Savor all the apple pie goodness in one easy air fryer dessert recipe! The sweet sugar and cinnamon filling, warm apples, and buttery pie crust – baked right into an apple. These baked apples in air fryer are the perfect treat for the fall season that everyone will love.
And don't forget to serve it with a drizzle of pumpkin caramel or coconut caramel for that extra touch of delight.
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Why It's Yummy
- Easy and quick - These baked apples are made with simple everyday ingredients, are tender and delicious, and only need 15 minutes to bake in the air fryer. Perfect dessert for two servings!
- Versatile - While I typically serve them as a dessert with ice cream condiments, sauces, and syrups, I love adding chopped baked apples to breakfast, perhaps on top of porridge or plain Greek yogurt.
Craving More Apple Desserts?
If you find yourself with an abundance of apples this holiday season, make these simple recipes next:
Ingredients
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
- Apples - No need to peel the apples. Opt for apples with a flatter side to prevent them from tipping over during cooking. You can use any variety of apples that you like. There is no certain rule for using sweeter or more tart apples in air fryer recipe. It depends on your personal preferences. I like the slightly sour taste of Granny Smith apples as they balance the sweetness of other ingredients perfectly. Pink Lady, Fuji, Braeburn, Honey Crisp, Gala, and Jonagold are all excellent for baking, pie fillings, or air frying.
- Cornstarch - This thickens the filling, giving it a caramel-like texture. If you don’t have cornstarch, you may use tapioca flour with similar results.
- Cinnamon - Good quality cinnamon goes a long way and will give the apples delicious flavor.
- Sugar - You can use ½ cup of brown sugar instead (similar to my fried apples with cinnamon recipe).
- Egg and milk - For brushing the apples and keeping them moist.
- Oil spray - You can lightly spray the air fryer basket with olive oil. But take care to use natural oil spray without any propellants or chemicals in it as they can damage the lining of your air fryer. Newer air fryers generally have a good nonstick surface and may require no oil at all.
- Puff pastry - You can use either regular or gluten-free puff pastry. The GF variation is more delicate and prone to breaking than the regular one. It's akin to traditional puff pastry, though the trickiest part is affixing it onto the apple. Take your time pinching the edges together and securing them to the apple.
- Filling note - You can use your favorite apple pie filling recipe instead.
What Apples Are Best For Baked Apples?
In a pinch, you can use whatever type of apple you have on hand to make baked apples quickly!
The best apples for baking are Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, or Pink Lady or Fuji apples.
These apples stay crisp and hold up well when cooked. Your next options would be Jonagolds, Winesap, and Braeburn, although my favorite ones are granny smiths (I used them for my apple pie filling and fried apple slices).
Choose what's available and in season in your state. All of these apples are great for cobblers, scones and baked apples.
When selecting apples for this recipe, ensure they hold their shape during cooking. You want crispy, firm apples for this recipe. It's frustrating when apples fall apart afterward.
Which Air Fryer To Use?
I prefer my Cosori 5.8 quart air fryer due to its size and nonstick basket; it's a perfect fit for our small family. Its spacious capacity simplifies cooking without multiple batches, ideal for serving dinners (and desserts) for two.
An excellent alternative to consider is the Ninja Foodi, which can seamlessly replace any air fryer in your kitchen.
Instructions
In a small mixing bowl, combine cornstarch and water.
Dice 2 small apples into cubes.
In a small saucepot over low-medium heat, bring together the diced apples, vanilla extract, sugar, and cinnamon.
Mix in the cornstarch and water blend, and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes. Then, remove it from the heat.
On a flat surface lightly dusted with flour, unfold the puff pastry.
Utilize a pizza cutter to slice the dough into strips approximately ⅓ inch wide.
If your kitchen happens to be warm, I recommend placing the dough strips back into the fridge while you proceed to the next step.
Using a sharp knife, cut the tops off the remaining 4 whole apples.
With a spoon (apple corer, or melon baller) eliminate the seeds and core, making sure to leave about ½ inch of the apples flesh near the skins.
Fill the center of each apple with the prepared pie filling. Set aside.
Create an egg and milk mixture in a small mixing bowl, and gently brush the top of the apples with this mixture.
Once the apples are filled, position the dough strips on top.
You can align them or weave them into a lattice pattern, pinching the ends together to ensure they adhere securely. Trim any excess dough.
Give the dough a brush of the egg milk wash and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Optional: If you like, you can add a sprinkle of granulated sugar for some sweetness and extra crunch.
Put the apples into the preheated air fryer basket set at 320 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celcius).
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the exterior turns golden brown and the filling starts to bubble. It usually takes around 14 minutes for me.
Serve alongside ice cream or salted caramel sauce. Try my vegan caramel sauce, it's delicious!
📋 FLAVOR & TEXTURE: Delicious blend of tender cinnamon-infused apples with a golden brown flaky puff pastry on the top. With tart green apples, you'll experience an ideal sour-sweet balance. Opting for sweeter apple varieties results in a tender, sweet texture.
Recommended Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Airtight food containers
- Mixing bowls
- Ninja Foodi
- Air Fryer Cosori - 5.8 quart
Tips
- If you choose large apples, expect a longer baking time. But the puff pastry will cook faster, so in this case, you can use aluminum foil on top to avoid burning.
- Peeling the apples isn't required for this recipe, but you can choose to do it if you prefer.
- Keep an eye on those apples. Every air fryer is different and may not cook quite the same way. Monitor the apples towards the end of cooking making sure that the puff pastry and the apples don't burn.
- When you take the baked apples out of the air fryer, be cautious. They're hot and soft, so use silicone-tipped tongs to avoid them falling apart or being burnt.
- For these stuffed apples, 14 minutes worked perfectly. However, if you notice the apples are still slightly firm, you can extend the cooking time by a few minutes.
📋 JULIA'S TIP: Choose apples with flatter sides so they can stand upright in the basket without tipping over inside the air fryer.
Serving Suggestions
What to serve with air fryer apples?
Serve them for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, whipped cream, custard or caramel sauce or maple syrup.
Or use the leftovers to mix in breakfast porridge, or as a sweet topping for pancake cereal, fluffy pancakes, breakfast yogurt or chia pudding.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- To Store. Baked cinnamon apples taste best when freshly baked in the air fryer. Keep any extra baked apples in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They are likely to soften after refrigerating
- To Freeze. I don't recommend freezing these.
- To Reheat. Pop them in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes or use a hot oven. You can brush the apples with more egg/milk mixture or melted butter before reheating.
Variations
- Add-Ons - If the filling seems too boring for you, add some homemade granola, chopped nuts (we like walnuts or pecans), unsweetened raisins or oats into the filling. If using pre-made granola, make sure to use lightly sweetened one as the apple filling already contains enough sugar. You can also balance off the sweetness with a dash of apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice.
- Pure vanilla extract or rum extract makes everything taste better.
FAQs
For baked apples, it's best to choose apples that have a balanced sweet-tart flavor and can hold their shape during baking. Varieties like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, and Pink Lady work well for baked apples due to their texture and taste.
Indeed, to achieve the desired texture, I recommend preheating your air fryer to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Air fryers typically heat up rapidly.
You can cook whole apples in an air fryer in just 15-20 minutes! Follow the recipe card for full instructions.
In this recipe, there's no need to peel. Simply wash the apples well and follow the baking instructions with the skins on. Keeping the skin on also aids in the apple filling staying put and the apples retaining their shape.
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Recipe
Air Fryer Apple Pie Baked Apples
INGREDIENTS
- 1 package puff pastry, thawed but chilled, see notes
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water, cold
- 6 medium apples, slightly more than 2 pounds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and more for serving
- ½ cup granulated sugar, or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small mixing bowl, combine cornstarch and water.
- Dice 2 small apples into cubes.
- In a small saucepot over low-medium heat, bring together the diced apples, vanilla extract, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Mix in the cornstarch and water blend, and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes. Then, remove it from the heat.
- On a flat surface lightly dusted with flour, unfold the puff pastry. Utilize a pizza cutter to slice the dough into strips approximately ⅓ inch wide. If your kitchen happens to be warm, I recommend placing the dough strips back into the fridge while you proceed to the next step.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the tops off the remaining 4 whole apples. With a spoon (apple corer, or melon baller) eliminate the seeds and core, making sure to leave about ½ inch of the apples flesh near the skins.
- Fill the center of each apple with the prepared pie filling. Set aside.
- Create an egg and milk mixture in a small mixing bowl, and gently brush the top of the apples with this mixture.
- Once the apples are filled, position the dough strips on top. You can align them or weave them into a lattice pattern, pinching the ends together to ensure they adhere securely. Trim any excess dough.
- Give the dough a brush of the egg milk wash and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Optional: If you like, you can add a sprinkle of granulated sugar for some sweetness and extra crunch.
- Put the apples into the preheated air fryer basket set at 320 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celcius).
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the exterior turns golden brown and the filling starts to bubble. It usually takes around 14 minutes for me.
- Serve alongside ice cream or salted caramel sauce.
VIDEO
NOTES
- Puff pastry - I used GF Schar puff pastry but regular wheat pastry is fine as well.
- Flavor - Delicious blend of tender cinnamon-infused apples with a golden brown flaky puff pastry on the top. With tart green apples, you'll experience an ideal sour-sweet balance. Opting for sweeter apple varieties results in a tender, sweet texture. If you choose large apples, expect a longer baking time. But the puff pastry will cook faster, so in this case, you can use aluminum foil on top to avoid burning.
- Keep an eye on those apples - Every air fryer is different and may not cook quite the same way. Monitor the apples towards the end of cooking making sure that the puff pastry and the apples don't burn.
- Choose apples with flatter sides so they can stand upright in the basket without tipping over inside the air fryer. No need to peel the apples
- What apples best for baking? You can use any variety of apples that you like. There is no certain rule for using sweeter or more tart apples in this recipe. It depends on your personal preferences. I like the slightly sour taste of Granny Smith apples as they balance the sweetness of other ingredients perfectly. Pink Lady, Fuji, Braeburn, Honey Crisp, Gala, and Jonagold are all excellent for baking, pie fillings, or air frying.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
This recipe was inspired from Fork To Spoon.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Delicious air fryer baked apples that will remind you of a classic apple pie but with a few less calories.
veenaazmanov
I love the Air Fryer Baking option. The Cinnamon Flavor , the crunchy apple and the buttery crust description is so tempting. A recipe to definitely check out.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you!
Elisa
Love this Air Fryer Apple Pie Baked Apples recipe, they look delicious and easy to make, love to use the air fryer. Will make them soon. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Elisa
Gianne
I just made these and oh my gosh, they were so good! The apples were cooked just right, and the filling was hot and sticky. It's a great treat that's easy to make and tastes great. Trying this again.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Gianne!
Kerri
These baked apples are SO GOOD. Can't wait to make them again!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Kerri!
Maayke
These baked apples were super easy to make and my family loved them! Thank you for the recipe
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
glad you liked it!