Here’s what you need to know to successfully bake cookies in your air fryer.
Can an air fryer make all kinds of cookies?
Yes, almost any cookie recipe is suitable for your air fryer. A common temperature range for fryers is about 180°F to 400°F, which allows you to cook just about anything here. Meringues (200°F) to release cookies (375°F).
Due to the potential limitations of the fryer volume, it may not be possible to bake longer. Biscotti logs or certain cookies that require a mold (eg, Madeleines). But Slice and cook, spritz, Cut out – and of course, Skip the cookies – Everything will be fine in your air fryer.
What air fryer setting should I use for cookies?
Use the “bake” setting on your air fryer. This will automatically set the temperature for you, usually 350°F. Select your desired temperature on the control panel if your recipe calls for a different temperature.
Also, using the “back” setting dials back the convection fan a bit, making your air fryer more like a standard oven.
What if my fryer doesn’t have a baking setting?
Some older air fryer models don’t offer a baking setting, but you can absolutely use the “air fry” setting to bake cookies. The biggest challenge will be baking the cookies before they get too brown. Convection fans constantly blow hot air over the top surface of the cookies, causing them to brown more quickly than in a standard oven.
This can sometimes be beneficial: If you like your cookies to be crispy on the outside and soft and fudgy in the middle, the “air fry” setting is the best way to go. Learn more: The air fryer is my new favorite way to make chocolate chip cookies..
Photography by Kristen Teague; Food styling by Liz Neely
But if you’re not going for a crispy/fuzzy texture, here are a few things to try:
- If you are able to adjust the temperature of the fryer, set it 25° lower than your instructions.
- Tent a piece of aluminum foil over the pan, anchoring it securely at both ends so the convection fan doesn’t lift it. Remove the foil halfway through the baking time.
- Check cookies often! If they’re particularly high in sugar or fat, for example, they’ll cook too quickly. Butter Snap.
How do I make cookies?
If your chosen recipe calls for chilling the dough, do so. This will help prevent the cookies from spreading too quickly and enhance their flavor.
Once your dough is ready, determine which pan to use. A small cookie sheet or Quarter sheet pan This is ideal if your fryer is large enough.. If you have a basket-type fryer, you’ll probably need one. round or Square cake pan.
PJ Hamill
Arrange the cookies on whatever pan you’ve chosen while preheating your fryer to the desired temperature. It will only take 2 to 3 minutes compared to 15 to 20 minutes (or more) in your big oven.
Do you really have to preheat your fryer? Not necessary, but by preheating at any temperature you can reduce baking times, thus reliably duplicating your results in the future.
Place the cookie pan in the preheated fryer. Start your timer and stick around; The cookies will bake quickly, and you’ll want to check their progress often, especially as you’re getting used to your fryer.
So, will the cookies cook faster in my air fryer?
Yes, air fryers are just small convection ovens. Full-size convection ovens bake about 20 percent faster than standard ovens. Your air fryer will bake cookies even faster.
Our tests show that small air fryers using the back setting can bake cookies 40% faster than your recipe time, so be sure to bake your cookies ahead of time recommended by your recipe. Start checking to fix
PJ Hamill
If your air fryer has a larger capacity than a typical bucket-type fryer (for example, our Breville Smart Oven® Air Fryer Pro), cookies will bake a bit faster than a standard oven—about 20% in our tests. Start checking them a few minutes before the recipe’s minimum baking time.
If you find that the baking process is too fast for you, try lowering the fryer temperature to 25°. This will slow things down.
Should I rotate my pan in the air fryer, like I would in a regular oven?
If your fryer is a basket type and only has one small pan, there is no need to rotate it.
If your fryer is a toaster-oven type model, then yes, rotate your pan halfway from front to back. This will also encourage baking and browning.
PJ Hamill
What else should I know about baking cookies in the air fryer?
If you’re a fan of hot-from-the-oven cookies (and who isn’t?), the fryer is your new best friend. Store pre-made balls of drop cookie dough in the freezer, and when the cookie is ready, pop a few balls of frozen dough directly into the air fryer. You can have yourself a molten chocolate chip cookie in less than 10 minutes!
Are there any downsides to baking cookies in the air fryer?
Air fryers do not have the capacity of a range or wall oven. Basket- or drawer-type fryers, even extra-large models, offer an inside diameter of only 10″ at most. Traditional toaster-oven-style fryers typically measure 9″ x 13″ (quarter sheet). are ) Pan.
If you’re baking dozens of cookies at once, the fryer is not the way to go. But for a small number of cookies (say, If you halve your recipe.); Or if you want to make some cookies now, and freeze some dough for later; Or if you want to bake your cookies in multiple batches, an air fryer performs admirably.
Hungry for more? Read on Everything you ever wanted to know about baking in an air fryer..
Cover photo by Meredith Truex.