Friends, I’d like to introduce you to my latest obsession. A treat that combines the warmth of grandma’s homemade pie and the kitchen skills of a shoe (let me save you the time and effort on Google; a “shoe” refers to someone who is a slacker cook/chef): air fryer apples.
I’ve been craving all the fall things lately (next up on my to-make list: chili), but of course you know I’m going to want to find something that’s a smidge healthier than not. Not because balance can’t and shouldn’t exist.. it should.
But for me personally, I have very little self control. I know me. I know my habits. I wouldn’t be able to stop with one GF apple cinnamon donut (holy crap that sounds good). Or just one caramel apple. I’d want the whole bushel.
So I took it upon myself to scour the internet in hopes that yes.. you can, in fact, air fry apples. And that there are a ton of people who have already done this, are already doing this, and snacking without me. The nerve.
What type of apples work best in an airy fryer?
I’m guessing you can probably use any type of apple in an air fryer, mostly because Google has not yet told me otherwise. But I’m partial to the red or the red/green mixed apples vs. the tangy sour flavor of a straight up green apple. So I’d opt for Gala or Honeycrisp for this recipe.
What ingredients are needed for this air fryer dessert recipe?
- 2 apples (yes you can use more but you’ll probably want to batch them, depending how big your air fryer is. Otherwise you may need to increase cook time and that could end up really drying out your apples).
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp of cinnamon (full disclosure, I didn’t measure when I made this. I just sprinkled until I didn’t want to sprinkle anymore).
- Olive oil cooking spray.
- Dairy free yogurt (or the real deal if your stomach can handle it – mine cannot).
- Gluten free granola
How to make air fryer apples
You’ll first start with the obvious: cleaning and chopping your apples. I went back and forth trying to decide if I wanted apple slices, or apple chunks. I started out with the slices and then last minute decided to chop them all up. I have no regrets.
Next you’ll mix your maple syrup and cinnamon together in a bowl. Note: cinnamon and maple syrup do not ix well together, at least not to the naked eye. It will look like you’re stirring for nothing, and that your cinnamon is clumping on top of the syrup. Don’t be alarmed, it’ll all work out in the end. I promise.
Add your apple chunks to a bowl, and pour the maple syrup/cinnamon mixture over top. Stir them well, so that all the apples get coated. Next, spray your air fryer basket with the olive oil nonstick cooking spray, and transfer (aka pour, dump, throw) your coated apple chunks there.
This is the air fryer that I use, swear by, and love. It’s a fraction of the price for an amazing size – anything in comparison is going to cost at least twice as much if you’re out shopping at big box stores. (Yes, I understand that I ordered online from an even bigger box store. But it worked out fine).
You’ll cook (airy fry? air bake?) these lil’ dumplings at 380 degrees for anywhere between 10-15 minutes. I set my timer for 14 minutes (pausing at the minute 7 mark to take the basket out and shake them all around), but found myself too impatient so I cut things short at around 12 minutes. If you’re wanting full-on apple softness like the pie, you might want to wait the full 15 minutes. But 12 definitely worked, too.
Remove from the air fryer and add on top of/mix in with yogurt, and sprinkle with granola.
You can also trade in this air fryer apple dessert for a different meal. It makes the perfect breakfast (this is our plan for tomorrow.. only Coop is swapping the apples for strawberries and we’re leaving the air fryer out of the mix. So no, this actually isn’t what we’re doing tomorrow).
You can also make it a little more dessert-friendly instead by opting for vanilla ice cream (or a dairy free ice cream lower calorie option like Halo Top) in place of the yogurt.
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