How To Air Fry Cookie Dough

You can easily make freshly baked cookies by air-frying cookie dough without having to fire up the oven.

What is the best way to use an air fryer for baking?

How do you air fry cookie dough? Air-frying cookies is as easy as placing each cookie dough ball into an air fryer basket. Bake the dough for approximately 10 minutes in an oven preheated at 300°F.

You can learn all you need to know about using your air fryer for baking food.

Baking with Air-Fry

Baking and air-frying have more in common than you might think.

Air fryers direct heat through air to the food’s surface. The air begins to cook the food as it engulfs it. This is similar to hot oil, which renders the outer layer and then moves to the center.

Ovens use more or less the exact same indirect method to bake food.

Conventional ovens use an incandescent heating element that heats the air around the oven chamber. This indirect contact bakes food.
Convection ovens work the same as air fryers. These ovens are powered by powerful fans that circulate heat from a heating element around the baking chamber. This creates a more efficient way to bake food.

Air fryers can be thought of as miniature convection ovens that are able to cook food in a fraction of the time.

Oven-baked vs air-fried cookies — Similarities and differences

People tend to think negatively about baked goods that aren’t cooked in the oven. But, air fryers can be a great way to get amazing results!

Air fryers should be viewed as portable, high-powered ovens that can be used in lieu of conventional fryers. This will allow you to use your appliance in many other ways.

We will be looking at their differences to help you better understand them.

Oven-Baked Cookies

These are some key points to remember when baking oven-baked cookies.

Color

Cookies baked in a traditional oven will turn a deep brown to golden brown color depending on how long they are cooked and what heat setting.

Most cookies will have a darker color than usual because most ovens heat from the top, which is where the heating element is located.

You can expect the cookie’s base to turn darker if you use an oven with a heating element at its bottom. You also get a lot of texture benefits from caramelization.

Texture

Cookies baked in the oven will have crisp edges and a chewy centre — this is a sign that they are perfectly baked cookies for many!

The cookies will heat up and spread, creating an uneven thickness. This means that the edges will become thin while the center will remain dense.

Because ovens heat evenly, cookies will cook at different rates because of their thickness. This is a good thing.

The edges will bake faster and turn crispy, while the surfaces will only take on a light texture, almost flaky, with a chewy middle.

The bottomof cookies will add to their crispiness as it will come in direct contact with the hot pan. It will caramelize the best!

Air-Fried Cookies

These are some of the key points that you’ll notice immediately when baking air-fried cookies.

Color

Air-fried cookies, on the other hand, will show very subtle differences when compared to oven-baked cookies.

Because air-fried cookies take on a slightly darker color at the top, the surfaceof cookies will be most prominent. Because of its compact size and position, the fan will be visible.

The cookies will be sprayed with hot air, which will make them more dense and easier to cook.

We recommend air-frying the cookies at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes instead of the usual 22-30 minutes required in conventional ovens.

Also, the base will be different for each cookie. Air fryers use hot air to cook the food. The bottom of the cookies won’t absorb as much color as it would in an oven.

This may make the cookies a little less crisp, but it will not affect the overall texture.

Texture

Air-fried cookies are sure to please many people, especially those who prefer a crispier cookie with an edible center.

The dough balls will quickly spread due to direct heat. The cookies will have thinner edges as the hot air pulls out moisture.

You will notice a crisper edge and a more “cracked” appearance. This will be complemented by a subtle crispiness and a chewy, gooey center.

We think air-fried cookies are better overall.

While you may not be able make as many cookies at once and they might not spread evenly if there are too many in the basket, the air fryer will bake them quickly and evenly until they are perfect.

This is a great method for those who don’t want to spend time heating large ovens to the correct temperature, then cleaning tray and utensils afterwards.

Oven-Baked Vs Air-Fried Cookies — Comparison Chart

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Oven-Baked CookiesAir-Fried Cookies

Flavor	No change	No change
Color	A dark caramelized bottom and a golden-brown topping	It will likely get more color.
Texture	Crispy edges and a moist, chewy center	Crisp edges and lightly cracked surfaces with a moist, chewy center
Cooking Time	22-30 minutes (300degF).	10 minutes (300degF).
Advantages	Traditional way to make cookies that are perfect	Convenient, quick, and hassle-free
Advantages	Experience is required and can be time-consuming.	Because of the limited space, cookies must be made in batches.

How to Air Fry Cookies Dough

This is a step-by-step guide that will show you how to easily fry cookie dough in an air fryer.

What you will need:

Any premade dough. You can also use commercial or homemade doughs, such as Pillsbury.
Air fryer
Spatula
Oil (optional).

Although it is not necessary, it would be great if your air fryer could be preheated for about 4-5 minutes. This will increase the cookie’s spread and make them crispier.

While it is possible to argue that preheating can increase prep time, the reason it is still convenient to heat an air fryer to cook in is that a normal oven takes at least three times as long to heat than an air fryer.

What to do?

For 5 minutes, heat the oven to 300°F. While you prepare the cookies dough balls, place the basket in the oven.
Make sure to make 5-7 cookies dough balls if you’re using homemade cookie dough. The dough can be shaped with your hands to form round balls.
- For a 6 qt (6 liters) air-fryer, you’ll need approximately 5-7 pieces of ready-to-bake cookie batter
Grab the basket quickly and place the cookie dough balls in a circular shape. Allow 2-3 inches between each cookie dough ball.
- This step is crucial to maintain the appliance’s temperature.
- Cookies will spread. Give them enough space to expand otherwise they won’t cook as well.
Place the basket in the oven and heat to 300°F. The cookies should be fried for approximately 10 minutes.
For proof of doneness, check the cookies.
- They should be equally distributed and flat.
- You can continue to air fry them until they are the right color.
Use a spatula, preferably non-stick, to carefully remove the baked cookies from your basket.
Enjoy the cookies by putting them on a plate for 3-4 mins.

Note: If the first batch of cookies doesn’t come off the bottom of the basket, you can spray oil on the area or brush butter around it to lubricate the basket. Don’t add more oil than is necessary, or the cookies may absorb the extra fat.

The Best Air Fryer Cookie Dough Recipe

These cookies are easy to make and can be made in an air fryer.

Because of its superior spreadability and texture, this cookie dough is best for air-frying. You can make it in less than 10 minutes, and have perfectly baked cookies in an hour.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick).
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, at room temperature if possible
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Start by melting butter in the microwave. The butter must melt quickly. Do not heat the butter too much or it could ruin the batter.
Mix the brown Sugar and white Sugar in the same bowl. Whisk the mixture gently until it is well combined.
Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix for another 20-30 seconds. Next, add all other ingredients, except the chocolate chips.
Cover the top with cling film and place the mixture in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. This will set everything!
Heat the oven to 300°F for approximately 4-5 minutes.
Once the mixture has cooled, remove it from the refrigerator. To prevent chocolate from “staining” the dough and melting, we recommend that you add the chocolate chips immediately after the mixture has chilled.
Use an Ice cream scooper to form balls of dough. Your cookies are now ready for air-frying!
Take out the basket from the air fryer and place 5-7 cookies dough balls, with 1.5-2inches between them. Keep the air fryer at 300°F by working quickly
Heat for 10 minutes and then check for doneness. Take the cookies out of the basket and use a nonstick spatula to remove them. Continue this process until you have all your cookies done.
Allow the cookies to rest for 3 minutes. Then, enjoy!

Notes

This recipe makes 18 cookies. You can reduce the amount of dough by making smaller balls.
Although this recipe includes chocolate chips, you can add any other ingredients to the dough after it has been chilled.

The Best Air Fryer Cookie Dough Recipe

Yield18 Cookies Prep time:5 min Cook Time20 minuts

Additional Time1 Hour Total Time5 Minutes

These cookies are easy to make and can be made in an air fryer.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick).
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, at room temperature if possible
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Start by melting butter in the microwave. The butter must melt quickly. Do not heat the butter too much or it could ruin the batter.
Mix the brown sugar with the white sugar in the same bowl. Whisk the mixture gently until it is well combined.
Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix for another 20-30 seconds. Next, add all other ingredients (except the chocolate chips) to the bowl and stir until well combined.
Cover the top with cling film and allow the mixture to rest in the refrigerator for around 30-60 minutes . This will set everything!
Heat the oven to 300°F for about 4-5 minutes.
Once the mixture has cooled, remove it from the refrigerator. To prevent chocolate from “staining” the dough and melting, we recommend that you add the chocolate chips immediately after the mixture has chilled.
Use an Ice cream scooper to form balls of dough. Your cookies are now ready for air-frying!
Take out the basket from the air fryer and place 5-7 cookies dough balls, with 1.5-2inches between them. Keep the air fryer at 300°F by working quickly
Heat for 10 minutes and then check for doneness. Take the cookies out of the basket and use a nonstick spatula to remove them. Continue this process until you have all your cookies done.
Allow the cookies to rest for 3 minutes. Then, enjoy!

Notes

This recipe makes 18 cookies. You can reduce the amount of dough by making smaller balls.
Although this recipe includes chocolate chips, you can add any other ingredients to the dough after it has been chilled.

Tips and Tricks for Air-Frying Cookies

These are some important tips and tricks that will help you make perfect air-fried cookies every time.

Most cases, the butter or oil in the cookie dough will be sufficient to create insulation between the cookie surface & the basket.
If your basket is already coated with nonstick oil, you should not add any more oil. You may need to spray oil on the basket to prevent cookies from sticking.

Test your air fryer to ensure perfect cookies! To bake perfect batches, make 2-3 cookies and then adjust the settings to suit your needs. To adjust the spacing of future batches, keep an eye on how spread the cookies.

As it can cause airflow disruption, we don’t recommend adding parchment to the bottom of an air fryer. To direct the wind around the cooking chamber, air fryers have wind fins that run along the inside. A less-baked bottom may be possible by using parchment paper.

The dough may spread too much and will end up merging in the basket. This is a sign that the cookie dough may become too sticky and will not separate.

It is better to have a undercooked cookie than a burned cookie. Do not let the oven run for too long. If you’re making your first cookies in an air fryer, make sure to stand close enough to it to shut off the machine.