Super Healthy Air Fryer Baked Apples
Air fryer baked apples are the perfect treat when you're craving a cozy apple dessert without all the added sugar. They bring all those warm cinnamon-sweet apple pie vibes but in a much healthier package. With a crunchy walnut oat filling and just the right amount of natural sweetness, this easy dessert is a great way to use up leftover apples. Plus, air frying makes them quick and effortless—no need to turn on the oven!
Servings: 8
Calories: 184kcal
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup walnuts
- 3 ½ tablespoon walnut oil (or neutral oil)
- 3 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 6 tablespoon old-fashioned rolled oats
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4-6 medium-sized sweet apples (Honey crisp, or your own favorite apples)
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts. Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Spread ⅔ cup walnuts in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Toast for 4–5 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until golden and fragrant. Remove from air fryer and let cool slightly.
- Prepare the filling. Pulse the toasted walnuts in a food processor until finely ground (about 10 pulses). With the processor running, gradually add 3 ½ tablespoon walnut oil and 3 tablespoon honey or maple syrup. Process for 2–3 seconds until combined. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and stir in 6 tablespoon old-fashioned rolled oats, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- Prepare the apples. Remove the cores from the apples using a sharp knife or apple corer. Be careful not to cut all the way through the bottom of the apples.
- Air fry the apples for 7-8 minutes. The apples take a bit longer than the oat filling to cook so you'll want to get them going a bit before adding the oat stuffing.
- Stuff the apples. Fill each apple cavity with approximately 2 tbsp of the walnut-oat mixture, packing it gently.
- Air fry the apples. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Add the stuffed apples upright in the air fryer basket, ensuring they don’t touch each other (My air fryer fit about four apples). Air fry for 20 minutes, or until the apples are tender, the skin is slightly blistered and the filling is browned. (Watch the apples closely and don't let them burn. If the walnut mixture starts browning too quickly, lower the heat to 300 degrees.) Check for doneness by piercing the apples with a fork—if it slides in easily, they’re ready.
- Remove the apples from the air fryer and let cool slightly before serving. Add an extra drizzle of honey if desired.
Notes
- Using rolled oats is important. Steel-cut oats will take longer to cook and will make your filling gritty.
- Watch the apples carefully, and make sure to check on them at the 15 and 20 minute marks to see how they're doing. If they (or the filling) look like they're starting to brown too quickly, reduce the temperature to 300 degrees.
- Store any leftover apples in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the air fryer or in the oven to get them nice and toasty again.
Nutrition
Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
