Farm Babe’s ultra healthy baked bloomin onion recipe!

October is breast cancer month and I always love brands that donate money to charity for a good cause.  Who doesn’t, right?  I watched my aunt struggle with breast cancer before she passed away last year and it has affected so many people – about 1 in 8 women to be exact according to breastcancer.org.  As the most common form of cancer in women, I found out that Shuman Farms sweet onions have donated over $110,000 since 2009 into trying to find a cure.  How amazing is that?  A big thank you to them and other companies who do this, so when I saw these onion bags I couldn’t turn them down. 

Nutrition is so important to our health and it’s true that certain foods may hinder or offer benefits to cancer prevention. For example, sweet onions (these come from Southeast Georgia – not too far from me!) are a great source of antioxidants, quercetin and chromium and contain vitamin C, B-Complex  vitamins, and the mineral manganese.  So hey when in Rome, utilize them for a good healthy recipe and cause right?

Alright, onions.  We all know that they’re good for you, but what’s your favorite way to enjoy them?  What comes to mind first?  For me, it’s soup and the famous “blooming onion” appetizer from places like Outback Steakhouse.  But with a whopping 1,350 calories, this is certainly not a healthy dish!

Enter my healthy alternative recipe:

Farm Babe’s air fryer blooming onion.

I tend to eat pretty healthy.  I’m currently following the Weight Watchers program and each of these onions is only 1 point! Here’s how you do it:

Cut the top of the onion and use an apple corer to slice almost all the way down.  DO NOT SLICE ALL THE WAY THROUGH!  This will give it the onion “petals.”

Once you have it sliced, it makes it super easy to peel.  Peel the outer protective layer and use your hands to gently “pull apart” the petals like shown:

Of course, the best part of a bloomin’ onion is the crunch!  This “Louisiana” brand is my favorite to get these extra crispy breading in the air fryer. Prepare a bowl of whisked eggs and another bowl of breading.

Next you’ll want to gently dip the onion into whisked and beaten eggs.

Swirl the onion around in the egg.  Be sure to coat the entire onion in a thin layer; you don’t want the egg to sit too clumpy on it.

Once you swirl it in the egg, you’ll want to very gently roll it in the breading like so:

Use your fingers to carefully pull apart the “petals” and make sure they’re all delicately coated, being careful not to overdo it on the breading. Too much breading can create a mushy texture and we want them to turn out crunchy!  Using minimal breading also reduces calories.

After they’re coated in eggs and breading, softly place them in the air fryer.  I use the Insta Pot Duo Crisp and air fryer, sort of like an all-in-one contraption and I like it.  Although I probably should’ve washed it better before taking this photo. Ha!

Also, a helpful tip?  I find it works better if you preheat the air fryer.  I preheated it at 370 degrees for five minutes or so and cooked the onion in it for fifteen minutes.  

This is how it turned out!  Cute right?

The last step is to eat!  Peel or cut apart the petals and dip them into the sauce of your choice.  Ranch, horseradish, Buffalo wing sauce, get creative! I do mix ranch and Buffalo sauce together and make a “Buffalo wing” type crispy onion.  Anything to your taste is good.

And there you have it! A perfectly healthy meal that’s good for you, good for society, and is also for a charitable cause. Enjoy your onions!