This Ingredient Will Make Caramelized Air-Fried Oranges Your New Favorite Breakfast

When you only have a few minutes to pull breakfast together, it's easy to resort to the usual suspects — a bowl of cereal, toast, scrambled eggs, or a cream cheese bagel. But breakfast deserves a dose of sweetness, and a drizzle of maple syrup onto air-fried oranges is just the way to bring that about.

The tempered brightness and warm, sugary rush that comes from heating oranges already makes air frying the fruit worth a few extra minutes, but adding maple syrup on top makes the step irresistible. The woodsy, honeyed condiment is rife with notes of caramel, vanilla, and toffee, imbuing the oranges with a rich taste. On top of its newfound depth, the sugars in the maple syrup help to caramelize the top of the oranges. After a spin in the air fryer, the fruits develop a slightly crisp exterior that's brimming with sweet, juicy flavor underneath.

Caramelized, air-fried oranges instantly elevate anything from smoothie bowls to overnight oats, and they don't take long to whip up. Once you've sliced the oranges into two, coat the top of them with an even layer of maple syrup. You can opt to cut the orange into thinner slices for an even crisper finish. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the oranges for five minutes, or until the edges start to brown.

As long as it's sweet, juicy, and pairs well with maple syrup, it doesn't really matter what type of orange you go with. However, you may want to choose based on what dish you're pairing the citrus with, and the spices that'll spruce it up.

Navel oranges, one of the most popular types of the fruit, have a sweet, slightly acidic taste that works well with a variety of foods. If you need an orange that will play well with other fruits, a navel orange is your best bet. It's perfectly agreeable with a tropical-tinged mango and pineapple fruit bowl, or in a strawberry and apricot parfait. Topping off the floral-tasting fruity parfait with an orange caramelized with woodsy maple syrup elevates the breakfast dish, adding more depth to it without overshadowing the other flavors.

Since they do work well with a myriad of things, navel oranges are great for experimenting with earthy herbs and warm spices. If you'd really like to highlight lush spices with your caramelized citrus, though, opt for cara cara oranges. The Venezuelan breed has all the sweetness of an orange without any of the acidity, making it ideal for breakfast that tastes more like a dessert. Mix a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg into the maple syrup topping, and pair the spiced, caramelized oranges with fall fruit and cocoa overnight oats or French toast.