Air Fryer Apples are a delicious way to satisfy those apple pie cravings, but without baking a pie! With just a touch of maple syrup for sweetness, and loads of cinnamon flavor, they are perfect for a quick and easy dessert or a healthy snack.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Air-fried apples are versatile, too. I like to top oatmeal, pancakes, or French toast with air fryer apple bites for breakfast, or stir them into yogurt. I often make them as a side dish for my grilled chicken thighs or air fryer pork tenderloin.
But, my favorite way to enjoy this is for a delicious and healthy dessert. Top warm apples with a scoop of ice cream or whipping cream. Greek yogurt is great too. For a little bit of decadence, I add a drizzle of my homemade caramel sauce. (Super easy)
Jump to:
Why I love air fryer apples
- Quick and easy. Air fryer apple slices need just a few simple ingredients and air frying cooks them in just 10 minutes. (In comparison, sliced baked apples take up to 30 minutes in the oven).
- Healthy. We all know apples are good for us. These air fryer cinnamon apple slices have no refined sugar and just a touch of oil. They taste like apple pie filling but without all the sugar. Leaving the apple peel on keeps most of the fiber and nutrients. And of course, they're naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
- Delicious. When we're craving apple pie, or apple crisp (try this one in the air fryer), but don't want to make the effort, these delicious air fryer cinnamon apple slices are a perfect healthy dessert or snack that takes a fraction of the time. Kids love them, too. (I know, from first hand experience).
Ingredients
- Apples. The most important part! Because we're using just a small amount of sweetener, I prefer a sweet apple variety for this recipe to let their natural sweetness shine. My favorites are ambrosia, honey crisp, gala, pink lady or golden delicious. I have made this recipe with tart apple varieties, like granny smith apples, but added a touch of extra maple syrup and they were still delicious. Just be sure to choose an apple with a firm and crisp texture, rather than a softer apple like Macintosh, which can end up mushy when cooked.
- Maple Syrup. Pure maple syrup adds an extra touch of sweetness. This recipe is vegan, but if that's not a concern for you, you can use honey instead. Brown sugar can also be used in equal measurement, but I prefer to use maple syrup for it's flavor, and it doesn't need to be melted.
- Oil. I use peanut oil, but olive oil, vegetable oil, or coconut oil will all work. If you use coconut oil, make sure it's refined if you don't want the coconut flavor in your air fryer apples. Melted butter is also an option if you aren't vegan and want a richer flavor.
- Cinnamon. Ground cinnamon is always a win with any sweet apple recipe, and this one is no exception. You can also replace the cinnamon with apple pie spice.
- Salt. A pinch of salt brings out the flavors of any dish, and adds balance to the sweetness of the apples.
How to make it, step by step
- In a large bowl, combine the maple syrup, oil, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the apple slices and stir or toss to coat all the slices in the cinnamon mixture.
- Add the coated slices to the air fryer basket, and cook, shaking halfway through, until tender.
- Serve the warm apples with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Helpful tips
- Pre-heating. Many basket style air fryer models, (including my Ninja Foodie, don't require preheating. However, some models, especially oven style air fryers do need to be preheated. If yours does, preheat before cooking.
- Peeling Apples. There's no need to peel the apples for this recipe. I keep the peel because most of the fibre and nutrients are in the skin. And because, it's less work! However, you can peel the apples if you prefer.
- Apple slicing. Slice the apples right before making the recipe to avoid having them turn brown. If you do slice them ahead of time, toss them in a teaspoon of lemon juice to keep them from browning.
- Avoid overcrowding. Spread the apple slices in a single layer in the air fryer, if possible. I use my Ninja Foodi duel basket air fryer, so I can cook all the apple slices in one batch, without overcrowding. If your air fryer is smaller, you may need to cook in batches. (This is where the lemon juice comes in handy to keep slices from browning).
- Don't overcook. For best results, air fryer cinnamon apples should be tender, but still have a bit of a bite. To avoid over-cooking, check them a couple of times during the last half of cooking. Since air fryers vary widely, the cooking time here is a guideline.
- Silicone liners. Using silicone air fryer liners means you don't need as much oil and makes clean up easier. I recommend them and you can find almost any size air fryer trays on line.
- Recipe quantity. You can easily double this recipe or you can reduce it to make it for two. Just use the "servings" toggle at the top of the recipe card to change the ingredient quantities.
- Storage. Store leftover air fryer apples in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat for four to five minutes in the air fryer, or one to two minutes in the microwave.
More ways to make cinnamon apples.
Oven baked apples
Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the apples just as in this recipe. Spread the slices on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, flip them, and bake a further 10 to 15 minutes.
Pan fried apples.
Prepare the apples as per this recipe. In a non-stick pan over medium heat, cook, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes.
More apple recipes
It doesn't need to be apple season, you can enjoy these recipes year-round.
- Air Fryer Apple Crisp
- Homemade Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- Apple Walnut Cake
- Slow Cooker Red Cabbage and Apples
- Brussels Sprouts and Apple Salad
- Apple Ricotta Cake
- Kale and Beet Salad with Apples
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating in the comments below and let us know how it turned out. Did you make any changes? We would love for you to share and your feedback is important! Thank you for visiting The Food Blog!
Recipe
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Air Fryer Apples
Air Fryer Apples are a delicious way to satisfy those apple pie cravings, without baking a pie! With just a touch of maple syrup for sweetness, and loads of cinnamon flavor, they're a perfect quick and easy dessert or a healthy sweet tooth fix.
Print
Pin
Rate
Save Recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 184kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 apples medium size
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon oil vegetable, olive, or coconut oil
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Core the apples and cut into ½ inch slices.
- In a large bowl, combine the maple syrup, oil, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the apple slices to the maple syrup mixture and toss well with a spoon to coat.
- Spread the apple slices evenly in the air fryer basket.
- Cook at 400° f for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Serve warm, with ice cream or whipping cream.
Notes
- Pre-heating. Many air fryer models, (including my Ninja Foodie, don't require preheating. However, some models, especially oven style air fryers do need to be preheated. If yours does, preheat before cooking.
- Peeling Apples. There's no need to peel the apples for this recipe. I keep the peel because most of the fibre and nutrients are in the skin. And because, it's more work! However, you can peel the apples if you prefer.
- Apple slicing. Slice the apples right before making the recipe to avoid having them turn brown. If you do slice them ahead of time, toss them in a teaspoon of lemon juice to keep them from browning.
- Avoid overcrowding. I use my Ninja Foodi duel basket air fryer, so I can cook all the apple slices in one batch, without overcrowding. If your air fryer is smaller, you may need to cook in batches. (This is where the lemon juice comes in handy to keep slices from browning).
- Don't overcook. For best results, the apple slices should be tender, but still have a bit of a bite. To avoid over-cooking, check them a couple of times during the last half of cooking. Since air fryers vary widely, the cooking time here is a guideline.
- Silicone liners. Using silicone air fryer liners means you don't need as much oil and makes clean up easier. I recommend them and you can find almost any size on line.
- Recipe quantity. You can easily double this recipe or you can reduce it to make it for two. Just use the "servings" toggle at the top of the recipe card to change the ingredient quantities.
- Storage. Store leftover air fryer apples in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat for four to five minutes in the air fryer, or one to two minutes in the microwave.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 101IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @TheFoodBlog or tag #thefoodblog!
Comments
No Comments