Air Fryer Apple Crisp

You’ll love how simple yet delicious this air fryer apple crisp recipe is. Bursting with seasonal spices, sweet and tender baked apples and a buttery crumble topping, there’s no better fall treat!

Besides making maple cinnamon apple chips, I’ve kept the air fryer recipes strictly on the savory side. But we’re changing that today with this air fryer apple crisp.

Being smack in the middle of fall with apples everywhere (at least here in NY), I can’t think of a more timely dessert.

If you’re reading this in the summer, make this sour cherry crisp (or just air fry some pineapple instead). And for winter, there’s this pear and quince crisp instead.

Crisps are a personal favorite for a few reasons: they’re so simple, incredibly adaptable/forgiving and easily made both gluten-free and vegan without any detectable difference in taste or texture.

I’ve made one pretty much every week for the past few months changing them out for whatever fresh fruit I have on hand but just recently, with the oven already in use for something else, I decided to try out the air fryer for baking this dessert.

And yet again, it didn’t disappoint.

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE APPLE CRISP IN THE AIR FRYER

FOR THE APPLE FILLING:

• chopped apples
• maple syrup
• arrowroot powder (or tapioca starch)
• cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom (or use an apple pie spice blend)
• lemon juice & zest

FOR THE TOPPING:

• oats
• almond flour
• gluten-free flour
• coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• salt
• cinnamon & nutmeg
• coconut oil

WHAT KIND OF APPLES ARE BEST FOR APPLE CRISP?

I’ve never really prescribed to the whole notion of certain apples being good for certain things. You know those charts you see at apple orchards that say what variety is best for applesauce, baking, etc.

Yeah, no thanks. That said, we do have a helpful post about the best baking apples if you’re interested.

Here’s how I decide what apples to use in anything I make:

Does it taste good?

If you like to eat it, use it. Plain and simple.

I used a combination of Gala and Granny Smith here. I personally like the tart and sweet pairing of the two. But just choose whatever variety apple you like best and use it for this apple crisp.

One statement I will make, however, is just say no to Red Delicious apples. Gag.

Seriously though, besides the gross super tough peel, their flesh is much too soft. The firmer the apple, the better for recipes like apple crisp.

HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER APPLE CRISP

Place all the ingredients for the apple filling in a large bowl. Toss until well combined and set aside.

Combine the topping ingredients except the coconut oil in a separate bowl then drizzle in the melted coconut oil.

Using a fork, press the topping mixture together until a crumble like texture forms.

Lightly grease small individual baking dishes/ramekins then divide the apples evenly into each.

Spoon the topping over the apples pressing down gently.

Place the ramekins into the air fryer either on a tray in the lower half of the air fryer oven or in the basket depending on your model and air fry the apple crisps for 20-25 minutes at 325°F.

The crisps are done when the apples are tender and soft and the topping is golden brown.

Remove from the air fryer and serve warm.

WHAT KIND OF BAKING DISH SHOULD I USE IN THE AIR FRYER?

Any ceramic baking dish will work in the air fryer just make sure whatever you plan to use fits!

I chose to make individual air fryer apple crisps using these small Le Creuset ramekins but you can also use a larger baking dish so long as it fits unobstructed in your air fryer.

BEST METHOD FOR BAKING APPLE CRISP IN THE AIR FRYER

I’ve seen some recipes call for pre-baking the apples in the air fryer before adding the crisp topping. Others use aluminum foil (here’s a whole post on how to safely use aluminum foil in an air fryer) for part of the baking time.

In my opinion, there’s no need for any of this.

So long as your air fryer has the ability to adjust the temperature, I find that baking at a lower temperature of 325°F for a little longer than you might have to otherwise, results in just as good an apple crisp as the other more involved methods.

What I like about the air fryer oven models (which is what I have) is that you can adjust the tray height. For this recipe, I put the tray in the lower part of the air fryer, farther away from the heating element on the top so that the crisp didn’t burn before the apples were tender.

If you have the ability to do that in your air fryer, I recommend doing so for the best result.

THE BEST WAY TO SERVE APPLE CRISP MADE IN THE AIR FRYER

As if there’s any debate to this question, by far the best accompaniment for serving is a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream!

No matter the fruit, no matter the method (you can make apple crisp in the microwave too), this is a dessert always improved with some vanilla ice cream on top.

Whipped cream (dairy or coconut) is another good option or a good caramel sauce if that’s your thing.

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN APPLE CRISP AND APPLE CRUMBLE?

Personally, I use the two terms interchangeably. I’ve read that Americans tend to call this dessert a “crisp” whereas it’s more commonly referred to as a “crumble” in the UK.

I believe that crumbles usually omit the oats in the streusel like topping while they’re almost always traditionally used in a crisp.

Crisp or crumble, it’s delicious no matter what you call it!

And if you want to skip the topping altogether, try these cinnamon baked apple slices instead. It’s basically like eating just the filling!

MORE APPLE RECIPES TO ENJOY:

Apple Cheddar Crumble Bars
Apple Streusel Bread
Apple Butter Bacon Scones
Applesauce Raisin Skillet Cake
Apple Cinnamon Cookie Bites

Pair your portion of apple crisp with some apple cider tea for a delicious seasonal sipper!