Apple Air Fryer Puddings
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Air-fried apple puddings cooked in ramekins with a quick brown sugar syrup base, topped with a tender cake batter. The process uses Empire or Cortland apples diced small, lightly caramelized before applying a soft cake mix. The air fryer speeds up caramelization and baking simultaneously while maintaining moisture. Finished with warm puddings resting briefly, ideal with vanilla ice cream. Bicarbonate soda added for leavening. Butter creamed into sugar, eggs incorporated for richness. Substituted 10% flour with oat flour for a subtle nuttiness. Water in syrup adjusted slightly. Timing varied to catch that golden crust without drying. A rustic dessert needing attention to caramel scent and cake spring.
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
25 min
Total:
45 min
Servings:
4 servings
#air fryer
#apple dessert
#brown sugar
#cake batter
#Canadian cuisine
#easy dessert
#caramelized apples
Apple puddings in the air fryer. Brown sugar syrup bubbling and caramelizing beneath tender apple dice. Cake batter whipped light and poured atop—rises gently in the hot circulating air. Sweet, buttery aromas fill the kitchen; edges crisp just enough. I learned to watch for that syrup bubble, not just time. Noticed old recipes dry out the cake or undercook apples. Switched 10% flour to oat for subtle texture change—worth it. Sometimes vanilla ice cream, sometimes cinnamon whipped cream; both contrast the rich caramel notes. Timing’s a dance—too little leaves raw batter; too long, dry rubber. Ramekins ideal size so edges cook evenly. Air fryer speeds caramel; skip oven roasting apples. Nice and rustic, no fuss.
Ingredients
Apples
- 100 g (about 1/2 cup) packed light brown sugar
- 70 ml (3 tbsp plus 1 tsp) water
- 1 large Empire apple or Cortland, cored and diced fine
Cake Batter
- 45 g (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour unbleached
- 5 g (1 tbsp) oat flour substituted for part of the AP flour
- 1 1/4 ml (1/4 tsp) baking soda
- 50 g (heaping 1/3 cup) unsalted butter softened
- 50 g (1/4 cup packed) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- Vanilla ice cream to serve (optional)
About the ingredients
Brown sugar essential for caramel flavor. Dark brown or Demerara works but adjust water slightly to avoid crystallization. Empire or Cortland apples hold shape; Granny Smith can be too tart and mushy if overcooked. Dicing size matters—smaller speeds syrup absorption. Butter must be softened, not melted—cream properly for aeration. Oat flour small addition optional but adds nuttiness and texture. Baking soda reacts with acid in apples, causes better rise and browning. Egg for structure, sugar for sweetness and tenderness. Vanilla ice cream optional but I find it cuts richness beautifully. Water quantity slightly increased here from original to aid syrup dissolve given variations in sugar humidity. Watch for too much liquid pooling—points to uneven cook or too coarse apples.
Method
Apples
- 1. Divide brown sugar evenly among four 180 ml (3/4 cup) ramekins — about 25 ml (1 1/2 tbsp) each. Pour 15 ml (1 tbsp) water per ramekin over sugar, followed by equal portions of diced apples. Size matters here; smaller dice means syrup absorbs faster and caramelizes evenly under heat.
- 2. Arrange ramekins carefully in the air fryer basket. Set to 180°C (350°F) for 9-10 minutes. Watch the edges of the sugar dissolve and bubble intensely. The aroma shifts from sugary to a deep caramel—signal to check texture. Apple should start to soften but not fall apart.
Cake Batter
- 3. Whisk flours (all-purpose plus oat) and baking soda in a small bowl; oat flour adds a mild earthiness and better crumb. Set aside.
- 4. Cream butter and sugar vigorously with a wooden spoon or paddle attachment for about 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides often. Important to trap air for texture.
- 5. Add egg, mixing fully into butter-sugar mix until no streaks. If mixture splits slightly, a quick whisk retrieves it. Blend flour mix in gently with a spatula; avoid overmixing to keep batter tender.
Final Bake
- 6. Remove basket (careful—hot steam!). Quickly spoon batter over caramelized apples and syrup in each ramekin, covering fruit completely but no overflow. The syrup’s hot and might bubble up.
- 7. Return basket for another 7-9 minutes. Watch cake surface edges: should be golden, firm but springy to touch. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, never wet batter. If too wet, give a minute more.
- 8. Take ramekins out, let cool 5 minutes at least; puddings settle and syrup thickens. Use a knife to loosen edges if sticking. Serve warm, spoon topped with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream for contrast with caramel and tart fruit. Great tweak: swap vanilla ice cream with cinnamon-spiked whipped cream.
Troubleshooting & Tips
- - If apple chunks are too big, baking time needs to lengthen; smaller dices always safer here.
- - Omit oat flour if unavailable; use all-purpose but cake will be less textured.
- - For drier air fryers, cover ramekins loosely with foil to prevent burning sugar edges, but check often.
- - Don’t skip resting; puddings sink immediately if too hot to handle.
- - Watch batter thickness—too wet? Add a pinch more flour; too dry? Extra egg or a splash milk mixed in.
- - Cassonade (brown sugar) replaced with Demerara for crunchier syrup variation.
Cooking tips
Start caramel layer first; needs that hot bubbling sugar to coat apple properly. The smell is your indicator—deep, not burnt. Air fryer basket must fit ramekins with spacing for air to circulate. Cover ramekins loosely with foil if edges brown too fast. Butter-sugar creaming takes time—gives lightness; skip and cake may dense. Mixing egg in gradually avoids curdling batter. Incorporate flour mix gently; overmix encourages toughness. Spreading batter right away on hot apple syrup locks moisture in, creates gooey center. Bake until toothpick shows moist crumbs, unfinished batter ruins texture. Resting lets sugar thicken, pudding fully set; don’t rush. Serve warm not hot or ice cream melts too fast. Skilled cooks watch color and scent cues more than time. Backup: if air fryer underperforms, finish puddings briefly under broiler watching carefully.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Dice apples small; syrup absorbs faster, caramelizes evenly. Big chunks need longer baking, risk mushiness or uneven cook. Watch sugar bubbling, edges dissolve bubbling intensely means heat’s right. If edges brown quick, cover ramekins loosely but keep watch, foil dulls crisping sometimes.
- 💡 Cream butter and sugar well; takes minutes. Trap air for texture; pale pale color tells you it’s done. Don’t rush or mix cold butter, lumps kill aeration. Add egg fully incorporated; if it splits whisk quick or add tiny splash cold milk. Flour gently folded keeps crumb tender, overmix makes tough cake.
- 💡 Watch caramel scent shifting from burnt sugary to deep rich caramel. That’s your cue for cake batter; pour hot to lock moisture, gooey center forms. Don’t spill syrup or overflow, bubbles will dance, hot steam released when basket removed. Timing changes with apple size, air fryer brand—test toothpick for moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- 💡 Substitute oat flour max 10%, adds mild nuttiness, better crumb but not to push further or batter collapses. If no oat flour, just all-purpose plain. Baking soda interacts with apples’ acid, helps rise and caramelize crust faster. Water in syrup slightly adjusted from original, helps avoid crystallization depending on sugar humidity.
- 💡 Rest puddings 5 minutes minimum; syrup thickens, pudding sets. Too hot and they sink immediately. Use knife to loosen edges if stuck. Serve warm; vanilla ice cream optional but helps cut rich caramel notes. Swap with cinnamon-whipped cream for spice contrast. Air fryer varies—if underperforming, finish under broiler but watch closely.
Common questions
What apple type works best?
Empire or Cortland hold shape under heat; Granny Smith can get mushy or overly tart if baked too long. Size matters. Smaller dices help syrup soak fast, caramelize even. Tested bigger chunks, times stretched; not advised.
Can I skip oat flour?
Yes but texture less interesting. Oat adds earthiness, crumb more tender, subtle nuttiness. Use all-purpose only, batter stiffer, dryer. Sometimes no difference noticed, depends on freshness of all-purpose.
Sugar edges burn, how fix?
Foil loosely cover ramekins, blocks direct heat burning edges. But too tight foil stops caramelization. Watch time closely. Adjust water in syrup slightly more if sugar seems dry or crystallizing.
How store leftovers?
Refrigerate in airtight container; reheat gently to avoid drying. Microwave short bursts or warm in air fryer low temp. Can freeze but cake texture suffers. Best eaten same day; syrup thickens overnight, changes mouthfeel.
