Warm and tender apples stuffed with cinnamon sugared oats and pecans, these air fryer baked apples are one of fall’s sweetest dessert options to make in a snap!
Why this recipe works
Air fryer baked apples are the perfect little treat when you’re craving something sweet and don’t want to spend the time baking up an entire apple pie or apple crisp.
All you’ll need is a nice juicy apple, old-fashioned rolled oats, pecans, cinnamon, brown sugar and a few other staple ingredients to make a quick and delicious fall dessert.
Related Recipe – Apple Crumble
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
APPLES – A good baked apple consists of a sweet-tart apple variety such as Cosmic Crisp, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Gala, and even Granny Smith if you would like to lean heavier on the tart side.
FILLING – You can use any type of nut you would like for this recipe. If you aren’t a fan of pecans, try walnuts or almonds in their place. Or, you can omit the nuts altogether and add another 3 tablespoons of oats instead. If you have nutmeg in your spice pantry, add 1/4 teaspoon along with the cinnamon.
How to Make Air Fryer Baked Apples
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350F.
- Wash the apples and pat them dry. Cut each in half horizontally and use a melon baller, small ice cream scoop, or spoon to scoop out the cores from all 4 halves.
- Add the oats, pecans, brown sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon, and salt to a medium bowl and mix to combine.
- Divide the oat mixture between the apples, lightly packing it in where you scooped out the apple core.
- Place each stuffed apple inside the basket of the pre-heated air fryer. Air fry until the apples are tender and the topping is golden, about 15 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Apples that are good for baking and hold their shape include Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Gala, Granny Smith, Braeburn, and Cosmic Crisp (which is what we used in these baked apples). When it comes to baked apples, tart or sweet-tart varieties are best against the sweet cinnamon and oat filling.
Yes, you can use whole apples (as long as they can stand upright in your air fryer) instead of cutting them in half. Cutting them in half will help cook them quicker, plus, it’s easier to scoop the core this way. If you want to bake whole apples with the filling be sure to choose a medium-sized apple that can stand upright on its own. Add an additional 5 minutes to the cook time, or more if you have a larger apple.
Serving Suggestions
Serve air fryer baked apples warm with either whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and caramel drizzle.
If you happen to have a lot of apples on hand, consider making them into air fryer apple chips or check out our arsenal of apple recipes to choose from.
Ingredients
- 2 large apples sweet-tart, like Cosmic Crisp
- 6 Tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3 Tablespoons chopped pecans
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar lightly packed
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Things You’ll Need
- Air fryer
- Melon baller or small ice cream scoop/spoon for scooping the core
Before You Begin
- If pecans aren’t your thing you can use any type of nuts you like; walnuts or almonds are also delicious here. Or you can skip the nuts and add another 3 tablespoons of oats instead.
- If you have nutmeg in your spice pantry, add 1/4 teaspoon along with the cinnamon.
- These are delicious topped with ice cream and/or caramel syrup.
- Apples that are good for baking and hold their shape include Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Gala, Granny Smith, Braeburn, and Cosmic Crisp (which is what we used in these baked apples). When it comes to baked apples, tart or sweet-tart varieties are best against the sweet cinnamon and oat filling.
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350F.
- Wash the apples and pat them dry. Cut each in half horizontally and use a melon baller, small ice cream scoop, or spoon to scoop out the cores from all 4 halves.
- Add the oats, pecans, brown sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon, and salt to a medium bowl and mix to combine.
- Divide the oat mixture between the apples, lightly packing it in where you scooped out the apple core.
- Place each stuffed apple inside the basket of the pre-heated air fryer. Air fry until the apples are tender and the topping is golden, about 15 minutes.
- Serve warm.
