Air Fryer Cookie Perfection: Timing Is Everything

Air fryers are a convenient way to make freshly baked cookies in half the time of a traditional oven. The circulating air cooks the food faster and at a lower temperature, resulting in cookies with a soft and chewy texture and a gooey, magic middle. The high fan speed and concentrated heat make the outside of the cookie crispy while keeping the inside gooey. The ideal air fryer cookie is baked à la minute, yielding a crispy cookie shell with a molten, gooey centre.

Air fryer cookies are ready in under 10 minutes

Air fryers are a convenient and quick way to bake cookies, with most recipes taking under 10 minutes to cook. The circulating air in an air fryer cooks food faster and at a lower temperature, similar to a convection oven. This means that cookies are ready in half the time it would take in a conventional oven.

A basic chocolate chip cookie dough will be ready in 5 minutes at 350°F in an air fryer. However, if the recipe calls for an oven temperature of 350°F, it is recommended to set the air fryer to 325°F instead.

For thicker cookies, the dough should be refrigerated for at least an hour or even overnight. It is also important to leave enough room for the cookies to spread out when placed in the air fryer. Depending on the size of the air fryer, 2-5 cookies can be baked at the same time, ensuring they are spaced about 1/2-1 inch apart.

After baking, the cookies should be left in the air fryer basket to rest for 2-5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps the cookies to set and prevents them from breaking.

Air fryer cookies have a crispy exterior and a soft, chewy, or gooey interior. They are a convenient option for baking a small batch of cookies without heating up the entire kitchen.

Air fryers are like countertop convection ovens

Air fryers cook food faster than convection ovens, and their compact size means they don't require heating a large appliance like a full-sized oven. They also have perforated racks that allow fat to drip into a drip pan, so your food doesn't absorb excess oil, making it crispier and healthier.

On the other hand, air fryers have a smaller capacity than convection ovens and can't cook as much food at once. Food cooks best in an air fryer when placed in a single layer, so you may need to cook in batches. Additionally, air fryers can be loud, and their baskets can be difficult to clean.

When it comes to baking cookies, an air fryer can bake a small batch in about half the time of a conventional oven, and it doesn't need much preheating. You can expect cookies that are crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside.

Here's a basic recipe for chocolate chip cookies in an air fryer:

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free if needed)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter (vegan or standard)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 cup milk (unsweetened almond milk or any milk of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips (dairy-free or standard)

Instructions:

• Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt) in a small bowl.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with a hand mixer.
• Stir in the milk and vanilla extract.
• Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined.
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• For thicker cookies, cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least an hour.
• Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper.
• Roll the dough into 12 balls and place 3-4 balls into the air fryer basket, leaving space for the cookies to spread.
• Air fry at 325°F (170°C) for 7-8 minutes or until the edges are slightly firm.
• Remove the cookies from the air fryer and let them cool for five minutes in the basket before transferring them to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Air fryer cookies are crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside

Air fryer cookies are a quick and easy way to make delicious, crispy and chewy cookies. The air fryer's small size and powerful fan mean that cookies cook faster than in a conventional oven, and the intense dry heat means that the exterior crisps up beautifully while the inside stays soft and gooey.

To make cookies that are crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, there are a few key steps to follow. Firstly, it's important to use the right ingredients. A combination of white and brown sugar is ideal, as white sugar will help keep the edges of the cookies crisp and firm, while brown sugar will ensure the middle stays soft and chewy. Using butter, rather than margarine or another alternative, is also key to achieving the right texture. It's best to use unsalted butter from a stick, as butter from a tub often contains added water, which can affect the texture of the cookies.

The next step is to prepare the dough. Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately, then combine them and add chocolate chips or another mix-in of your choice. For thicker cookies, it's a good idea to refrigerate the dough for at least an hour before baking.

When you're ready to bake, line the air fryer basket with parchment paper—this will prevent the cookies from sticking. Place 3-4 balls of cookie dough into the basket, making sure to leave enough room for the cookies to spread. Air fry the cookies at 325°F (170°C) for 7-10 minutes, or until the edges are slightly firm.

Finally, don't forget to let the cookies cool! Remove them from the air fryer basket and let them sit for about five minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to continue cooling. This will help the cookies firm up and prevent them from breaking.

With these simple steps, you'll be able to enjoy delicious, crispy-on-the-outside, soft-and-chewy-on-the-inside cookies, fresh from your air fryer!

Air fry in batches to allow cookies to spread

Air frying cookies in batches is essential to ensure they cook evenly and achieve the desired texture. By giving the cookies enough space to spread out, you prevent them from becoming overcrowded and affecting each other's cooking process. Here's why air frying in batches is beneficial:

Even Cooking

When cookies are placed too close together in the air fryer, they can block the airflow and heat circulation. This can lead to uneven cooking, with some cookies browning faster than others or not cooking through properly. By giving them space to breathe, you ensure that the hot air reaches all parts of the cookies evenly.

Optimal Texture

Air frying in batches allows you to control the spread of the cookies, which is crucial for achieving the ideal texture. If the cookies are too close together, they may spread too much or merge, resulting in thin, crispy cookies instead of the desired thick and chewy texture. By giving them room to spread, you can better control the thickness and ensure a softer, gooier centre.

Customisation

Air frying in batches also allows for customisation. You can experiment with different shapes, sizes, and thicknesses for your cookies. For example, you could make some cookies thicker by refrigerating the dough for an hour before baking, as suggested by The Big Man's World. This way, you can cater to different preferences within a single batch of cookies.

Easy Cleanup

Additionally, air frying in batches can make cleanup easier. By lining the air fryer basket or rack with parchment paper, as recommended by Gimme Delicious and The Kitchn, you can catch any drips or spills from the cookies. This way, you won't have to spend as much time scrubbing the air fryer after each batch.

Personalised Indulgence

Finally, air frying cookies in batches aligns with the idea of personalised indulgence. As noted by King Arthur Baking, air fryers are perfect for making just a few cookies at a time, so you can indulge in a warm, freshly baked treat without dealing with a full batch. This way, you can enjoy a warm, gooey cookie straight from the air fryer without having to worry about eating an entire batch by yourself!

Refrigerate the dough for thicker cookies

Chilling your cookie dough in the refrigerator before baking it in an air fryer is a crucial step if you want thicker cookies. This is because the colder and more solid the fat in the dough is, the less the cookies will spread when baked.

When cookie dough is not refrigerated, the butter is at room temperature, so when the dough is baked, the heat from the oven reacts with the butter quickly, making the cookies spread thinner. On the other hand, when the dough is refrigerated, the butter hardens, so when you bake the cookies, they spread less and hold their shape better. This means that chilling the dough increases the likelihood of producing soft, thick, and chewy cookies.

Chilling the dough also improves the flavour of your cookies. As the dough chills, the sugar in the dough gradually absorbs liquid, causing the cookie to brown and caramelize. The dough also dries out slightly, concentrating the flavours of all the ingredients. This means that, in terms of flavour, you'll notice more depth from the vanilla, and the sugar will taste sweeter.

As a general rule of thumb, you should chill your cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. If you chill the dough for less than 30 minutes, it may not be cold enough to prevent the cookies from spreading too much. On the other hand, if you chill the dough for longer than 24 hours, you won't see a noticeable difference in the final product. Once the dough has chilled, let it warm up at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes until it's just pliable. Be careful not to let it get too warm, or you'll undo the benefits of chilling the dough.

Frequently asked questions