Air fryer baked apples with ghee or coconut oil, cinnamon, raisins, and shredded coconut (AIP swap for almonds), served with coconut cream or coconut ice cream

Some evenings a 6-ingredient dessert with almost no cleanup is the difference between eating well and not bothering, and what you want is something warm and sweet in under 30 minutes flat. This is that. The original recipe scatters chopped almonds over the top. Almonds sit outside the elimination phase right now, so here the crunch comes from shredded coconut instead, added only once the apples are out of the air fryer, so the heat softens it without scorching. Small swap, same dessert, nothing missing from the plate that matters.

Quercetin lives in apple skin specifically, and researchers are still working out exactly what it does for an inflammatory system running too hot, though the early signals point somewhere useful. Nothing here promises anything dramatic on its own. The soluble fiber in the apple flesh feeds the bacteria your gut depends on daily, and the raisins fold a little iron in alongside their sweetness. Small, steady, unglamorous work, the sort that compounds slowly across months rather than in one bowl.

Spoon the coconut cream on while the apples are still hot enough to soften it at the edges, sit down, and actually taste the thing before the next task pulls you away.

Ingredients

• 2 honeycrisp apples (or gala; adjust cook time down slightly for smaller apples)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted (the source allows ghee; coconut oil keeps this compliant on strict elimination, see the note below)
• 2 tsp coconut sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (AIP swap - added after baking, not before)

To serve

• Coconut cream, or an AIP-compliant coconut ice cream (no eggs, no seed spices)

Note on almonds: the original recipe uses chopped almonds. Almonds are excluded in the AIP elimination phase. The shredded coconut swap, added after baking, gives you texture and a gentle sweetness without burning.

Method

Air fryer method

1. Wash the apples. Core them and slice each one in half lengthwise. Set the cored halves cut-side up.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the melted ghee or coconut oil, coconut sugar, and cinnamon.
3. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper. Place the apple halves skin-side down.
4. Brush the cut flesh generously with the cinnamon-coconut oil mixture.
5. Air fry at 350 F for 8-12 minutes, until the flesh is soft and yields easily when pierced with a fork. Cooking time will vary with apple size and air fryer model - check at 8 minutes.
6. Transfer to serving bowls. While the apples are still hot, scatter the raisins and shredded coconut over the top - the residual heat will warm the coconut without burning it.
7. Serve immediately with coconut cream or coconut ice cream.

Oven method

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare the apples the same way, place them cut-side up in a baking dish, and brush with the cinnamon-oil mixture. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes until the flesh is completely soft. Remove, add the raisins and shredded coconut, and serve as above.

Notes

Why coconut is added after baking: shredded coconut burns quickly in dry heat. Adding it after the apples come out of the air fryer means it warms against the hot fruit without charring. Do not put it in before or during cooking.

Ghee and elimination-phase AIP: ghee is clarified butter with most dairy proteins removed, and many AIP practitioners permit it. However, strict elimination-phase AIP excludes all dairy derivatives until reintroduction. If you are in the elimination phase and uncertain, use coconut oil instead.

Apple size matters: honeycrisp apples are large and hold up well. Gala apples are smaller - reduce the cook time by a few minutes and check doneness earlier. The flesh should yield easily to a fork with no resistance.

Coconut ice cream: check the ingredient list of any packaged coconut ice cream carefully. Many contain eggs (an AIP reintroduction food) or seed spices. For elimination-phase compliance, use plain whipped coconut cream (chilled can top) as the accompaniment.

Storage: best served fresh. Leftovers keep refrigerated for 2-3 days; reheat gently in the oven or air fryer.

*Adapted from unboundwellness.com*