How To Cook Cookies In An Air Fryer | Even Baking Tips

If you have a sweet craving and a small batch will do, learning how to cook cookies in an air fryer is a handy skill. You skip a long preheat, you do not warm up the whole kitchen, and you can bake two to six cookies at a time with steady results. The trick is getting time, temperature, and spacing right so the cookies bake through without burning on top.

In this guide you will see how air flow changes the way dough spreads, which cookie styles behave best, and how to set up your basket or tray. You will also see a clear step-by-step method, plus a simple troubleshooting table for cookies that spread too far, stay doughy, or pick up odd flavors from the basket.

How To Cook Cookies In An Air Fryer: Time And Temperature Basics

Air fryers run hotter than many people expect because of the strong fan and compact chamber. For cookies, that means you usually lower the temperature compared with your oven recipe. Many standard chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies bake well around 300–330°F (150–165°C) for six to nine minutes per batch, depending on size and dough style.

The table below gives a broad starting point for different cookie types. Always treat these as estimates. Your exact model, basket style, and dough thickness can shift the sweet spot by a couple of minutes in either direction.

Air Fryer Cookie Time And Temperature Guide

Cookie Style	Scoop Size / Thickness	Suggested Temp & Time*
Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies	1 tbsp scoop, 1.5 cm thick	320°F / 160°C for 7–9 minutes
Oatmeal Raisin	1.5 tbsp scoop, slightly flattened	320°F / 160°C for 8–10 minutes
Peanut Butter Crosshatch	Walnut-sized ball, pressed with fork	300°F / 150°C for 7–9 minutes
Sugar Cookies (Soft Center)	1 tbsp scoop, rolled in sugar	300°F / 150°C for 6–8 minutes
Store-Bought Refrigerated Log	Pre-sliced discs, 1 cm thick	320°F / 160°C for 6–8 minutes
Frozen Cookie Dough Pucks	Frozen, no thaw, standard size	320°F / 160°C for 9–11 minutes
Gluten-Free Drop Cookies	1 tbsp scoop, slightly chilled	300°F / 150°C for 7–9 minutes
Small Bite-Size Cookies	2 tsp scoop, compact ball	300°F / 150°C for 5–7 minutes
Large Bakery-Style Cookies	2–3 tbsp scoop, thick disc	300°F / 150°C for 10–12 minutes

*Always run one test cookie first and adjust for your air fryer.

General Air Fryer Cookie Settings

Most basket-style air fryers do well with a short preheat of two to three minutes. If your machine has a preheat function, use it; if not, run it empty at the baking temperature for a couple of minutes. This gives more even browning from the first batch.

Line the basket or tray with a piece of parchment cut to size. Leave space around the edges so air can circulate. Avoid wax paper, which can smoke. Many manufacturers, along with baking writers such as the team at Serious Eats air fryer cookie guide, stress that low to medium heat with good spacing gives the most even browning.

Thickness, Size, And Doneness

Smaller balls of dough with a compact shape will stay taller and softer. Flatter discs spread more and take on more color. For most air fryers, cookies spread less than they do in the oven because the base heats fast. If you like a thin cookie, gently press the dough mounds with your fingers or the bottom of a glass before baking.

To test doneness, look for set edges and a surface that has lost its raw sheen. The center can still look a touch soft; cookies carryover cook on the parchment after you pull the basket. Let them rest for three to five minutes before moving so they can firm up without drying out.

Choosing Cookie Dough For Air Fryer Baking

You can cook cookies in an air fryer using homemade dough, refrigerated supermarket dough, or frozen pucks. All three work, but they behave in slightly different ways. Firmer doughs with a decent amount of butter and brown sugar usually give the best color and flavor.

Homemade Cookie Dough

Homemade dough gives you the most control over spread and texture. If your oven recipe makes thick cookies, you often only need to lower the heat by about 25°F and shave a couple of minutes off the bake time for the air fryer. Dough that is well chilled holds its shape longer, which suits the strong heat from an air fryer fan.

For food safety, always bake dough that includes raw eggs or untreated flour. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration notes that flour is a raw ingredient and can carry germs, so cookie dough should be baked until fully cooked rather than eaten raw; you can read more in the FDA guidance on raw flour.

Refrigerated And Frozen Dough

Chilled supermarket dough is a good match for air fryers because it often comes pre-scored or in ready-to-slice logs. Cut discs slightly thicker than the package suggests, since the hot air can brown edges quickly. Place two to four portions on parchment in the basket, with at least 2.5 cm between them so they do not fuse together.

Frozen dough pucks can go straight from the freezer into the air fryer. Reduce the temperature a little and extend the time by a few minutes. If the cookies look dark on top but raw inside, lay a loose piece of foil on top for the last couple of minutes to shield the surface while the center cooks through.

Step-By-Step Method For Air Fryer Cookies

Now that the basics are clear, here is a straightforward method you can use for most drop-style cookies, whether you start from scratch or from a packet of dough.

1. Prep The Dough

1. Mix your cookie dough or portion ready-made dough according to the recipe or package.
2. Chill the dough for at least 20–30 minutes if it feels soft or sticky. Cold dough keeps its structure better under strong heat.
3. Scoop balls using a tablespoon or small scoop. For even results, weigh them if you want, but keeping them similar in size is the main goal.

2. Prepare The Air Fryer Basket

1. Preheat the air fryer to your target temperature, usually between 300 and 330°F (150–165°C).
2. Cut a piece of parchment to fit the basket or tray, leaving a little gap around the edge so air can move freely.
3. Lay the parchment in the basket once preheated so it does not blow around while empty.

3. Arrange The Cookies

1. Place cookie dough balls on the parchment with plenty of space. Two to four cookies is a good range for many baskets.
2. Gently flatten each ball by about one third if you prefer a wider cookie. Leave them round if you like a taller center.
3. Slide the basket back into the air fryer promptly to avoid losing too much heat.

4. Bake And Check Early

1. Set the timer for the lowest time in the suggested range for your cookie style.
2. Check the cookies one or two minutes before the timer ends, especially during your first test batch.
3. Look for edges that are set and lightly golden, with centers that are puffed and just a bit soft.

5. Rest And Cool

1. Carefully remove the parchment with the cookies from the basket and place it on a rack or heat-safe surface.
2. Let the cookies rest for at least three minutes so the structure sets and any raw-looking patches finish cooking from residual heat.
3. Transfer to a wire rack to cool fully if you want a firmer texture or plan to stack the cookies later.

Cooking Cookies In An Air Fryer Safely At Home

Air fryers are handy for small batches, but standard baking hygiene still matters. Treat cookie dough the same way you would for oven baking: keep perishable dough chilled, avoid cross-contact with raw meat or other raw items, and clean utensils and surfaces after handling dough.

Because flour and eggs can carry harmful germs before cooking, always bake cookies until they look fully set around the edges and lose the glassy, wet surface on top. If your recipe states a minimum time, stay at or above that time; do not underbake cookies that contain raw egg or standard flour just to keep an extra soft middle. When in doubt, run a small test batch and split one cookie open to check that the center looks cooked rather than gooey and raw.

Batch Size And Airflow

Resist the urge to crowd the basket. Leaving room around each cookie allows hot air to move evenly, which keeps bottoms from burning while tops stay pale. For most mid-size air fryers, two to four cookies per batch give the best balance between efficient baking and even browning.

If you want to feed several people, work in waves. Mix one big bowl of dough, then fire off multiple small batches while earlier cookies rest and cool. This style of baking plays to the strengths of the air fryer: fast heat and tight control for small sets of treats.

Common Air Fryer Cookie Mistakes And Fixes

Even with a clear method, a new machine brings a little trial and error. The following section covers frequent cookie troubles and practical adjustments that fix them on the next round.

Air Fryer Cookie Troubleshooting Table

Problem	What You See	Adjustment To Try
Edges Burn, Center Raw	Dark rim, shiny middle	Lower temp by 25°F and bake 1–2 minutes longer
Cookies Spread Too Much	Flat, thin, touching each other	Chill dough longer, reduce butter slightly, or add 1–2 tsp flour
Cookies Do Not Spread	Tall, puffy, almost ball-shaped	Warm dough slightly or flatten balls before baking
Dry Or Crumbly Texture	Hard bite, little chew	Shorten bake time by 1–2 minutes or lower temp
Pale Tops, Dark Bottoms	Undercooked look on top, overbrowned base	Use thicker parchment, add a rack under parchment, or lower temp
Uneven Color	One side darker than the other	Rotate basket halfway through or adjust cookie placement
Off Flavors From Basket	Cookie tastes like previous savory foods	Deep clean basket and tray, use fresh parchment, avoid aerosol sprays

Adjusting Time And Temperature

Every air fryer model has its own sweet spot, so treat the first bake as a small test. If your trial cookie comes out too dark, drop the temperature by about 25°F and try again. If it stays pale and underbaked even at the high end of the time range, nudge the temperature up by 10–15°F or add a minute or two.

Once you lock in a combination that works for your favorite dough, write it on a sticky note or in your recipe book. That turns future batches into a simple one-dial routine instead of a guessing game each time.

Tweaking Dough For Better Results

If you keep seeing the same issue even after time and temperature changes, small dough tweaks can help. A teaspoon or two of extra flour tames spreading, while a touch more brown sugar adds color and chew. Slightly softer butter makes cookies spread more; cooler butter keeps them thicker. Change only one variable at a time so you can tell what made the difference.

Air Fryer Cookie Variations And Add-Ins

Once you feel comfortable with the base method, it is easy to play with flavors. Chocolate chips and chunks are the classic choice, but chopped nuts, dried fruit, toffee pieces, and flavored baking chips all behave well in an air fryer as long as the pieces are not too large.

For mix-ins that burn fast, like mini marshmallows, tuck them into the center of each dough ball so they are shielded by dough. For delicate decorations such as sprinkles or coarse sugar, press them gently onto the cookie tops right before baking so the fan does not blow them away.

Small-Batch Cookie Skillets

Many air fryer baskets fit a small, oven-safe pan or mini skillet. Grease the pan, press in a layer of cookie dough, and bake at the lower end of your usual air fryer temperature range. You get a shareable cookie with crisp edges and a gooey center, ready to top with a scoop of ice cream.

Quick Air Fryer Cookie Checklist

Here is a simple checklist you can glance at each time you decide how to cook cookies in an air fryer so your batches stay consistent:

• Chill dough until firm but scoopable, especially for soft or high-butter recipes.
• Preheat the air fryer and line the basket or tray with parchment that fits neatly.
• Space two to four cookies per batch so hot air can reach all sides.
• Start at a slightly lower temperature than your oven recipe and check early.
• Look for set edges and a dry surface on top, then let cookies rest on parchment.
• Adjust time and heat based on your first test cookie, then note the settings.
• Keep dough chilled between batches so later cookies bake the same as the first round.

Follow these habits, and how to cook cookies in an air fryer turns from a guessing game into a reliable weeknight treat. With a little practice on your own machine, you will know exactly which settings to reach for whenever a cookie craving hits.