One of my favorite fall guilty pleasures is caramel apples. These were one of the foods I begged my parents to buy for me throughout childhood, and it was kind of a no-win situation for them because who can say no to their kids eating an apple? Never mind the fact that they are completely drenched in ooey-gooey caramel, which is essentially melted sugar. My argument was always that they are “healthier” than candy, amiright?

The same argument could be had for apple pie. I mean, it’s hard to shun the apple in any form when “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

As an adult myself (only going by age, not maturity), and in looking for ways to make healthier snacks for my own little ones, I decided to combine the best of the apple-treat world into one with an apple pie/caramel apple hybrid.

Enter the air fryer.

One of the most important questions when it comes to caramel apples and even apple pie is what type of apple?

When it comes to caramel apples, you can use any variety of apple you enjoy, including Granny Smith, Fuji, or Honeycrisp. Granny Smith are a popular choice for caramel apples because they’re tart, which pairs perfectly with the sweet, buttery caramel.

The best baking apples for pies are apples that keep their structure and don’t turn to applesauce when baked. The key is to find a very crisp apple with some note of tartness, that’s not overly sweet.

My favorite baking apples are tart, crisp Granny Smith apples. So go figure, this ended up being my best option for this recipe. (As you may have already figured out, I had to try this out with multiple varieties, but the Granny Smith took home the prize in the end.)

Much like my endless attempts with apples, there were endless attempts at dredges for the air-fried apples. While you can pretty much just add a cinnamon sugar coating with Swerve sugar substitute to keep the ingredients to a minimum, you can also get creative like I did below.

Let me know what you think!

Healthier Air-Fried Apples

Relive a childhood favorite a bit more healthfully

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Course: Dessert, Snack

Servings: 6

Calories: 181kcal

Equipment

• air fryer

Ingredients

• 3 Granny Smith Apples peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges
• 1 cup almond flour
• 3 eggs whisked
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup Swerve cinnamon sugar substitute
• 1 tsp apple pie spice

Instructions

• Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees.
• Setting up three stations, place the almond flour in the first bowl, the egg in the second bowl, and mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in the third bowl.
• Dip an apple wedge into the flour, then the egg, and lastly the graham cracker mixture.
• Repeat with the remaining apple slices.
• Spray the apple wedges with cooking spray and place in a single layer in an air fryer.
• Set the timer for 5 minutes, and when done, flip for one additional minute.
• Remove the apples from the air fryer, and enjoy!

Notes

Chef Note: I attempted to cut the apples into more of a French fry shape and I felt the coating was too overwhelming for this shape and size. However, if you were just dusting them with a cinnamon sugar mixture, this would be a suitable shape. 

 Chef Note: If you don’t have apple pie spice, you can also just use nutmeg, cinnamon, or even a pumpkin pie spice. All have the same underlying flavor profile, so use what you have on hand.

 Chef Note: Peeling the apples allows for the coating to stick to all sides of the fruit. In my attempts to differentiate the types and colors of apples during my “experimentation,” I left the outer skin on. While it allowed me to keep track of the apples, it did not allow for the coating to stick to half of the apple slice.

Nutrition

Calories: 181kcal | Fat: 9g | Protein: 5g | Carbohydrates: 48g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Healthy(ier) Caramel Apple Dipping Sauce

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Servings: 12

Calories: 210kcal

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup grass-fed butter
• ½ cup Swerve brown sugar substitute
• ¼ cup honey
• 14 oz condensed milk

Instructions

• Melt butter over medium heat.
• Add remaining ingredients, raise heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Lower heat and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat, pour into a serving bowl, and serve warm.

Notes

Chef Note: As with most things, you can opt for a lower calorie or lower sugar store brand caramel, or even melt down those infamous Kraft caramel squares. My kids always feel like they are “helping” when they get to unwrap the caramels when I do opt to go this route. 

Nutrition

Calories: 210kcal | Fat: 9g | Protein: 4g | Carbohydrates: 40g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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