Can You Bake Cookies In An Air Fryer? | Easy Steps & Tips

Using an air fryer for dessert might seem odd at first. Most people buy these machines for fries or wings. But the rapid air technology that crisps up chicken skin works wonders on cookie dough. The hot air circulates around the sweet treats, setting the edges quickly while leaving the middle tender. It saves time and energy compared to a large conventional oven.

If you have a craving for something sweet but don’t want to bake a full batch, this small appliance is your best friend. You can bake just two or three cookies at a time. This method does require a few adjustments, though. The powerful fan can sometimes blow light dough around, and the intense heat can burn sugar before the center cooks. We will walk through the exact steps to get bakery-quality results right on your countertop.

Why This Method Beats The Oven

Speed drives most home cooks to use the air fryer. A traditional oven takes 15 to 20 minutes just to preheat. An air fryer reaches 350°F in usually under three minutes. Once the dough goes in, the cooking time is also shorter. You cut the total time from craving to eating by almost half.

Energy efficiency is another win. Heating a massive oven for ten minutes of baking wastes power. The compact chamber of the air fryer holds heat well and uses less electricity. This also keeps your kitchen cool, which is a major plus during summer months. You get fresh cookies without turning your home into a sauna.

Texture lovers also prefer this method. The convection fan creates a distinct texture profile. The outside gets a delicate crunch, almost like a shortbread edge, while the inside stays moist. It offers a contrast that standard baking sheets sometimes miss unless you rotate them perfectly.

Can You Bake Cookies In An Air Fryer? The Mechanics

The short answer is yes, but you must respect the mechanics of convection cooking. An air fryer is essentially a small, powerful convection oven. The fan sits directly above the heating element and pushes hot air down onto the food. This intensity means standard recipes need tweaking.

If you put a standard ball of dough in at 375°F for 12 minutes—the usual package instructions—you will likely end up with a burnt puck that is raw in the middle. The heat transfer is too efficient for those old rules. You generally need to lower the temperature and reduce the cooking time.

Space limits also change the game. You cannot bake two dozen cookies at once. This method suits small batches. It is perfect for one or two people or for those moments when you want a fresh treat without leftovers tempting you for days. You bake what you eat, and save the rest of the dough for later.

Here is a detailed breakdown of how to convert standard oven instructions for your air fryer.

Oven To Air Fryer Conversion Guide

This table provides a baseline for converting common cookie types. Always check two minutes before the timer ends, as air fryer models vary in power.

Cookie Type	Standard Oven Temp & Time	Air Fryer Temp & Time
Chocolate Chip (Homemade)	375°F for 10–12 mins	350°F for 6–8 mins
Oatmeal Raisin	350°F for 12–14 mins	325°F for 8–10 mins
Sugar Cookies (Rolled)	350°F for 10 mins	325°F for 5–7 mins
Peanut Butter	375°F for 10–12 mins	350°F for 6–8 mins
Shortbread	325°F for 15–20 mins	300°F for 10–12 mins
Refrigerated Tube Dough	350°F for 12 mins	325°F for 7–9 mins
Frozen Dough Balls	350°F for 15 mins	325°F for 10–12 mins

Essential Equipment For Success

You cannot just drop dough on the wire rack. The dough will melt, drip through the holes, and burn on the heating element or the bottom of the drawer. You need a barrier that holds the dough but allows airflow.

Parchment Paper

Perforated parchment paper is the gold standard here. You can buy rounds specifically made for air fryers that have holes punched in them. These holes allow the hot air to circulate under the food. If you use standard parchment paper, you must cut it to fit the basket. Make sure it does not curl up the sides, as the fan can suck loose paper into the heating element, which is a fire hazard.

Silicone Mats

Reusable silicone liners are another solid option. They are heavier than paper, so they stay flat even with a strong fan. They are easy to clean and eco-friendly. Just check that your mat is rated for temperatures up to 400°F. Some thin mats might warp under the direct heat of an air fryer element.

Ramekins or Small Pans

For deep-dish style cookies or “pizookies,” small ceramic ramekins work well. They contain the dough completely, resulting in a thick, cake-like center. This is the safest method if you are worried about mess, as there is zero chance of dough dripping.

Preparing Your Dough

The state of your dough matters more in an air fryer than in an oven. Because the air moves so fast, it can dry out the surface of the dough before the cookie spreads. This can lead to a tall, mound-like cookie rather than a flat, chewy one.

Flatten the dough balls slightly before placing them in the basket. In a regular oven, gravity and heat melt the butter slowly, spreading the cookie. In an air fryer, the crust forms fast. Giving the dough a head start by flattening it with the bottom of a glass or your palm helps it bake into the correct shape.

Chilling the dough is still a good idea, but do not freeze it rock-hard unless you want a very thick cookie. Room-temperature dough spreads too fast and might run off the paper. Dough that has been in the fridge for 30 minutes sits in the “Goldilocks zone”—cold enough to hold shape, warm enough to spread slightly.

Step-by-Step Baking Guide

Follow this workflow to get consistent results. It prevents common mishaps like burnt bottoms or raw centers.

1. Preheat The Basket

Many people skip this, but it helps. Run the air fryer empty at 350°F for two to three minutes. A hot basket helps the bottom of the cookie set immediately. Note: Do not put the parchment paper in during preheat. Without the weight of the dough, the paper will fly up into the fan and burn.

2. Arrange The Dough

Place your liner in the basket. Put the dough balls on the liner. Leave about an inch of space between them. In a standard 4-quart air fryer, you can typically fit four medium-sized cookies. Do not overcrowd. If the cookies touch, they will steam each other instead of baking, leading to soggy edges.

3. Adjust Settings

Set the temperature 25°F lower than what the recipe box says. Set the timer for 80% of the recommended time. It is easier to add two minutes than to un-burn a cookie. For most standard chocolate chip recipes, 325°F for 7 minutes is a safe starting point.

4. Monitor The Bake

Open the basket when the timer has two minutes left. Check for browning on the edges. The center should still look slightly underdone or glossy. It will firm up as it cools. If the edges are dark brown but the center is wet, lower the heat by another 25 degrees for the next batch.

5. Cool Completely

This part requires patience. Cookies coming out of an air fryer are very fragile because they bake so fast. Let them sit in the basket for at least two to three minutes. Then, lift the parchment paper out carefully and transfer them to a wire rack. If you try to move them immediately, they will crumble.

Adjusting For Air Fryer Cookie Baking

Sometimes you need to tweak the recipe ingredients themselves, not just the settings. Air fryers are very dry environments. A standard oven retains some humidity, but an air fryer constantly vents moisture. This is great for crunch, but tough on soft cookies.

If you find your cookies are too dry, try adding an extra tablespoon of butter or an egg yolk to your dough. This adds fat and moisture that resists the drying effect of the fan. You can also use brown sugar instead of white sugar. Molasses in brown sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it holds onto water, keeping the cookie chewy even in a high-airflow environment.

Size also dictates the result. Giant, bakery-style cookies (3-4 ounces of dough) struggle in air fryers. The outside burns before the massive center cooks. Stick to dough balls that are about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons in volume. These cook evenly and fit better in the basket.

For those interested in the science of how heat affects different baking ingredients, the King Arthur Baking Company offers excellent resources on ingredient functionality.

Handling The “Flying Cookie” Issue

One unique problem with this appliance is turbulence. The fan is powerful enough to pick up a slice of pepperoni, and it can definitely move a small ball of cookie dough or a sheet of parchment paper.

If you hear a flapping noise, stop the machine immediately. That is the sound of parchment hitting the fan. To prevent this, weigh down the corners of the paper if your cookies do not cover the whole area. Some bakers use a small metal spoon or a dedicated magnet (if the basket is magnetic) to hold the paper down, but simply placing the dough near the corners usually works.

If you are baking very light cookies, like meringues or wafers, you might need a rack to hold them down. Most air fryers come with a small metal rack for layering. Placing this over the cookies (without crushing them) can keep them grounded while the hot air moves through the wire grid.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Even with the best prep, things go wrong. Here is how to fix the most frequent air fryer baking blunders.

The Problem	The Likely Cause	How To Fix It
Burnt Edges, Raw Center	Temp too high	Drop temp by 25°F; flatten dough before baking.
Cookies Flew Around	Strong fan / light dough	Use heavy silicone mats or weigh down paper.
Pale, Doughy Bottoms	No preheat	Preheat basket for 3 mins; check airflow under liner.
Soggy Texture	Overcrowding	Bake fewer cookies at once; leave 1-inch gaps.
Too Hard/Dry	Overbaked	Reduce time by 2 mins; check dough moisture.
Uneven Browning	Hot spots in basket	Rotate the liner halfway through the cook time.
Cookies Spread Too Much	Dough too warm	Chill dough for 30 mins before air frying.

Best Cookie Types For The Air Fryer

Some cookies adapt better to convection cooking than others. Knowing which recipes shine in the air fryer helps you avoid wasted ingredients.

The Chocolate Chip

The classic chocolate chip cookie is the winner here. The rapid heat caramelizes the sugar and butter on the surface, creating that crave-worthy crust. The chips get melty and gooey fast. It is almost impossible to mess this one up as long as you watch the time.

Oatmeal Raisin

Oats provide structure. They hold up well against the fan and do not spread as aggressively as high-butter doughs. The raisins or cranberries can dry out if they are right on the surface, so try to tuck fruit inside the dough ball when shaping.

Peanut Butter

Dense doughs like peanut butter cookies love the air fryer. Since they are often flattened with a fork before baking anyway, they have the perfect shape for even cooking. They come out slightly crumbly and very rich.

Sugar Cookies

These are tricky. Sugar cookies are high in fat and sugar, which means they spread easily. If you want to bake these, use a silicone mat to prevent them from sliding. Watch for burning, as the high sugar content darkens quickly under the direct heat of the coil.

Safety Checks

Always remember that raw flour and eggs carry health risks. Even though the air fryer is fast, you must ensure the internal temperature is high enough to kill bacteria. Do not just look at the brown crust; check the texture. If you are unsure, use a digital thermometer to verify the center reaches 165°F, or use pasteurized eggs if you prefer your cookies gooey. The FDA advises against eating raw dough for good reason, so ensure a proper bake.

Storing And Reheating

One of the best features of this appliance is its ability to reheat baked goods. If you have leftover cookies that have gone stale, pop them in the air fryer at 300°F for two minutes. They will taste freshly baked again. The heat revitalizes the butter and crisps the edge back up.

For the unbaked dough, keep it in the freezer. Freeze individual dough balls on a plate, then move them to a zip-top bag. When the craving hits, you can put a frozen dough ball directly into the air fryer. Just add two to three extra minutes to the cooking time. This way, you always have a hot treat minutes away without any prep work.

Baking in an air fryer changes the way you look at homemade desserts. It turns a weekend project into a weeknight possibility. By managing the temperature and using the right equipment, you can achieve results that rival your main oven, all while saving time and keeping your kitchen cool.