Air fryer baked apples

Twelve minutes, no sugar and 110 calories. The fastest warm dessert there is.

17 min
Total time: 17 min
Hands-on: 2 servings
Servings: 110 cal
Per serving: Easy
Difficulty: Air fryer
Method

Photo: Andy Li · CC0

Ingredients

2 servings

Nutrition facts

per serving

110cal

Protein: 2 g7 %
Carbs: 18 g62 %
Fat: 4 g31 %
Fiber: 5 g
Sugarstotal, including the natural sugars in fruit and dairy: 14 g

Approximate values, calculated from food composition tables. They vary with the brands and cuts you use.

Step by step

5 steps · turn the pages with the arrows or by swiping

Cover

Air fryer baked apples

Twelve minutes, no sugar and 110 calories. The fastest warm dessert there is.

1Step 1 of 5

Core the apples

Wash the apples and remove the core with an apple corer or a small knife, without going all the way through the bottom. That way the filling stays in.

2Step 2 of 5

Score the skin

Make a shallow cut around the middle of each apple. It keeps the skin from bursting and the apple from collapsing.

Tip: A cut a couple of millimeters deep, just through the skin. It's a small trick that makes a real difference.

3Step 3 of 5

Fill and flavor

Mix the chopped walnuts with the cinnamon and nutmeg and fill the hollow. Brush the apple with lemon juice so it doesn't brown.

4Step 4 of 5

12 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C)

Preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes. Stand the apples upright and cook for 12 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C). They're ready when a knife slides in with no resistance.

12:0012 min · 12 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C)

5Step 5 of 5

Serve warm

They're best hot, straight out of the air fryer. With a spoonful of cold Greek yogurt on top, the contrast is perfect.

About this recipe

Classic baked apples take forty minutes in the oven. In the air fryer it's twelve, and they're just as tender and sweet, because the sugar comes from the fruit itself as it concentrates.

No sugar or honey needed. Cinnamon makes us perceive them as sweeter than they are, an old trick that's completely real.

110 calories, five grams of fiber and a warm dessert in the time it takes to clear the table.

Tips for getting it right

A soft apple like McIntosh melts into a cream; Golden Delicious holds its shape better.
For sweeter apples without sugar, add three chopped dates to the filling.
Make four at once: cold from the fridge they're wonderful for breakfast with yogurt.

Storage

3 days in the fridge. Eat them cold or warmed for 30 seconds in the microwave.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What's the best apple for baking?

Soft, aromatic apples that turn creamy inside, like McIntosh, give the classic result. Golden Delicious is a good alternative if you want them to hold their shape. Very tart, firm apples like Granny Smith are less pleasant baked this way.

Can I make them without walnuts?

Yes, they're just as good empty or filled with raisins or chopped dates. The walnuts add healthy fats and make the dessert more filling.

Keep cooking