This Air Fryer Apples dessert is a great way to use excess apples! These soft, delicious, air-fried apple halves are topped with a sweet, crunchy oat crumble topping. These apples are also easy and quick to make, so they’re always a winner in the household.
These air fryer apples are so delicious you’ll want to eat them for breakfast, dessert, or snack time. I love how versatile this air fryer apple dessert is, as you can change the spices and toppings to your liking. It’s also a healthier sweet treat than other pies and desserts, so it’s a great way to satisfy sweet cravings.
Here are a few more recipes you can try with leftover apples: Apple Bread Pudding or Apple Curd.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Healthier alternative – These air fryer apples are healthier than your typical pie, as they don’t have a bottom crust.
- Dessert, breakfast, or snack – This is one of the best air fryer apple recipes (easy) because it’s versatile. Add vanilla yogurt to enjoy it for a snack/breakfast and vanilla ice cream to turn it into a dessert.
- Sweet – The delicious oat crumble provides a sweet flavor to the apple halves.
- Full of flavor – The spices in the oat topping complement the baked apples.
- Quick – This yummy air fryer cinnamon apples recipe is ready to eat in 20 minutes!
- Great for using up apples – If you have a lot of apples lying around the kitchen, use them up by recreating this recipe at home.
Best Types of Apples To Use
You can use quite a few types of apples for these air fryer apples. However, it’s essential to select apple varieties that are more crisp so they do not become too mushy while cooking. Here are some ideas:
- Granny smith
- Braeburn
- Honey crisp
- Golden delicious
- Fuji
- Jonagold
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Granny Smith Apple: This is my favorite apple to use because it is tart, but other apples like honey crisp, braeburn, and fuji would work as well.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Air Fryer Apples
Quick Overview
- Cut apples.
- Assemble.
- Air fry.
Step by Step Instructions
Air fry the apple halves first so they’re softened.
Step 1: Place the apple halves cut side up in the air fryer basket.
Step 2: Air fry at 350 degrees for 4-7 minutes, depending on the size.
Use approximately the same amount of topping for each apple.
Step 3: While the apples are cooking, whisk together the oats, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Pour the melted butter on top of the oat mixture and stir until well incorporated.
Step 4: Once the apples are done, split the topping between each half, packing it on top.
Step 5: Air fry for another 4-7 minutes or until tender and golden. Serve with ice cream.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Garnish the air fryer apples with cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, or whipped cream/ice cream.
I love serving these air fryer apples with oats with a hearty soup/stew for a satisfying meal. Here are a few ideas:
Expert Tips
- Remove the core. Take out the core before cooking these air fryer apples. If you leave the core in the apple halves, it will make it more challenging to eat. Since the apples will be softened, it will also be more difficult to remove the core after air frying. Start by coring each apple when you’re cutting them in half.
- Use foil to support the apples. Since you’re cooking the apples without a pan, you’ll need to include foil to help keep them from turning into mush. Wrap foil around each half before cooking them in the air fryer.
Additions & Variations
- Pumpkin pie spice: Create an even more delicious version of these air fryer apples by adding pumpkin pie spice to the oats. You can also sprinkle it on top of the apples and oats dessert once it comes from the air fryer.
- Ramekins: Make it easier to serve individual portions of this yummy sweet treat by cooking each portion in a ramekin. Instead of cutting the fruit into halves, cut them into apple slices. After the apple is softened/cooked, add it to the ramekins and top with a portion of the oat mixture.
- Other fruits: If you have extra pears, you can add them to this dessert as well. Or, swap out the apples for berries. The oat topping is quite versatile. If you’re using smaller fruit, make this air fried apples recipe in a ramekin instead.
Recipe FAQs
You can put nearly any fruit into an air fryer. If you’re dehydrating fruit in an air fryer, berries, bananas, and apples all work well. For fruit-based desserts, there are no limitations to what fruits you can cook in the air fryer.
This air fryer apples dish is a great way to use up extra apples! You can easily scale the recipe up for larger groups of people. Or, double/triple the recipe in ramekins and freeze the dessert for up to four months (baked or unbaked).
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BEST Air Fryer Apples
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large granny smith apple, halved & cored*
- 3 Tablespoons old fashioned oats
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter or coconut oil, melted
Instructions
- Place the apple halves cut side up in the air fryer basket.1 large granny smith apple, halved & cored*
- Air fry at 350 degrees for 4-7 minutes, depending on the size.
- While the apples are cooking, whisk together the oats, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Pour the melted butter on top of the oat mixture and stir until well incorporated.3 Tablespoons old fashioned oats, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 Tablespoon salted butter or coconut oil, melted
- Once the apples are done, split the topping between each half, packing it on top.
- Air fry for another 4-7 minutes or until tender and golden. Serve with ice cream.
Notes
- Granny Smith Apple: This is my favorite apple to use because it is tart, but other apples like honey crisp, braeburn, and fuji would work as well.
- Remove the core. Take out the core before cooking these air fryer apples. If you leave the core in the apple halves, it will make it more challenging to eat. Since the apples will be softened, it will also be more difficult to remove the core after air frying. Start by coring each apple when you’re cutting them in half.
- Use foil to support the apples. Since you’re cooking the apples without a pan, you’ll need to include foil to help keep them from turning into mush. Wrap foil around each half before cooking them in the air fryer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sooo good! I used a different kind of apple and they turned out great. The only difference was I had to cook them way longer. Didn’t have ice cream so served with frozen cool whip. Yum!
Thank you!
Hear me out… the original recipe is spot on, but I love variety so swapped 2T of the oats for 2T shredded sweetened coconut. Switched pumpkin pie spice in place of cinnamon (and added extra). Added a pinch of pink salt and a touch of vanilla extract. Heavenly!