Air-Fried Desserts: Quick, Easy, And Delicious!

Air fryers are a versatile kitchen appliance that can be used to make a variety of desserts with minimal oil and less prep time. From crispy churros to gooey chocolate chip cookies, the possibilities are endless. You can make individual servings of cookies or personal-sized ramekins of brownies without turning on your oven or doing a lot of dishes. Air fryers are also cheaper to run than ovens, saving you time and energy.

Air fryer chocolate chip cookies

Air fryers are a great alternative to baking desserts in the oven. They are faster, cheaper to run, and can make small batches of treats to satisfy your sweet tooth without heating up the entire kitchen! Here is a recipe for chocolate chip cookies in the air fryer:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat your air fryer to 325°F. Line the rack or basket with vented parchment paper, making sure to cut slits in the paper to allow for air circulation and not blocking the airflow with excess paper.

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined. Then, stir in the egg, vanilla, salt, and baking soda.

Add the flour and stir until mixed. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.

Using a medium (2-tablespoon-sized) cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared air fryer rack or basket. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you can fit 4-5 cookies per batch.

Cook the cookies for 5-7 minutes, or until they are set. Allow them to cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack or enjoying them warm!

Tips:

• If you don't have a cookie scoop, you can use a spoon or your hands to shape the dough into balls.
• You can experiment with different types of chocolate chips, such as milk chocolate, peanut butter, or white chocolate chips, or even add chopped nuts to the dough.
• If you don't have parchment paper, you can use aluminum foil, but be aware that studies have shown that heating aluminum foil at high temperatures can cause it to leach into your food.
• You can also bake these cookies in a traditional oven by baking them at 350°F for 9-10 minutes.

Enjoy your freshly baked, warm, and gooey chocolate chip cookies straight from the air fryer!

Air fryer apple pies

Ingredients:

• 2 medium Granny Smith apples, diced
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons cold water
• 1/2 (14-ounce) package pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie
• 1/2 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon milk, or more if needed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts (2 pie crusts)
• 1 (21-ounce) can apple pie filling
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar, or to taste
• Cooking spray

Method:

• Combine apples, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon in a nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until apples have softened, about 5 minutes.
• Dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Stir into apple mixture and cook until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Remove apple pie filling from heat and set aside to cool.
• Unroll pie crust on a lightly floured surface and roll out slightly to smooth the surface of the dough. Cut the dough into rectangles small enough so that two can fit in your air fryer at one time. Repeat with the remaining crust until you have 8 equal rectangles, re-rolling some of the scraps of dough if needed.
• Wet the outer edges of 4 rectangles with water and place some apple filling in the centre, about 1/2 inch from the edges. Roll out the remaining 4 rectangles so that they are slightly larger than the filled ones. Place these rectangles on top of the filling; crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Cut 4 small slits in the tops of the pies.
• Preheat the air fryer to 385 degrees F (195 degrees C).
• Spray the basket of the air fryer with cooking spray. Brush the tops of 2 pies with oil and transfer to the air fryer basket using a spatula.
• Bake in the preheated air fryer until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove the pies from the basket and repeat with the remaining 2 pies.
• Mix together confectioners' sugar and milk in a small bowl. Brush glaze on warm pies and allow to dry.
• Serve pies warm or at room temperature.

Tips:

• If the apple slices in the canned pie filling are large, cut them in half before filling the mini pies.
• Other fruit pie fillings work equally well.
• For an added treat, dunk the pies in homemade caramel sauce!

Air fryer churros

Air fryers are a great alternative to making churros, a popular Mexican and Spanish dessert, as they are less greasy and have fewer calories than the traditional deep-fried version. Here is a recipe for Air Fryer Churros that serves 6 and takes 30 minutes to make.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• Oil spray
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Method:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in milk and salt. Reduce the heat to medium and bring to a boil, continuously stirring with a wooden spoon. Quickly add the flour all at once and keep stirring until the dough comes together. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 to 7 minutes.

Mix in the eggs with the wooden spoon until incorporated. Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe the dough directly into the air fryer basket, making six equal strips. Air fry the churros at 340 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl until well combined. Pour the mixture onto a shallow plate. Remove the churros from the air fryer and roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat.

Tips:

• Do not line the air fryer basket with parchment paper.
• Do not add the cinnamon sugar to the dough.
• Coat the churros in cinnamon sugar as soon as they come out of the air fryer.
• These churros are best served immediately.

Air fryer apple crisp

Ingredients:

• Apples (any kind) - Fuji, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, Gala, or Red Delicious. Honey Crisp is a good choice for the fall.
• Cinnamon - a spice that comes from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum.
• Lemon juice - a citrus juice made from squeezing fresh lemons, commonly used as a flavoring agent in cooking, baking, and beverages.
• Brown sugar - made by combining white sugar with molasses, giving it a slightly different taste and colour than regular sugar.
• Flour - most baking recipes will require some type of flour.
• Salt - Kosher salt is best for baking.
• Old-fashioned oats - also known as rolled oats, these are a popular breakfast food and can be cooked on the stove or in the microwave with water or milk.
• Cold butter - this creates the crumbly streusel topping that goes on top of the apple crisp.

Method:

• Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees F. Butter a small oven-safe dish that will fit into your air fryer, such as a 5-inch oval baking dish.
• Peel, core, and cut the apples into small cubes. Combine the apples with lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Pour the mixture into your dish.
• Cover the dish with aluminium foil and bake for 15 minutes. Then, open the air fryer and continue cooking for another 5 minutes without the foil.
• To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in a bowl. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas.section
• Sprinkle the topping mixture over the apples. Close the air fryer and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Remove the apple crisp from the air fryer and allow it to cool slightly before serving.

Tips:

• Any variety or combination of apples will work for this recipe.
• Top with ice cream, caramel sauce, whipped topping, or vanilla bean ice cream for extra indulgence.
• You can also add a pinch of nutmeg to the apples for extra flavour.

Air fryer banana bread

Air fryers are a great way to make desserts without having to turn on your oven. They are perfect for making banana bread, a tasty treat that is moist, packed with banana flavor, and super easy to throw together. Here is a recipe for Air Fryer Banana Bread that you can make at home:

Ingredients:

• 1-2 large or 3 medium overripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (or canola oil, vegetable oil, or light olive oil)
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

• Grease three mini loaf baking pans and set them aside. You can use a nonstick baking spray like Baker's Joy, which has flour in it.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, mash the bananas and mix them with the granulated sugar until creamy.
• Pour the melted butter into the banana mixture and mix well.
• Add the egg and vanilla extract to the banana mixture and mix until just combined.
• Add half of the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir until it is just combined. Then, pour in the remaining flour mixture and stir until the batter is well combined.
• Gently stir the chopped pecans into the batter (if using).
• Preheat your air fryer to 330°F (165°C).
• While the air fryer is preheating, scoop the batter into your prepared mini loaf pans, filling them about halfway full. This recipe will make 3 mini loaves, but if you are using slightly larger pans, you will end up with 2 loaves.
• Place the pans into the basket of your air fryer and bake at 330°F (165°C) for 20-25 minutes. To check if the banana bread is done, insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the bread is ready. If the batter is still wet in the center, increase the cooking time.
• Once the banana bread is done cooking, remove it from the air fryer and let it cool completely in the pans before removing it.

Tips:

• Use overripe bananas with lots of brown spots, as they will be sweeter and more suitable for baking.
• You can add chopped pecans, walnuts, or chocolate chips, or leave them plain if you prefer.
• This banana bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days or frozen for up to 4 months.
• If you want to bake this in the oven instead of an air fryer, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and bake the mini loaves for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

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