Fall is all about cooler weather, leaves changing color, sweaters, and crisp apples. This easy Air Fryer Apple Crisp recipe is a great way to enjoy the delicious flavors of fall without turning on your oven!
It’s packed full of apples and cinnamon with a toasted oat streusel topping that gives apple pie vibes. This recipe also makes a wonderful Thanksgiving dessert that frees up your oven for other dishes!
You can find the full ingredient list and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Air Fryer Apple Crisp
Air fryers are not all about chicken strips and french fries. You can make amazing air fryer desserts too. You can bake everything from Air Fryer Muffins to Air Fryer Peaches. Trying sweets in the air fryer is something I recommend!
What Kind of Apples are Best for Apple Crisp?
When making apple crisp, you want to use apples that are crisp. They hold up well when baking them which means they also work well in the air fryer.
Granny Smith apples and Honeycrisp apples are two of the best varieties for this recipe. You can use either one or if you can even mix them for even more flavor.
Some other apple varieties to try in this recipe are Pink Lady, Fuji, and Gala. They range from tart to sweet so you can tweak the flavor of your recipe based on the apple you use.
Ingredients for Apple Crisp
This recipe makes 3 servings. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and 20-25 minutes to bake in the air fryer.
For the apple slices mixture, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 5 cups granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping Ingredients
For the topping you will need the following ingredients:
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
To make this recipe you will also need to find a small baking dish you like. I recommend using the same type of ramekin to bake these so you get an even bake. These 4 ounce ramekins work very well. I use ones very similar to these:
If you use a larger dish, you might have to cook your crisps separately. But you can also look for dishes that fit best in your air fryer basket!
How to Make Air Fry Apple Crisp
Peel and slice your apples then dice them into similar sized pieces. If you’re preparing your apple pieces ahead of time, a little bit of lemon juice on them will help prevent them from turning brown.
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F by putting the basket and heating it for a few minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together the apples, sugar, water, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Toss the apples until they are well coated with the sugar mixture.
Then, in a separate smaller bowl, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Melt the butter and then mix the butter into the flour mixture with a form until a sort of crumb topping forms.
Fill three ramekins with apple mixture. You want them to be pretty full because the apples will cook down. Then top each with the topping mixture.
Cover each dish with aluminum foil and place in the air fryer basket. You may need to work in batches depending on how big your air fryer is.
Cook the apple crisp for 15-20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue cooking for five more minutes. Check that the apples are softened by poking them with a fork. Add additional cooking time as needed.
Allow to cool slightly before eating.
What to Serve With Apple Crisp
You can serve your apple crisp right from the air fryer. But you can also get creative and add extra toppings.
It’s delicious when topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! It gives so many apple pie vibes! You could even drizzle it with caramel sauce too (with or without the ice cream).
Leftovers & Storage
To store any leftovers, be sure to first let them cool completely. Then cover the top of each dish with plastic wrap or foil and place in an airtight container. You can refrigerate them for 3-4 days.
I don’t recommend freezing leftovers because they just don’t thaw and reheat well, in my opinion.
FAQs
Is there a difference between apple crisp and apple crumble?
Both desserts are made with baked apples and a topping layer. The apple crisp topping is generally made with oats and nuts while the apple crumble topping is more of a streusel topping. It’s usually made with a mixture of flour, sugar, and butter.
Does apple crisp need to be covered while baking?
You want to cover the apples while they’re baking because it helps them cook and soften without the topping get too browned or burnt. Then remove the foil in the last few minutes of baking to allow the crisp finish baking in the air fryer.
Why is my apple crisp dry on top?
If your apple crisp is dry on the top when you finish baking it, you didn’t use enough butter when you made your topping. Use a bit more butter to avoid that.
If you do end up with a dry top, you can top it with caramel sauce, whipped cream, or ice cream to balance it out!
How do you thicken apple crisp filling?
The cornstarch in the apple mixture should help it thicken and help you avoid a watery apple crisp. If you feel your mixture is too wet, cover the apple crisp with foil again and allow it to bake longer. Don’t forget the cornstarch! It’s a vital ingredient to avoiding your apples turning into soup.
More Air Fryer Desserts
If you’re looking to continue making sweets, trying some of these air fryer dessert recipes:
Air Fryer Apple Crisp
Equipment
- 3 4oz Ramekins
Ingredients
Apple Mixture
- 5 cups granny Smith apples (peeled and diced)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350℉.
- Peel and dice apples.
- Stir together the apples, sugar, water, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Toss to coat the apples in the sugar.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Mix the butter into the flour mixture with a fork until crumbles begin to form.
- Place the apple mixture in three small dishes. Top each with the flour mixture.
- Cover each dish with foil and place in the air fryer basket. You may need to work in batches depending on how big your air fryer is.
- Cook the apple crisp for 15-20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue cooking for five more minutes.
- Check to see if apple is tender by poking with a fork. Add cooking time until you have your desired tenderness.
- Allow to cool slightly before eating.
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