Apple Pie Egg Rolls (Air Fryer, Oven or Fried)

I wanted apple pie on a Tuesday. Pie crust on a Tuesday was never going to happen, not with dinner dishes still in the sink and a kid asking for a snack every four minutes. Then I spotted a pack of egg roll wrappers in the fridge and thought: why not roll the apples up instead?

The first batch of apple pie egg rolls was a mess. Crunchy apples, filling leaking into the oil, wrappers like cardboard in some spots. I kept making them anyway, and every batch since, I fixed one thing. Every step below is here because I skipped it once and regretted it. This is the version that finally works: a crisp shell, soft cinnamon apples and no soggy bottoms. You can fry them, air fry them or bake them. I’ve done all three, and I’ll tell you which one I’d pick.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The shell stays crisp. The filling is cooked and cooled first, so it can’t steam the wrapper from the inside.

You pick the method. The air fryer, the oven and a pot of oil all work, and the times for each are below.

And you can freeze them. Roll a batch, freeze them raw, and cook them straight from the freezer whenever you want pie on a Tuesday.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Makes 10 egg rolls. You’ll need a large skillet, a slotted spoon, a small bowl of water for sealing, and an air fryer, a baking sheet or a heavy pot.

For the apple filling

3 large Granny Smith apples (about 4 cups diced) – Peeled, cored and cut small, about 1/4 inch. Big pieces tear the wrapper, and Granny Smith stays firm and tart against the sugar.

2 tablespoons butter – It makes the filling taste like pie.

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar – Deeper than white sugar.

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – The pie flavor.

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg – A little warmth.

1 pinch of salt – Rounds it out.

1 tablespoon lemon juice – Brightens the apples.

2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water – It thickens the juices so they stay in the apples, not the wrapper.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract – Stirred in at the end.

For the egg rolls

10 egg roll wrappers – Buy egg roll wrappers, usually in the refrigerated section near the tofu. Wonton wrappers are smaller and spring roll wrappers are thinner, so both tear more easily. Keep the ones you aren’t using under a damp paper towel, because they dry out and crack fast.

Cooking spray or neutral oil – Spray for the air fryer and oven. For frying, enough oil to fill a heavy pot about 2 inches deep.

For the coating

1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – Mixed in a shallow dish.

For serving

Caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream – Caramel for dunking.

How to Make It

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until the apples are tender but still hold their shape. Leave a little bite, since they cook again inside the wrapper. Stir in the lemon juice, then the cornstarch mixture, and stir for about a minute, until the juices turn thick and glossy. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla.

Spread the filling on a plate or small baking sheet and let it cool completely, about 20 minutes, or 10 in the fridge. This is the step I used to skip, and it matters most.

Lay a wrapper on the counter like a diamond, with one corner toward you. With a slotted spoon, put 3 tablespoons of filling in the lower third and leave the liquid in the bowl. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, then fold in the left and right corners like closing an envelope. Keep the folds neat so you don’t build thick, doubled layers of dough. Wet your finger, run it along the top corner, roll snug but not strained, and press to seal.

For the air fryer, preheat to 390°F, spray the rolls lightly on both sides, and cook in a single layer with space between them for 7 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway, until deep golden. Later batches cook faster, so start checking at 5 minutes. In the oven, heat to 425°F, set the rolls on a parchment-lined sheet, brush or spray with oil, and bake 15 to 17 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden. Some filling will bubble out, and that’s normal. At 375°F mine came out pale and chewy, so don’t go lower. To fry, heat about 2 inches of oil to 350°F, use a thermometer, and fry 3 rolls at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, turning, until deep golden. Let the oil come back to 350°F between batches.

As soon as they come out, roll each one in the cinnamon sugar. Let them cool for a few minutes, because the filling is lava-hot. Serve warm with caramel sauce.

My “No Soggy Bottoms” Mini Guide

• Cook the apples first. Raw apples stay crunchy and leak juice into the wrapper. A few minutes in a skillet fixes both.
• Cool the filling completely. Warm filling steams the wrapper from the inside, and that’s where gummy spots come from.
• Three tablespoons is the limit. Use a slotted spoon so the extra liquid stays in the bowl.
• Skip the egg wash. Water seals the wrapper just fine, and egg made mine harder.
• Give them space. A crowded basket or pan makes rolls stick, and the wrappers tear when you pull them apart.
• Coat them while they’re hot. The cinnamon sugar slides right off a cooled roll.

Helpful Tips

Air Fryer vs Oven vs Fried

The air fryer is my weeknight winner: crisp and light, with no pot of oil to babysit. The oven is best when I’m making all 10 at once, with crisp edges and a slightly chewier bite. Fried is the crunchiest, and worth it when I want the fair-food version. If you only make these once, use the air fryer.

Why Are My Apple Pie Egg Rolls Soggy?

If something goes wrong, start with the symptom. Soggy is almost always the filling, so thicken it, cool it, and set hot rolls on a wire rack, since stacking them on a plate traps steam. Leaking or bursting means too much filling, a loose seal or hot filling, so wet the top corner well. Tough or chewy usually means thick doubled folds, egg wash, a crowded pan, or heat that’s too low. Greasy means the oil was below 350°F. Too hot and they brown before the middle warms, so use a thermometer. Crunchy apples mean the pieces were too big or uncooked.

Apple Pie Egg Rolls with Canned Apple Pie Filling

On a night when even cooking apples feels like too much, canned filling works. One 21-ounce can makes about 7 to 10 rolls. Chop the slices small or they’ll tear the wrapper, bring the filling to room temperature, use a slotted spoon to leave the syrup behind, and add a pinch of cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon. Homemade tastes better, but canned gets dessert on the table.

Can You Freeze Apple Pie Egg Rolls?

Freeze them raw, not cooked. Roll them, lay them on a parchment-lined sheet with space between them, and freeze until solid, about 1 to 2 hours. Move them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Cook them straight from frozen, because a thawed wrapper turns wet, and spray them first. In the oven, bake at 375°F for 16 to 18 minutes, flipping halfway. In the air fryer, cook at 360°F for about 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway.

They’re best in the first 30 minutes. Cooled rolls keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes on a wire rack, or in the air fryer for 3 to 4 minutes, and skip the microwave. The filling keeps for 2 days, covered, in the fridge. I wouldn’t roll the egg rolls more than a few hours ahead, since the wrappers slowly drink up the filling. If you need to go further ahead, freeze them.

A few variations:

• Mini: use wonton wrappers with about 1 teaspoon of filling each. They cook much faster, so start checking at about a third of the time.
• Vegan: I haven’t tried it. I’d swap the butter for plant-based butter or neutral oil, check the wrapper label, since some contain egg, and use a dairy-free caramel.
• Cream cheese: lots of people spread it on the wrapper. I skip it because I want these to taste like apple pie, not a cheese Danish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Serve these warm, with a small bowl of caramel in the middle of the plate so everyone can dunk. Vanilla ice cream on the side turns them into a proper dessert.