Apple Pie Salsa With Cinnamon Chips

This apple pie salsa mixes fresh diced apples with apricot preserves, brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon for a sweet version of a savory favorite. I serve it with baked cinnamon chips made from flour tortillas, and the whole thing tastes like apple pie you can scoop.

Some people call this apple pie dip or apple salsa, and I used to call it apple pie party dip before a friend gave me a better name for what I was really making. Whatever you call it, it’s an easy dessert that doesn’t need a pie crust or a mixer.

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Why Flour Tortillas Make the Best Cinnamon Chips

Use flour tortillas for this recipe, not corn. Corn tortillas just aren’t the flavor you want with apples and cinnamon.

I use standard six-inch flour tortillas since that’s what I usually have on hand, and they’re the perfect size for the chips. Unbaked tortillas puff up way better in the oven, but I don’t usually use them here because I want this recipe to stay easy.

My Dessert Nachos DO use unbaked tortillas, and you can see the difference in how those chips turn out. If you want to try them, grab the baking instructions from that post.

The Fastest Way to Make Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

You don’t need to brush both sides of each tortilla with butter. Brush and stack them as you go, then cut all five at once with a pizza cutter.

If you forget to butter the tortillas before you cut them, brush the wedges once they’re on the baking sheet. I’ve done this when I get excited and start cutting without thinking. It works just as well and only takes a little more time.

Apple Pie Salsa Ingredients

I use two good-sized Granny Smith apples. They have the tartness to contrast with the sugar and preserves, and they hold up well.

I don’t peel the apples because I’m lazy, and I like the added texture of the peel. Of course, you can peel them if you want a more consistent color.

Dice the apples into roughly quarter-inch cubes. They don’t need to be exactly the same size, but they should be small enough to scoop up on a chip.

I use unsalted butter for the chips because I like the bit of richness it adds. If you use my alternative, you still need something to ensure the cinnamon sugar sticks to your chips.

How to Make Apple Pie Salsa With Cinnamon Chips

Heat the oven to 375 degrees, and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Stir the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.

Brush a tortilla with melted butter, set another tortilla on top, and brush it. Repeat until you’ve buttered and stacked all five tortillas.

Cut the stack in half with a pizza cutter, then into quarters, then into eighths. Lay the wedges on the baking sheet so none of them touch, and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top.

Bake for eight to 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through so the chips bake evenly. They’re done when they’re golden brown and firm to the touch.

Watch the chips closely for the last couple of minutes. They go from the ideal color and texture to burned pretty quickly.

Let the chips cool completely before serving or storing.

While the chips cool, stir together the diced apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, apricot preserves, and cinnamon. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for at least an hour, though two is better.

You can serve the salsa right away, but the flavors meld together when it chills. Serve it with the cinnamon chips.

Can You Make Apple Pie Salsa Ahead of Time?

Apple pie salsa is best the day you make it, so stir it together the same day you plan to serve it. Make the chips ahead instead.

Can You Make Cinnamon Chips Ahead of Time?

You can make the chips three to five days ahead and keep them in a tightly sealed container on the counter. Let them cool completely to room temperature before you put them away, or the leftover steam will make them soft.

Can You Use Other Preserves Instead of Apricot?

Use peach preserves and add a tiny bit more lemon juice to get that little tartness apricots have. Orange marmalade works too and gives the salsa a slightly different flavor that still tastes great.

Don’t use grape or berry preserves. They turn the salsa an odd, unattractive color, and their flavor is so strong that it overpowers the apples.

Can You Use Oil Instead of Butter for Cinnamon Chips?

You can brush the tortillas with vegetable oil instead of butter, but I don’t recommend a spray oil like Pam.

Using oil also makes this recipe dairy-free, as long as your tortillas are. Check the label to be sure.

Can You Use Bigger Tortillas for Cinnamon Chips?

If your tortillas are eight or 10 inches, cut the stack into eighths first. Then use your pizza cutter to cut each wedge in half across the middle, and cut on a slight curve so the chips have a better shape.

Why Are My Cinnamon Chips Soft?

If your chips were soft or chewy when you pulled the pan, they were touching on the baking sheet. Space them out so none touch next time.

If your chips were crisp but turned soft in the container, you sealed them while they were still warm. Let them cool completely to room temperature before storing.

Have more apples to use up? Make my Apple Crisp Without Oats or Double Caramel Apple Pie Parfait next.

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