This Air fryer Baked Apples recipe uses two clever hacks to make a sweet, juicy baked apple that is outrageously delicious with vanilla ice cream. Just fill halved apples with a simple cinnamon-oat-apple filling and then air fry for 15 minutes.
This is a perfect dessert to satisfy that sweet tooth while still eating something a little lighter or as a healthy after school snack. They’re delicious without the ice cream, too.
Baking fruits enhances their natural sweetness as the heat caramelizes the fruit's sugars, resulting in a rich and intensified flavors. It also softens the texture, making them tender and juicy, like baked peaches.
What are baked apples? Baked apples come in various forms, whether sliced, chopped, or whole, and are baked until tender and juicy, typically with added sugar, butter, and flavorings.
This recipe uses halved apples that are cored and filled with a tasty cinnamon, oat, and chopped apple filling, resulting in a warm and juicy treat.
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Why this recipe works?
By adding ½ cup of water into the air fryer basket, steam is generated, like in air fryer broccoli recipe, ensuring that the fruit is cooked to perfection, maintaining its moisture, and preventing any dryness. This technique is effective in preventing smoke when cooking high-fat foods like bacon, making it a widely adopted hack.
While traditional baked apple recipes typically feature a streusel-like filling made with butter, sugar, oats, or nuts, I take it a step further by folding some chopped apples into the filling. This not only adds an additional texture but also results in a moist and succulent fruit.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Apples - Use you favorite apple like Fuji, Honey crisp, Jonagold, Braeburn or Granny smith, like in all apple recipes. Select apples that have a flatter side because you don’t want them to topple over when cooking.
- Butter - Adds richness and moisture.
- Oats - Rolled oats adds texture.
- Sugar - Caramelly brown sugar compliments the fall flavors.
- Spices - Apple pie spices like freshly grated nutmeg, and cinnamon add warmth.
Best Apples to use - The best apples to use for baked apples are fruits that hold their shape after intense cooking, like Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonagold, Braeburn, Pink Lady, or Honey crisp (refer more on best baking apples here).
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
1 & 2. Prepare apples - Cut an apple in half, and then using an ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop out the core and some of the flesh, making a small golf ball size cavity to hold the filling. Chop the scooped flesh, without the seeds or core, into ¼-inch pieces.
Pro tip: Select apples that are flatter on the sides. This helps it stand up straight when placed in the basket because you don’t want them to topple over in the air fryer.
3 & 4. Make filling - Stir melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together, and then stir in oats and chopped apple.
5. Fill the apple cavity, packing them gently.
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6. Preheat your air fryer at 350 degrees. When ready, pour ½ cup water into the basket and then place the stuffed apples on the grill plate. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Tip: The water produces steam, resulting in moist and succulent air fryer baked apples.
How to serve?
Serve hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, salted caramel sauce or whipped cream for an easy air fryer dessert recipe. I like to enjoy it with sweetened greek yogurt for a light snack.
Helpful tips
- Use ½ cup water. I tested the air fryer baked apples recipe using different water proportions and found the ½ cup measurement to be just right. Less water might result in too much evaporation, whereas more water will affect the cooking time.
- The recipe can be easily doubled for two large apples.
- To use medium-sized apples, reduce cooking time by 2 to 3 minutes.
More air fryer desserts
Air Fryer Baked Apples
Ingredients
- 1 large apple
Filling
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 3 tablespoons light or golden brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg optional
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons old fashioned oats
To serve
- Vanilla ice cream / Salted caramel sauce / Whipped cream
Equipment used
Instructions
Prep apple
- Wash apple, pat dry and then cut in half. Pro tip: Select apples that are flatter on the sides. This helps it stand up straight when placed in the basket because you don’t want them to topple over in the air fryer.
- Using a large ice cream scoop, spoon or pairing knife, scoop out the core along with some flesh, to make a cavity, big enough to hold the filling.
- Chop only the scooped-out flesh to about ¼-inch dice (make sure not to include any seeds or core) and measure a scant ½ cup.
Make filling
- Stir melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together, until evenly combined. Stir in oats and chopped apple.
- Divide the filling between the two apple halves (packing lightly into the cavity).
Air fry
- Pour ½ cup water into the air fryer basket and place the apple halves on the grill plate, ensuring that they don't wobble around. Close air fryer.
- Set air fryer to 350°F and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the apples have softened, but still holds the shape. Tip: I recommend checking after 13 minutes. I used Instant Vortex air fryer and the apples were perfectly tender in 15 minutes.
- Open air fryer and let apples cool for at least 2 minutes before serving hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Sandra
I was looking this however, an ad is covering part of the ingredients so I dont know how much brown sugar or butter I need
Maria Doss
Hi Sandra, We are sincerely sorry for that experience and will address the issue right away!
Here is the ingredient list -
1 large apple
Filling
1 tablespoon melted butter
3 tablespoons light or golden brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg, optional
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons old fashioned oats
Hope it helps, Maria
Karen
I made this this morning and I thought it was great!
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡
Chris
Made this today and thoroughly enjoyed it. Served with Greek yoghurt delicious.
Maria Doss
Glad to hear. Have a wonderful week - Maria
LESLEY
You can't have 'more sweeter'. It is either 'sweeter' or 'more sweet'.
Maria Doss
Fixed! Thank you for bringing it to our attention hun and have a wonderful day - Maria
Marysue
I have apples that I was just looking at and thinking, ‘I need a good baked apple recipe’! I have an IP Vortex Air Fryer, but it is built like a toaster oven, having racks instead of a basket; how would I do the water? Could I put some water in a ramekin on the bottom rack, and the apple on the top rack?
Thanks; this looks wonderful!
Maria Doss
Hi Marysue, The water creates steam and helps to cook the apples slightly tender instead of being raw and crunchy. In your case, I'd recommend cooking them at a lower temperature (may be 320 degrees) for about 6 minutes, and then at 350 degrees to finish cooking. The lower temperature will allow to cook tender and then the higher temperature will finish cooking and brown the topping. Hope it helps - Maria