This quick and easy Cinnamon Honey Dip for apples makes the perfect afternoon snack!
It’s a delicious kid’s snack that moms will love too! Apples dipped in honey is a delicious way to work in a fresh fruit serving! With cinnamon and cardamom, it’s flavorful and sweet from the honey and ready in under 5 minutes!
This was originally posted in September 2011. The post has been updated to include updated images and step-by-step instructions to make this sweet treat perfectly every time.
Honey Dip to Serve with Apples
I never expected to fall in love with a honey dip! I didn’t even like honey (aside from using it to try to stop hangovers…) until a few years ago. But my kids, like most kids, love it!
It took ordering a yogurt and granola bowl on a trip to Palm Springs, that was served with honey swirled in, for me to realize it wasn’t awful. (I blame the neighbor growing up who made peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Ew.)
Then I found myself craving it!
I found this recipe in one of my well-organized recipe files (you know, torn-out magazine pages) and was like apples dipped in honey sounds like the best snack ever!
It’s SUPER easy to make which is exactly how I like my recipes. Especially for snacks since they’ll be gobbled up in just a few minutes.
This recipe was originally from Women’s World Magazine dated 5/3/10. I couldn’t find it online to link to and I also didn’t save the original author’s information. If you happen to know who first created this, let me know! I’d love to give credit where credit is due!
Ingredient Notes
Just a few ingredients is all you need to make this quick and easy snack recipe! Everything but the lemon is shelf-stable so you can make this whenever you want.
(I’m a big fan of the Real Housewives shows and every time I write or see the word “ingredients” it makes me think of Teresa Giudice saying “ingredientses”.)
I used cinnamon, ginger and cardamom but you can tailor this recipe to fit the flavor preferences of you and your family.
You may see ginger and cardamom and think maybe this isn’t great for kids. But it is. You may just need to use less.
If you aren’t familiar with cardamom, it’s pretty similar to cinnamon. But it has a slightly smoky quality, it’s a bit sweeter and has a citrus and floral note. It’s weird and I love it. (I also use it in my Orange Cardamom Hot Chocolate).
What Type of Honey Do I Use
I would use a regular honey that you find in a bottle that you can squeeze.
Raw honey can be solid in certain temperatures so to ensure that you are able to make this easily, I would save raw for another time.
And in terms of a flavor, like clover honey or orange blossom, that is up to you. Choose something you think your kids will like best! Although I would stay away from any artificial honey flavors.
Save the truffle honey for my Truffle Honey Chicken Tenders.
What Type of Apples Do I Use
Although I pretty much only eat Honeycrisp apples if eaten on their own, I prefer green Granny Smith apples to dip in this honey dip.
They are tart and a little more crunchy than most apples so they are the perfect accompaniment to a sweet dip. (You should for sure try my jazzed-up yogurt dip for your apples too!)
This apple slicer makes preparing the apples super quick. It does all the hard work for you.
How to make Cinnamon Honey Apple Dip
It just takes a minute to make. No exaggeration.
If you can find a small jar, like the one shown above, it makes things super easy. You can mix the ingredients and store it right in that jar.
Add 1/2 cup of honey to the jar.
Add cinnamon, cardamom and ginger.
Zesting a lemon is super easy with a microplane zester! I use mine ALL the time.
Mix it all together. A fork works well to get it all incorporated.
Serve with green apple slices. Well, any kind of apple would be delicious. But I love the tartness of a green apple with the sweet honey dip.
Boom.
Done.
Eat up.
This is a great dip to make for last-minute play dates or even when someone in your family is asking for a sweet treat.
I think this honey dip would be so good served over homemade vanilla bean ice cream or mixed into Greek yogurt. Or maybe even used to sweeten tea or hot apple cider.
Tip and Tricks
- This honey dip is also delicious with waffles and pancakes! You can warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave to thin it out which helps it to drizzle even better.
- Keep your sliced apples from turning brown by soaking them for about 3 minutes in lemon juice diluted with water (about 1 TBSP juice to 1 cup of water).
- Add graham crackers and other fresh fruits, like pears, to your serving tray as this dip is versatile and delicious with many things!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can dip apples in honey and you SHOULD! It’s a quick and easy way to make your fruit snack time feel a little more exciting. And with the added spices, it tastes amazing.
Store this honey dip in an air-tight container for up to a week in the fridge. Anytime you add a fresh element, like the lemon zest, you run the risk of bacteria developing. Placing the dip in the fridge will harden the honey.
To enjoy leftovers that will hardened from being stored in the fridge, let the jar sit out to come to room temperature to soften or spoon some into a small bowl and microwave for 10 seconds.
My youngest kid says this dip tastes a little bit like cola gummy candies. Which you know kids would enjoy. It’s the cardamom that gives it that slight soda flavor. And you’ll love it too.
Related Recipes
- Make a Family Snack Board! It’s a great way to get kids to try some new things!
- Have you ever had Hot Buttered Cheerios?! This version has truffle and parmesan cheese for a super crave-worthy snack.
- Here’s another snack with fruit! This is one of my favorite ways to eat strawberries.
- This Apple Cinnamon Cheddar Cheese Dip from Pennywise Mama sounds really interesting.
- Or skip the dip altogether and make these homemade Apple Pops with Caramel by Savvy Sassy Moms!
- Want to find even more recipes for dips that use honey? Check out this post from Sioux Honey.
And if you aren’t a fan of honey but still want something to dip your apples in I have this Chocolate Yogurt Fruit Dip for you to check out. YUM!
Honey Dip with Cinnamon for Apples
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. cardamom
- pinch of ground ginger
- apple slices I prefer green!
Instructions
- Combine honey, lemon zest, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger in a small bowl or jar and mix well.
- Serve with green apple slices.
Notes
- This honey dip is also delicious with waffles and pancakes! You can warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave to thin it out which helps it to drizzle even better.
- Keep your sliced apples from turning brown by soaking them for about 3 minutes in lemon juice diluted with water (about 1 TBSP juice to 1 cup of water).
- Add graham crackers and other fresh fruits, like pears, to your serving tray as this dip is versatile and delicious with many things!
- Store the dip in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for a few days.
- To enjoy leftovers that will harden in the fridge, let the jar sit out to come to room temperature or spoon some into a small bowl and microwave for 10 seconds.
How much does this recipe make? I wanted to send my Mom a pint sized jar for Christmas.
Hi there!
Since this dip is mostly honey, with spices to give it extra tasty flavor, it makes as much as however much honey you use. So for my recipe, I make it 1/2 cup at a time. To do more, just use more honey and adjust the spices! Let me know if that makes sense!
do i have to be in school to eat it? :) sounds so good! always looking for an alternative to my nighttime sugar craving of ice cream and chocolate.