apples to the coating mixture and toss lightly but thoroughly with a spatula to coat well.
- Place apples on prepared baking tray, spaced evenly and with as much space in between as possible. If any are stuck together, break them apart. You want the oven air to circulate freely on all pieces so they get as crispy as possible. If there’s a bit of extra coating mixture in the bottom of the bowl, feel free to sprinkle it over the apples. It bakes up into delicious crunchy ‘granola’.
- Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until coating is drier, set, and lightly golden brown. Start watching closely after 15 minutes and watch so the undersides don’t become overly browned or burn. The moisture content in the apples will dictate baking time and juicier apples will take longer to bake; bake until your apples seem done without watching the clock. The fries are not ‘firm’ like French fries, and the texture is more like the apples you’d find in an apple pie, but breaded.
- Fries are best warm, fresh, and served with caramel sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Apple Dessert Ideas:
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Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — An EASY, one-bowl, no-mixer apple cake that’s to-die-for!! Loaded with juicy apples in every bite, perfectly spiced, and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting! So DELISH!!
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars — These caramel apple cheesecake bars feature a buttery crust that’s topped with cheesecake and spiced apples. After they’re done baking, the bars are drizzled with salted caramel sauce!
5-Minute Apple Cinnamon Crumble for One — This microwave apple crisp comes together in just 5 minutes and generously serves one person. Top it with a scoop or ice cream or whipped cream!
Apple Fritter Bread — Soft, fluffy bread that’s stuffed AND topped with apples, cinnamon, and sugar!! Like apple fritters in bread form!! Best apple bread EVER!
Glazed Apple Cinnamon Scones — Finally, scones that aren’t dry! The perfect fall comfort food packed with apples, cinnamon and that glaze!!
you always come up with the most interesting food ideas averie! these apple pie fries look and sound delicious, i definitely am curious to know what they taste like.
These remind me of a treat we had at Legoland a few years ago but way BETTER! Love how crispy-crunchy-sticky-sweet-delicious that coating is!
Now I want to go to LegoLand and see what they sell that’s close to this!
You got some wonderful flavors in this healthy recipe! I love the combination of apples and cinnamon, and salted caramel sauce is a great addition! Pinning.
Thanks for pinning, Mira!
Holy moly – my brain was confused at first but once I sorted out what these were, they look amazing!
I know, if I stumbled on this post I would probably have been confused too…LOL :)
This is such an awesome idea! i love that you used oats :) I bookmarked quite a few of those apple pie-inspired recipes… can’t wait to try them out during the fall months!
Awesome and if you try anything, LMK how it goes!
These look absolutely sinfully delicious! Feeling the need to go pick up some apples….pinned!
Thanks for pinning!
What a fun idea!! I am trying these out this fall.
What a clever idea! Apple pie without all the work!
Okay I need that coating. I think I’d have a hard time not just eating that. I’d be like one of those kids who ate the crunchy part off a chicken nugget and left the chicken on the plate. :)
GREAT analogy! And the coating that fell off the apples and onto the baking sheet was like the best granola ever! As a fellow crumble topping fiend, I know you can appreciate that :)
I am in full-on fall mode. This is a great fall recipe and so fun and different from traditional apple recipes. Thanks for sharing!!
This is just…wow. Very unique recipe. I’ve never seen anything like this! And the caramel dip….sure it isn’t necessary, but when you are dessertifying an apple, why not go all out, right? ;)
I can’t believe how many apple recipes you have!
Thank you for noticing how many I have…I can’t believe it either. Every fall, another 3 or 4, and after 5 falls now of blog baking, I have amassed quite a few!
These were so good, too! I know you’d love them and you could use crushed Corn Flakes for the Panko to keep them GF!
What a absolutely divine way to have the taste of apple pie without all the effort! The caramel sauce just puts them over the top. Love it!
Do you think these would work if I sprayed the apples with non-stick cooking spray instead of using butter? Love the idea but I’m looking for a lighter treat!
Possibly…or you could still use butter but just do a super fast dunk. Of the 3/4 stick called for, I didn’t use it all and there is lots of ‘waste’ in any breading/battering/dunking type recipe. Lots wasted to the baking sheet, bottom of bowls, etc. I would probably just think of it that way :)
My goodness. These sounds incredible! What a unique idea! Definitely going to have to give them a whirl once September rolls around.
Oh my goodness, what a FUN recipe! And just in time for apple season! I def need to try these this fall.
I could eat a whole plate of these apple fries! Love the crunchy coating and hello, caramel sauce for dipping – heaven!! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning!