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Air Fryer Apple Fries

Air fryer apple fries with golden, lightly battered sticks and a crunchy cinnamon sugar coating. Air-fried until crisp and piled high like French fries, served with a caramel dipping sauce.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Apples
  • 3 large apples Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, and cut into fry-shaped sticks
Batter
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 0.25 tsp salt Pinch of salt
  • 0.5 cup sparkling water or club soda
  • cooking spray For greasing the basket
Cinnamon sugar coating
  • 0.33 cup granulated sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
Dipping
  • 1 caramel sauce For dipping

Equipment

  • 1 air fryer

Method
 

Preheat and make the batter
  1. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F so it’s fully hot before cooking. Keep the basket ready for a single-layer batch.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, granulated sugar, salt, and sparkling water until a smooth batter forms. Stop mixing once no dry flour pockets remain.
Coat the apples
  1. Pat the apple sticks completely dry to help the batter adhere and crisp. Press gently with paper towels until no surface moisture remains.
  2. Dip each apple stick into the batter, letting excess drip off. Aim for a thin, even coating rather than a thick layer.
Air fry
  1. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Spread apples in a single layer with space between sticks.
  2. Spray the tops of the battered apple sticks with cooking spray for better browning. Arrange so the glossy side faces up.
  3. Air fry at 380°F for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy. Watch for deep golden edges and set-looking batter.
Toss and serve
  1. Immediately toss the hot fries in melted butter to make the coating stick. Work quickly so the butter doesn’t cool and firm up.
  2. Toss in cinnamon sugar until evenly coated. Let excess fall back into the bowl before serving.
  3. Serve the cinnamon sugar apple fries hot with caramel dipping sauce in a small cup. Dust with a little extra cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar if desired.

Notes

For maximum crunch, dry the apple sticks very well before dipping and avoid overcrowding the basket. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 2 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 minutes to re-crisp. Not freezer-friendly due to batter texture. For a lighter option, swap half the all-purpose flour for oat flour (same amount by volume) to keep the crisp while lowering refined flour.