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These cinnamon sweet and buttery Air Fryer Apples are tender and delicious and ready in just 10 minutes. Not your typical fried apples with just a touch of butter but still so much flavor! Great as a side dish, topped with ice cream for dessert and all on their own!
There is not a whole lot we don’t love in the air fryer and these delectable air fried cinnamon apples are by far the best thing we have had to date! They make for the very best apple season and beyond–who wants to go apple picking?!
A perfect breakfast side dish to pair with some Air Fryer French Toast Sticks or some Fluffy Pancakes–the perfect match to any brunch!
If you love to air fry as much as we do, check out these Blueberry Air Fryer Hand Pies, Air Fryer Country Style Ribs, Air Fryer Steak Bites and so much more here!
Why you will love these Air Fryer Apples:
- They are so rich and flavorful. Air fryer apples are proof that you can have rich, buttery apples with a lot less butter. These are still rich in flavor but much less heavy in my opinion and that is why I love them.
- They cook up in just 10 minutes. Only a couple minutes of prep and once you put the apples in the fryer basket, you just have to wait about 10 minutes for perfect, soft apples. no need to hover over the stove the whole time, you can get a few other things done while you wait!
- Air-fried apples are great for everything from breakfast, to dinner and dessert! These apples are so versatile. Serve them as a dinner side with chicken or pork, have them with breakfast or add a big scoop of vanilla ice cream over top for a delicious, simple dessert. So many options!
Recipe Ingredients:
- apples: a sweet and crisp apple is great for these easy air fryer apples. We prefer Gala or Fuji but Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious are both great as well. Pink lady apples also should work! If you prefer tart apples then Granny Smith apples work as well! You can peel the apples if you prefer, I don’t like taking any extra time on hate tossing all the peels so I don’t.
- cinnamon: a sprinkle of cinnamon to coat for cooking and then more to toss in with sugar in the end. The cinnamon is for sure the show stopper in this recipe! Feel free to add a pinch of nutmeg or other cozy spices to vary the flavor. If you have an apple pie spice sitting around, that is a great option as well!
- oil: any mild flavored cooking oil should work. I have read that oil spray is not ideal in air fryers so using canola oil is great for these apples. You could also use coconut oil if desired.
- vanilla: just a touch of vanilla extract for added flavor
- butter: this is what gives these air fried apples that classic fried apple flavor. you don’t need much, but a little will make the buttery rich sauce delectable.
- sugar: you can sweeten as desired. You can add to taste as well. I use a bit of sugar but pure maple syrup, a drizzle of honey or even some brown sugar are both great options as well.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
There really isn’t much to making these air fried apples. All you have to do is:
- Toss the sliced apples (cut about 1/2 inch thickness) with oil, cinnamon and vanilla.
- Add apples to air fryer basket. You can lightly spritz it with cooking oil if desired, but it should not need it since the apples are already tossed in cooking oil spray. Try to make them as close to a single layer as possible, but if you don’t it’s ok since you will shake them up halfway!
- Air fry for 10 minutes or until soft and tender, shaking about halfway through.
- Toss with melted butter, remaining cinnamon and sugar.
Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Cut your apples immediately before adding to the air fryer to avoid any browning. Apples are not the best for meal prepping as they brown really quickly. You will want to slice them up as close to the time you will cook them as possible.
- Choose the best apples. You want a crispy, firm and sweet apple for these air fryer apples. As mentioned before, Gala, Fuji, and Honey Crisp are all favorites.
- For saucier apples, use more melted butter. If you love having more of a sauce for your apples, add more melted butter, about 2 more tablespoons should work. You can also add a tablespoon or two of maple syrup instead of the sugar for more sauce.
- Keep an eye on your apples. Air fryers are not all created equal. I have two and they never cook quite the same. Once these apples hit the half way mark and you shake the basket up, check on them every two minutes to make sure they are not cooking too fast or burning.
Recipe Storage Recommendations:
These apples can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat, simply microwave for about 30 seconds to one minutes. You can reheat them in the air fryer as well at 350°F for about 2-4 minutes.
You can also freeze your apples in a freezer safe sealed container for about 2-3 months. Allow to thaw before reheating. You can toss in more melted butter before serving.
Serving Your Air Fried Apples:
You can certainly serve these air fryer apples in many ways and for many occasions. Try some of these:
- Fried apples pair really well with pork. Try these Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops.
- Also great with roasted chicken!
- A great addition to breakfast. Spoon some over top of these pancakes, your favorite waffles or on the side of some French Toast Casserole. Also I love spooning them over oatmeal and they are perfect on these Apple Pie Overnight Oats! They would also be great with a savory casserole like this Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole.
- Serve them up with a scoop of ice cream or your favorite whipped cream. Butter Pecan with apples anyone? A drizzle of caramel sauce too is AMAZING.
Other Air Fryer Recipes:
- Air Fryer Hand Pies
- Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breast
- Buffalo Cauliflower
- Parmesan Crusted Air Fried Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Steak Bites with Lemon Garlic Butter
- Air Fried Corn on the Cob
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Air Fryer Apples
These cinnamon sweet and buttery Air Fryer Apples are tender and delicious and ready in just 10 minutes. Not your typical fried apples with just a touch of butter but still so much flavor! Great as a side dish, topped with ice cream for dessert and all on their own!
Ingredients
- 4 small/medium apples, we use Gala
- 1½ tsp cinnamon, separated
- 1 T canola oil, vegetable oil will also work
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 T butter, melted
- 2 T sugar
Instructions
- Remove apple cores and slice into 1/2 inch slices. (You can remove the apple peels or keep the skin on.) Toss apples in oil, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Preheat air fryer to 380°F. Add apples to air fryer basket (lightly spritzed with oil if desired, but not necessary). Arrange evenly trying not to overlap as much as possible. Air fry for 10 minutes or until soft and tender, shaking apples halfway through to shift.
- When apples are cooked, transfer to a bowl and toss with butter, remaining teaspoon of cinnamon and sugar. Serve immediately.
- Storage: You can store your apples for up to 5 days in the refrigerator in an air tight container. You can also freeze leftover apples for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Cut your apples immediately before adding to the air fryer to avoid any browning. Apples are not the best for meal prepping as they brown really quickly. You will want to slice them up as close to the time you will cook them as possible.
- Choose the best apples. You want a crispy, firm and sweet apple for these air fryer apples. As mentioned before, Gala, Fuji, and Honey Crisp are all favorites.
- For saucier apples, use more melted butter. If you love having more of a sauce for your apples, add more melted butter, about 2 more tablespoons should work. You can also add a tablespoon or two of maple syrup instead of the sugar for more sauce.
- Keep an eye on your apples. Air fryers are not all created equal. I have two and they never cook quite the same. Once these apples hit the half way mark and you shake the basket up, check on them every two minutes to make sure they are not cooking too fast or burning.
Nutrition
Calories: 204kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 52mg, Potassium: 201mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 275IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question?Leave a comment below!
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I cooked in a cast iron skillet. It was great. Served with a scoop of vanilla icecream
Oh yum, that is the perfect way to enjoy them!!
Easy and delicious used some brown sugar
Oh yes, you can’t go wrong with the brown sugar!
These were so easy to make and delicious! We used honey crisp apples. Can’t wait to try over some vanilla ice cream.
Yes! They are sooooo good on ice cream!
Soooo delicious. I didn’t have canola oil so I used 1 T of light butter. I didn’t think it even needed the extra sugar at the end. My kids will love this and it’s great for apples that are a tiny bit past their prime! Thank you!
Can’t beat the butter!!! So glad you loved them!