Is It Possible To Bake Cookies In The Air Fryer?

The short and sweet answer to whether or not you can bake cookies in an air fryer is that you absolutely can, when you follow the correct steps. Chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, or a simple sugar cookie can be made in small batches and finished in just a few minutes when you pop them in your air fryer.

Although baking cookies in the air fryer can be convenient, there are some quirks that set it apart from baking in a conventional oven. For example, instead of lining a full baking tray to keep the cookies from sticking as they bake, you might want to spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray or use an air fryer liner or line it with aluminum foil.

On the upside, the same way air fryers can help to make for crispy reheated fried chicken and french fries, they can also make for a cookie that's golden on the outside and gooey on the inside. The bottom line is that cookie baking is not only possible in an air fryer, it has the potential to replace your regular baking process when in a pinch.

As previously mentioned, lining the inside of the air fryer before baking is key to ensure a speedy clean up process after the cookies are done. You might also need to adjust the temperature of the air fryer differently than you would for a conventional oven. If a cookie recipe calls for baking the batch at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, you'll want to adjust that down about 25 degrees to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Cookies also bake faster in the air fryer which means a regular chocolate chip dough will only need around five minutes to achieve the crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside texture you're hoping for.

When it comes to the types of cookies to bake in an air fryer, it's also best to stick to cookies with a well incorporated dough and not as much those with melty toppings. Air fryers circulate air but their heating element is usually at the top which can cause some toppings to burn quicker. A well incorporated dough also makes for less mess because a wet, flimsier dough could slip through the openings of the air fryer basket.

So if you're craving a little late-night sweet treat, instead of preheating the oven and busting out the baking trays, look to your air fryer. One turn of the dial and you've got gooey chocolate chip cookies in under 10 minutes.