Can You Bake Cookies In An Air Fryer?

Cookies are universally loved baked goods. Thanks to modern innovations, you don't have to heat an entire oven to bake these sweet treats — an air fryer will do. Don't be fooled by the name, either; air fryers can do more than just fry foods. Their baking ability has been tried and tested and emerged as a winner.

This countertop gadget functions very similarly to a convection oven. With a heating element and a powerful fan in place, it circulates hot air within the cooking chamber. This makes it ideal for baking cookies that are soft or chewy in the middle and crispy on the outside. Speaking of which, although the air fryer can technically bake any type of cookie, it's most ideal for the tender-crisp kinds, like chocolate chip, sugar, and butter cookies. It's not ideal for entirely crispy cookies, like biscotti and shortbread cookies, because they are likely to burn before they can finish cooking. Also, avoid cookies with soft toppings because they're bound to dry up due to the direct heat from the heating element at the top of the machine.

Another advantage of baking in an air fryer is that you can eliminate the long preheating time of a regular oven, so the overall baking time is shorter. However, due to its small size, an air fryer can only cook a few cookies at a time. This is fine if you're making a few pieces, but if you need more than a few, be prepared to cook in batches.

Begin by preparing your cookie dough while you preheat the air fryer. Pay attention to the temperature; if you're referring to an oven-baked cookie recipe, you may want to reduce the temperature by about 25 F. For example, 325 F in a convection oven will translate to 300 F in the air fryer.

Secondly, you must line the air fryer basket before placing the cookie dough pieces in to prevent them from falling through the spaces. Parchment paper is the most common lining option, however, be forewarned that because it's so lightweight, it can be blown around by the airflow in the machine and cause your cookies to disfigure before they can solidify. To avoid this minor inconvenience, we recommend lining the basket with foil. Alternatively, if you have a baking sheet that fits in your air fryer, go ahead and use that.

As for the baking time, the air fryer is faster than a regular oven, so your cookies will be ready in about five to seven minutes. However, keep a close eye on them because different air fryer brands may be slightly different, plus the cooking time will also vary depending on the size of the cookie pieces. Once ready, let the cookies sit in the machine for a few minutes to cool, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Serve and enjoy.