What Can I Bake In My Air Fryer? | Easy Baking Ideas

When you ask what can I bake in my air fryer?, you want to know which recipes make sense in a small, fast, fan driven oven. The short answer is that many everyday bakes work, from muffins to mini pies, as long as the batter is not too thin and the pan fits the basket with room for air to move.

This guide walks through the main baking styles that shine in an air fryer, where you need to tweak time and heat, and the mistakes that cause sunken centers or burnt tops. By the end, you can judge whether a recipe belongs in the air fryer or in the main oven.

What Can I Bake In My Air Fryer? Core Baking Types

At a base level, air fryers handle the same kind of bakes you would choose for a toaster oven. Thick batters, doughs, and shaped pieces work best. Loose batters that pour like water or dishes that rely on gentle steam still fit better in a traditional full size oven.

The table below gives a quick map of common baked items and how they tend to behave in this style of cooker.

Baked Item	How Well It Works	Quick Notes
Muffins	Great for small batches	Use silicone cups or a mini pan; reduce oven time by about one fifth.
Cupcakes	Works well	Fill cups a little less than usual and watch the tops for browning.
Cookies	Good for a few at a time	Chill dough so cookies hold shape; bake on parchment cut to size.
Brownies	Works in shallow pans	Use a metal or glass pan that fits; test with a toothpick early.
Small Cakes	Good with a little care	Choose 6–7 inch round pans; cover the top with foil near the end.
Quick Breads	Ideal for mini loaves	Banana bread and similar batters bake well in mini loaf pans.
Canned Biscuits And Rolls	Reliable starter option	Space pieces out; turn once if your basket has strong hotspots.
Frozen Croissants And Puff Pastry	Works from frozen	Bake straight from the freezer and leave space for layers to rise.
Mini Pies And Tarts	Good in small tins	Blind bake crust for a short time so the base stays crisp.

If you stick with items that match this list, air fryer baking feels natural after only a few runs. Basket depth, heater placement, and fan strength still change things a little, so expect to make notes for your own model.

How Air Fryer Baking Differs From Oven Baking

An air fryer uses a strong fan to move hot air in a tight space. This brings fast browning and a quick rise, especially for bakes that sit on a raised rack near the top of the basket. In a large oven, heat feels gentler and more even, so surfaces do not color as fast.

Because the space is small, heat returns quickly after you pull out the basket to check a cake or tray of cookies. The flip side is that the heating element sits close to the food, which means the top layer of a cake or casserole can brown long before the middle sets.

Many home cooks drop the oven temperature by about 25 degrees Fahrenheit and start checks a quarter sooner than the original oven recipe. That simple change often lands you close to the mark. For dishes with meat, poultry, or egg rich custards, the official safe cooking temperature chart helps you judge doneness by internal temperature rather than only by color or a guess at the center.

Pans, Liners, And Accessories For Air Fryer Baking

The pans you place in the basket make as much difference as the recipe. A dish that is too tall or that blocks air on every side gives you pale centers and scorched tops, while a low, wide pan encourages even baking.

Oven Safe Pans That Fit

Any pan that handles a standard oven can sit safely in an air fryer, as long as the size and shape work. Metal, ceramic, glass, and silicone all cope with the heat. The real test is whether the pan allows air to move on the sides and, when possible, underneath.

Low, wide pans bake more evenly than tall ones. A 6 inch round cake pan, a mini loaf tin, or a set of ramekins usually fits inside many baskets. Taller springform pans can still work for cheesecake or deep cakes, but they call for a lower rack or a slightly lower temperature so the top does not darken too fast.

Liners, Foil, And Silicone

Parchment sheets cut to basket size help with cookies, bars, and sticky breads. Leave a narrow gap around the edges so air can move. Perforated parchment liners are made for this style of cooker and reduce the risk that a loose sheet will flap up into the heating element.

Foil works best as a shield. Tent foil gently over a cake or baked pasta once the top has the color you want. This slows browning while the center finishes. Silicone cups and mats shine for muffins, cupcakes, and egg bites because they hold their shape, release baked goods easily, and wash up fast.

Baking More Than Snacks In Your Air Fryer: What You Can Bake

Once you have run a test batch of muffins or brownies, it soon feels natural to reach for the air fryer for dessert, brunch, or even simple weeknight casseroles. The goal is to match pan, batter, and time so the center cooks through before the top dries out.

Cakes, Muffins, And Quick Breads

Cakes in an air fryer need a bit of planning, yet the method stays simple. Use a greased 6 or 7 inch pan, fill it no more than two thirds full, set the heat about 25 degrees lower than the oven recipe, and start checking at two thirds of the stated time so the center can set without a dry crust. The same pattern works for muffins and mini loaves in smaller pans.

Cookies, Bars, And Small Treats

Cookies suit air fryer baking because you can bake four to six at a time without heating a full oven. Chill the dough, drop scoops onto parchment cut to size, leave a little space between portions, and choose a shallow pan for brownies or bar cookies so hot air can move over the top.

Frozen And Savory Bakes

Frozen cookies, croissants, turnovers, and small pies are handy when you want a fast treat with no mixing bowl. Most go straight from freezer to basket with a small drop in temperature compared with package directions. Savory bakes such as crustless quiche, frittata, or egg bites work well in ramekins or silicone cups and make easy brunch plates.

Timing And Temperature Tips For Air Fryer Baking

No two air fryers behave in the same way, so treat the first time you bake a recipe as a short test. Once you know how your unit runs compared with your main oven, later batches turn out much more consistent.

The table below gives sample starting points when you adapt a standard oven recipe for an air fryer. Use these as guides, then adjust based on how your own machine runs hot or cool.

Oven Recipe	Air Fryer Temperature	Air Fryer Time Guide
350°F for 25–30 minutes	325°F	Start checking at 18–20 minutes.
350°F for 40–45 minutes	325°F	Start checking at 28–30 minutes.
375°F for 10–12 minutes	350°F	Start checking at 7–8 minutes.
400°F for 12–15 minutes	375°F	Start checking at 8–10 minutes.
325°F for 60 minutes (loaf cake)	300°F	Start checking at 40–45 minutes.
350°F for 55–60 minutes (quick bread)	325°F	Start checking at 38–40 minutes.
Frozen pastry at 400°F for 20 minutes	375°F	Start checking at 10–12 minutes.

When you adapt a recipe, take brief notes. Write down the pan size you used, where you placed it in the basket or rack, and the time and temperature that gave the best result. Next time you bake the same item in your air fryer, you can start from your own notes instead of guessing.

Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes

Crowded Baskets And Pans

Air fryers rely on moving air. When you pack cookies, rolls, or muffin cups too tightly, hot air cannot move around each portion. The result is uneven browning and centers that lag behind the edges.

Leave a little space around each portion and around the pan itself. It can feel slow to bake in waves, yet the batches still finish faster than heating a large oven and the results look better.

Wrong Pan Shape Or Depth

A tall, narrow pan slows down the center of a bake so much that the top darkens before the middle is ready. This is one reason some cooks think cakes do not work in air fryers. A shorter pan with a wider base fixes this in many cases.

If you only have a deeper pan, lower the temperature slightly and give the bake a bit more time. Shield the top with foil once it has the color you like so the crumb can finish setting without turning dry.

Skipping Checks And Thermometers

Because air fryers cook fast, waiting until the full oven time passes can leave you with dry bakes or dark tops. Start checking early, even if the middle still looks pale. This tells you how quickly your model browns the surface and how soon the center firms up.

A small probe thermometer helps too, especially for egg based dishes, meat pies, or thick quick breads. Once you know the internal temperature that matches the texture you like, it is easy to repeat.

Cleaning And Everyday Air Fryer Baking

Baking in an air fryer often leaves more crumbs and sugar on the basket and heating element than savory cooking. A quick clean after each baking session keeps flavors fresh and stops sugar from burning onto hot surfaces. Let the unit cool fully, then wash the basket and racks in warm soapy water or in the dishwasher if your manual allows it.

Wipe the inside of the main unit with a damp, non abrasive cloth and a small amount of mild cleaner. Regular cleaning prevents sticky buildup on the fan guard and helps air move freely, which supports even baking. Over time, these small habits turn that first air fryer baking question into a normal part of how you plan desserts and snack trays and keep baking.