These Baked Apple Cinnamon Puffs (no freezing needed!) are the perfect portable fall snack! With the fun fall flavour combo of apples and cinnamon, these puffs are light, puffy, and perfect for on-the-go snacking.
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If you have a toddler, you likely know about their obsession with store-bought puffs... and my kids are no exception! But my kids can polish off a bag so fast and depending on where you live, they can get pretty pricey.
As a dietitian, I’m a big fan of offering a variety of foods at snack time, including options with protein, fat, and fibre. But puffs and melts can absolutely have a place too, and as a mom, I know they can be incredibly handy for busy days, outings, or those moments when you just need an easy snack.
These Apple Cinnamon Puffs are a fun homemade twist on the store-bought version. They’re baked low and slow until light and crisp, making them an easy, portable option for little ones.
Note: This recipe was recently updated to remove the yogurt and are now solely a "puff" and not a yogurt melt.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love These Homemade Apple Cinnamon Puffs
- No freezing, so no mess: baked low and slow until light and puffy, so they are great for on-the-go snacking.
- Warm, cozy flavour: cinnamon and apple taste like fall in a bite-sized snack!
- Low-mess and portable: easy to pack into a reusable snack container for outings, playdates, or the car.
- A fun texture for little ones: light, airy and crumbly, they are fun texture for little ones.
Ingredients for Apple Cinnamon Puffs
- Egg whites - are doing all the work in this recipe! They get whipped to stiff peaks which give these melts their light, easily dissolvable texture
- Cream of tartar - provides an acid to help stabilize the egg whites
- Maple syrup - provides a touch of sweetness and helps to stabilize the whipped egg whites
- Cinnamon or apple pie spice - I love these with apple pie spice, but I know cinnamon is a more common ingredient to have on hand - either work!
- Unsweetened applesauce - add the classic apple flavour
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for Apple Cinnamon Puffs
Here's an overview of how to make these apple cinnamon puffs. You can also scroll down to the recipe card for full details!
Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Start with a clean, dry metal or glass bowl - even a tiny bit of grease or moisture will stop the egg whites from whipping properly!
Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they begin to froth.
Add the cream of tartar, apple pie spice (or cinnamon) and maple syrup.
Continue beating the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes).
Add the applesauce to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Allow to cool slightly.
Add the reduced applesauce to the side of the whipped egg whites (not on top!).
Carefully fold the applesauce into the egg whites with a spatula, being careful to preserve as much air in the egg whites as possible.
Scoop the apple cinnamon puff mixture into a ziplock or piping bag and cut a small hole in the corner.
Pipe small, even dollops onto the prepared baking sheet, then bake at 200°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes, until dry to the touch. Turn off the oven and let the puffs sit inside for another 30 minutes to finish crisping up.
Top Tips:
- Don't skip reducing the applesauce - it removes the extra moisture so the melts hold their shape instead of spreading flat on the tray.
- Fold gently - Use a spatula to gently fold the apple-cinnamon-yogurt mixture into the egg whites. Avoid stirring or overmixing, which can knock out the air needed to create the puffy texture.
- Allow the puffs to sit in the oven after baking - Once they are done baking and the oven is turned off, allow them to sit for another 30 minutes, this really helps them crisp up.
Substitutions
- Applesauce - no unsweetened applesauce on hand? Cook down a peeled, diced apple until soft and blend it smooth, then measure and reduce it the same way. Definitely a bit more work, but a great option! I'll also in a pinch use a applesauce squeezie pouch if that is all I have on hand.
I know many of you have been wondering about an egg-free version. Unfortunately, I have been unable to get an egg-free version to work. I tried using aquafaba but I cannot get it to hold the texture and they deflate every time. I will update this recipe if I am able to successfully get an egg-free version to work.
Variations
Want to try another fall favourite flavour combo? Check out these Pumpkin Spice Chia Puffs!
This is the third flavour in my puffs collection so far! You can also try out my Strawberry Apple Puffs, or these Homemade Baked Blueberry Yogurt Melts or my Baked Strawberry Banana Yogurt Melts instead.
If you love an apple-cinnamon combination, these Cinnamon Apples for Kids are the perfect side for a toddler lunch or in a lunchbox and these Applesauce Cinnamon Muffins are the perfect muffin to batch prep for busy weeks!
And for more homemade snack ideas, check out my post on Homemade Snacks for Kids - Copycat Favourites!
Equipment
- Electric handheld mixer
- Small saucepan
- Metal or glass bowl
- Zip-top bag or piping bag
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
Storage
Allow the apple cinnamon puffs to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. Because they contain egg whites, and the amount of moisture left after baking can vary, store them in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 to 4 days. They may soften slightly over time - if they do, you can pop them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes and they'll crisp right back up.
You can also freeze these puffs and they hold up great in the freezer!
Toddler Tip
These are such a fun fall snack for babies and toddlers! They aren't the most filling, so I like to pair them alongside some other more filling foods like cheese and crackers, or yogurt and fruit.
Since these are homemade, the texture can vary slightly depending on how long they bake and how well the egg whites were whipped, so give one a quick test before serving to make sure it breaks apart easily, especially for babies who are newer to finger foods.
FAQ
These puffs have a light, crispy texture that dissolves easily in the mouth. However, because they contain a small amount of maple syrup, I recommend them primarily for toddlers. Current guidance recommends avoiding added sugars for children under 2 when possible. They also contain egg, so be sure your child has been introduced to egg safely and is developmentally ready for finger foods.
No! Unlike many homemade puffs and yogurt melts, these don't need to be frozen. These use whipped egg whites and are slow baked so they are light, dry and no mess! They still need to be refrigerated when storing as they contain egg whites.
Yes! This is very important as applesauce contains a lot of moisture. Reducing it helps to remove the moisture and will help maintain the light, puffy, airy texture.
Absolutely! Just take a ziplock bag and cut a small opening on one of the corners.
Recipe
Homemade Apple Cinnamon Puffs
Equipment
- 1 Electric handheld mixer
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Zip-top bag or piping bag
- 1 baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce reduced to 2 tbsp
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon apple pie spice or cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the applesauce to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, until the applesauce is reduced down to about 2 tablespoon (about 4-5 minutes). Let cool.
- In a clean, dry metal bowl, beat the room temperature egg whites with an electric mixer on low speed until they begin to froth (about 15-20 seconds). Once frothy, add the cream of tartar, apple pie spice (or cinnamon), and maple syrup. Turn the speed up to high and beat until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Add the reduced applesauce to the side of the whipped egg whites (not on top!). Gently fold the applesauce in with a spatula (be very gentle).
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag or zip-top bag. Snip a small opening from one corner and pipe small, evenly sized dollops onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 90 minutes, or until the puffs feel dry and lift easily from the parchment paper. If they still feel soft or sticky, continue baking in 5- to 10-minute increments. They should be completely dry and cooked through!
- Turn off the oven and let the puffs cool in the turned-off oven for another 30 minutes. This really helps them dry out a bit more and maintain their crispness!
Notes
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