Air Fryer Apple Danish - Good and Easy!

Air fryer apple danish gives you all the crispness of a fried dessert without all the unhealthy oil. This Air fried danish is so sweet and so good. it's a crispy on the outside, tender in the middle air fried danish that everyone in the family will love. 

Perfect for breakfast and as a sweet afternoon treat, you can't go wrong with making a simple danish at home. I am not even kidding.

With just 5 simple ingredients needed, there's a good chance that you're never going to want to make a different danish recipe again. I love using this recipe as a simple way to have a sweet treat fast and use up the leftover apples, too.

I'm a bit guilty of sometimes buying too many apples when I go to the store but I know that I always have this gem in the back of my pocket as well. It's a simple way to use up all my apples while also feeling as though I'm spoiling myself with a homemade dessert.

And the best part? My air fryer cooks it up to perfection every single time. The outside has such a nice crispness to it and the inside just melts in my mouth. Even just thinking about it right now gives me such happiness that I might have to get started on this one for the day. 

It's such an easy recipe that I routinely make it for weeknight desserts. However, it's also excellent for special occasions ranging from birthdays and potlucks to holiday get-togethers. 

History of the Danish

Danish pastries can be found in every supermarket and corner bakery in North America and beyond. It's an incredibly popular sweet treat that immediately brings to mind images of tender dough with fruit and/or cheese to create a tasty treat everyone loves.

But where the heck did it come from? That's actually an interesting story. 

Most food historians agree that, like many dishes we know and love today, the Danish was not the result of a concerted attempt to create a new dish. In fact, it's generally agreed that the Danish is the result of a workers' strike in Denmark in 1850.

During the strike, bakery owners had to hire workers from other countries. Among those workers were Austrian bakers. 

These bakers brought along new recipes, one of them being Plundergeback. This pastry became incredibly popular and the love for the pastry continued after the strike was long over.

Danish bakers adopted this recipe, adjusting them to their tastes over time. Over the course of this adjustment, with more egg and fat being added, the Danish pastry was born. 

Air Fryer Apple Danish

This air fried danish recipe has everything we love in a traditional Danish but with an air fried twist. What you get is all the flavors you love about traditional Danish with a little crispy something extra on top from the air fryer. 

Ingredients

This recipe is so easy. Ridiculously easy. It only takes a few ingredients to whip up this absolutely fantastic dish, and you probably already have all of them in your kitchen! How's that for simple? Here's what you'll need.

• refrigerated biscuits
• apples, peeled and chopped
• brown sugar
• granulated sugar
• cinnamon
• caramel sauce (optional)

Making the Air Fryer Apple Danish

You're about to be amazed at how simple and easy this recipe is. It's also a super fun way to wow your family and friends and shows them just how awesome of a cook you are! As you'll see below, it only takes a few minutes of prep and a few more of cooking, and you'll have an amazing air fryer danish!

Line Your Air Fryer Basket

Don't forget to add parchment paper to your air fryer basket. This will stick if you don't and while it'll still be delicious, it'll be messy and not have the presentation that you're going for. 

Adding to the Air Fryer Basket

Once you put the biscuits into the basket, you're actually going to use your hands to mush them down and create a base layer. This is going to be the crust so do your best is making it as flat as possible. 

Dump on the Apples

This is the best part! Once you have the crust down, you just add on your apples and spread them out! You're also going to want to push them down gently on top of the biscuit layer as this will help them cook into and stick a bit as well. 

Cooking Danish in the Air Fryer

Set the timer for about 18 minutes and until the top layer is golden brown. 

Toppings for Danish Recipes

Is the caramel sauce really optional? Well...maybe. Some people like a less sweet flavor and opt to leave it off. For me, I love the addition of the caramel sauce because it makes it sticky and delicious. (almost like a Monkey bread consistency, which I love!) 

You can also top this with whatever toppings you'd like. Caramel sauce is one that I'm familiar with and love but you can also use chocolate drizzle, crushed nuts, cinnamon sugar, or even a bit of ice cream or whipped cream as well.

Whatever type of topping that you go with can easily help it set the tone for when to serve it during the day as well. 

Variations

This recipe is for air fryer apple danish, but you can tweak it out to be anything you like. There are a few things you can do to this recipe to make it uniquely your own. That is, of course, after you try this version first!

Change the Biscuits

There are so many variations of refrigerated biscuits out there, and any of them will work with this recipe. Don't feel locked into any one kind. Just changing up your biscuits can change the feel of this recipe.

With everything from extra large biscuits to buttermilk biscuits and more, you'll find all kinds of ways to get creative here. 

Change the Fruit

I used apple for this recipe, but you can really use any fruit you want. Try pears or peaches. Berries also work well. Heck, you could even use sweet potato or pumpkin pie filling! And speaking of pie filling. 

Use Pie Filling

This air fryer apple danish is already super fast and easy, but if you're all about maximizing ease and minimizing time, you can use pie filling for this recipe. This ties directly into using different fruits.

Pie filling comes in flavors ranging from classics like apple, peach, cherry, pumpkin, and sweet potato other, more exotic fillings you can find online. Don't be afraid of getting creative!

Air Fryer Apple Danish Lookouts

This air fried danish is super easy to make, however, you'll still want to look at the FAQ below to be sure you're able to create the absolute best version possible of this dessert. It will cover some important points that you'll need to know before making this air fryer danish. 

How do you know when an apple danish is done cooking in the air fryer? 

It's going to be a visual peek that will let you know if it's done or not. Once you start to see that the top layer is turning golden brown, you need to pull it from the air fryer and let the cooling process start. 

What happens if my danish isn't cooked all the way?

If for some reason it's still raw in the middle, just pop it back into the air fryer basket and let it finish cooking. I'd go just a few minutes at a time as you don't want to overcook. 

Can I use apple pie filling for this danish recipe?

Sure! It'll be sweet and most definitely taste like a pie at that point in time, but if you want to use apple pie filling from a can, go for it. This means that you'll be able to save even more prep work by not having to clean and cut up the apples.

What type of apples do you use for apple danish?

I'm pretty partial to using whatever type of apples I have in my kitchen but most people like to use gala apples for this recipe. If you want a bit of a tart taste, you can easily use granny smith apples, too. 

Balance it out with a bit more sugar or a caramel glaze to give you that sweet and sour taste you're going for. 

Do I need to peel my apples before adding them to this danish recipe?

I would. I don't care for the texture that happens when there is apple peel in this dessert. It tends to make it a bit harder to chew and sometimes can be "stringy" as well. If you have the ability to peel your apples, do so. 

Serving Air Fryer Apple Danish

This delicious air fryer apple danish is the perfect dessert. But guess what? It's also the perfect breakfast! But wait, there's more, as the TV ads say. You can serve this air fried danish at potlucks, holiday get-togethers, and other special events, as well.

Honestly, just make it whenever you want a delicious sweet treat, and you can't go wrong!

Storing the Air Fried Danish

This air fried danish will last for about three days in a tightly covered container. There's no need to refrigerate it. 

For longer storage, you can freeze these danishes for up to 3 months. Simply allow the danishes to cool completely and then wrap them individually in cellophane.

Be sure to wrap them tightly so they don't get freezer burned. From there simply store them in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag. 

Give This Air Fryer Apple Danish a Try

You might find it odd to use refrigerated biscuit dough as a base for this danish, but trust me, it totally works. The tender, flaky biscuit dough is so soft in the middle and crispy on the outside, and the caramel apple topping is perfectly, well, caramelized.

It all comes together to create a dish that will have everyone coming back for more. 

With a recipe so simple and so good, there's really no reason not to give it a try. So fire up your air fryer and get cooking. You'll love how fast and easy it is to make, and everyone will love the taste. Give it a try! 

I can't wait to hear what you think of this delicious apple recipe! It's one of my favorite treats to put myself and my tastebuds in a good mood for the day! 

More Delicious Apple Desserts

Did this recipe get your apple sweet tooth revved into overdrive? You're in luck, because I just love making sweet treats with apples. You'll find some great apple desserts below. Try some cake or muffins. I even have hand pies! Give these a shot. They're all winners. 

• The Best Old Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake
• Apple or Blueberry Hand Pies
• Caramel Apple Cupcakes
• The Best Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
• Apple Pie Muffins