Air Fryer Baked Apples combine all of the delicious fall flavors of apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a sweet and crunchy dessert that is both delicious and easy to make.
These apples can be eaten on their own, straight from the air fryer, or piled high with whipped cream or ice cream for a more substantial dessert.
Baked apples are traditionally “baked” in the oven, but this version is baked in the air fryer. If you’ve never baked in an air fryer before, this may seem strange, but it’s just a convection oven that circulates air around the food to cook it more quickly and evenly.
Let’s dive into this lovely discussion on baked apples in an air fryer, shall we?
What Are Baked Apples?
In a nutshell, baked apple refers to an apple that has been baked in an oven.
It can be baked whole, halved, sliced, or chopped, then stuffed or topped with a buttery, sugary, nutty, spicy mixture that complements the crisp-tart apple and bake until softened and juicy.
Apples that are firm and not perfectly round are ideal for air fryer baked apples. I prefer apples that retain their shape after intense cooking.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe?
I have added a few reasons for you to love this recipe.
- Super simple to make.
- A healthy dessert that will satisfy your sweet tooth.
- This is a fun way to use your air fryer.
Can You do baking in an air fryer?
Yes. you can bake in an air fryer, this might come as somewhat weird to you but it’s possible, let’s move forward so I can show you how you can bake apples in an air fryer.
What I like about baked apples is that you still get your sweet cravings satisfied while avoiding all of the extra calories. One serving has only around 171 calories.
Baked fruits are one of my favorite desserts in general. The fruit becomes sweeter and softer as it ages, making it even more delicious when paired with the crispy topping.
Is baking in an air fryer the same as in an oven?
No, not really. It’s not the same.
There’s a vast difference, such as you’d get more good results in the oven if you wanted a softer moist apple. However, in an air fryer, your food is supposed to be air fried, which can result in a crispy apple and not a baked moist one.
You can easily bake goods in an air fryer. Baking food in an air fryer would keep you away from the hassle of keeping your air fryer preheated just like you have to do it to your oven.
It’s also a good option if you want to avoid using the oven during the hot summer months or if you only want to make a few cookies at a time.
The air fryer produces distinct results that may be preferable for certain baked goods over others. If you want a slightly crisp, caramelized crust on top of your banana nut muffins, air fry them.
However, if you’re craving that exact pillow-textured baked apple, you should opt for an oven instead of an air fryer.
Can I dry or dehydrate apples in my air fryer?
Yes, you can easily dry or dehydrate your apples in an air fryer.
Here’s how you can do it:
Spread the apple slices evenly in the air fryer basket. In an 8qt air fryer, slices of about two apples can be dehydrated in a single batch. To keep the apples from flying around in the air fryer basket, I place a pot pan stand on top of them.
Set the air fryer to 300°F and leave them to air fry for 20-25 minutes. Pull out the air fryer basket, flip, and switch places every 6-7 minutes.
The brown apple slices on the basket’s edges should be moved to the center and the center ones to the basket’s edges. This ensures that all slices are dehydrated evenly.
How to make air fryer-baked apples?
Any type of apple can be used to make baked apples. Simply remove the core, then cut them in half, slice them, or dice them, and bake them.
- To bake apples in the air fryer, cut them in half and place them skin side down. So, using a paring knife, cut the apples in half and remove the core. Brush the tops of the apple halves with melted butter.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining melted butter, oats, honey, and cinnamon. If desired, season with nutmeg for a pleasant aroma and flavor.
- Fill up the apples with the filling. I find it easier to do this outside of the air fryer, so hold an apple half in your palm and scoop in the mixture, then gently start placing them one by one unto the baking sheet until your air fryer heats up.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Check in on them after about 10 minutes to ensure that everything is going well. You might want to take them out now if you want the apple to still have a bite to it.
- Continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes if you want the apples to be mostly cooked through and soft. As desired, top with extra cinnamon, whipped cream, or ice cream.
Tips on How to get perfect baked apples
There are not many tips on how to get perfect baked apples in an air fryer but here’s some trick that can get you your desired taste:
- Water in the air fryer basket: It may sound strange, but cooking fatty foods like bacon in the air fryer basket with a bit of water to avoid smoking is a more common hack. Inspired by this technique, I added water to the air fryer basket, creating a steamy environment that prevents the apple from drying out. Do try this out.
- Including apple in the filling: Traditional baked apples have a streusel-like filling made of butter, sugar, spices, oats, or nuts. However, this recipe includes some cored apple, which softens during cooking and aids in the retention of moisture from the inside out.
Types of apples used for baking
Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonagold, Braeburn, Pink Lady, and Honey Crisp apples are all excellent choices because they are firm and do not break down when baked.
One serving (half) of this baked apple contains about 171 calories. Please remember that adding vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, whipped cream, or yogurt will increase the calories.
When baking apples for a sweet treat, use sweet apples such as Fuji, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, and Gala. You can use whatever crispy apples you want, depending on your taste. Granny Smith apples are tart, which is nice for flavor variety.
Do I have to peel apples before baking?
The peeling of these apples is not required. If you leave it on, it holds them together and adds a little texture.
If you don’t like the skin on your apples, you can peel them before baking them. However, peeling off the skin after baking the apples is usually easier because it comes off easily.
Are air-fried apples healthy?
Air Fryer Baked Apples are a guilt-free dessert. While apples do contain some natural sugars, this isn’t harmful if you follow a low-sugar diet. These apples taste like the best part of an apple pie, but without the crust, they’re a much healthier option.
Cook for 15 minutes if you want the apple to be completely baked and mushy. Cook for 10–13 minutes for a slightly firmer apple. Every air fryer has a different wattage and cooks at a different rate. For the best results, you may need to adjust the time or temperature.
Here you can learn which apple to choose for baking and cooking:
Nutrition In Baked Apples
Well, you can be a gym enthusiast who keeps updated on his/her calorie intake and doesn’t wanna build up exercise pressure on yourself, however, baked apples are healthy and can be eaten by anyone since they have fixed calories until they are eaten without calorie-filled filling.
Below is a table that demonstrates how much nutritional value a baked apple has and how much energy it can provide you with apart from its delicious taste, so let’s look into it:
| Nutrition | Serving 1 Apple 171g |
| Calories | 156 kcal |
| Fat | 3.3 g |
| Cholesterol | 8.1 mg |
| Sodium | 32 mg |
| Potassium | 201 mg |
| Protein | 0.6 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.1 g |
| Sugar | 28 g |
Note: All the calories, sugar, and fiber in the above tables are solely only from baked apples and not their filling. Its filling can contain more calories, which you might want to keep a track of.
Summary
- Apples should be baked at around 375 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes, this way they won’t be crispy but stay soft and mushy just the way you like it.
- Baking apples in the air fryer is healthy since it is a low-calorie dessert, it’s just the cream and additives added to it that raise the calorie levels.
- Peeling off the apples is not necessary since the skin keeps them intact, however, you can do whatever you feel like you want. No Judgment!!
- The air fryer’s main purpose is to make the food crispier, you can have soft and moist baked apples by placing some water in the air fryer and filling up the apple with its desired filling. The water will keep your apples soft and moist.
- Dehydrating your apples is pretty easy too, all you have to do is slice your apples into smaller slices and then cook them for about 20 minutes, flipping them in between so they cook evenly.