Air Fryer Cookie: Quick, Easy, And Delicious!

Air fryers are a convenient way to make a small batch of cookies without heating up the entire kitchen. The intense heat and proximity of the air circulation in an air fryer yield a crispy exterior and a soft, gooey interior. The entire process, from preparing the dough to baking, takes under 30 minutes.

Choosing the right ingredients

Flour

All-purpose flour, also known as plain or white flour, is the go-to choice for cookies. Sift the flour well to ensure there are no clumps, and use gluten-free flour if needed. The amount of flour you'll need will depend on the size of your desired cookie, but a good starting point is around 1/2 to 1 cup.

Leavening Agent

Baking soda is a must-have. It acts as a leavening agent, giving your cookie a slight rise while also helping to prevent overspreading. A teaspoon or so should do the trick.

Salt

Just a pinch of salt will enhance the sweetness of your cookie and bring out all the flavours.

Sugar

The magic combination is white and brown sugar. White sugar helps keep the edges of your cookie crisp and firm, while brown sugar works to keep the centre soft and chewy. You'll need around 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of each, but feel free to adjust to your taste preferences.

Butter

Unsalted butter from a stick, not a tub, is the way to go. Tub butter often contains added water, which can affect the texture of your cookie. You'll need about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup.

Milk

Any type of milk will do, whether it's dairy or a plant-based alternative. This ingredient adds moisture to your cookie dough. You'll only need a small amount, about 1/4 of a cup.

Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract is a must for any good cookie. It enhances the flavour and makes your treat extra delicious. A teaspoon or so should be plenty.

Chocolate Chips

The beauty of making your own cookie is that you can customise the mix-ins to your liking. Chocolate chips are a classic choice, and you can use milk, dark, or white chocolate, or a mixture of all three. Go wild and throw in some walnuts, shredded coconut, candy buttons, or peanut butter chips for an extra indulgent treat.

Mixing the dough

To make the dough for one cookie in an air fryer, you will need a few basic ingredients. These typically include butter, sugar (white and/or brown), an egg, vanilla extract, flour, and chocolate chips. You can also add a pinch of salt and a raising agent such as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda.

Once you have gathered your ingredients, it's time to start mixing! Here's a step-by-step guide:

• Beat the butter and sugars together in a mixing bowl until they are creamy and well combined. You can use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer for this step. If you don't have either, you can simply use a bowl and spoon, making sure to beat vigorously to ensure the ingredients are fully mixed.
• Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture and mix until combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including the flour, salt (if using), and raising agent.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a dough starts to form. You can use a wooden spoon or a mixer on low speed for this step.
• Fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

At this point, your cookie dough is ready! You can shape it into a ball and place it on a small square of parchment paper before preheating your air fryer and baking your cookie.

Remember, the beauty of making cookies in an air fryer is that you can easily adjust the recipe to your liking. Feel free to experiment with different types of chocolate or even add additional mix-ins like nuts or dried fruit. Enjoy baking!

Shaping the dough

Firstly, it's important to note that chilling the dough before shaping is optional but recommended. Chilling helps the dough retain its shape and prevents excessive spreading during baking. If you choose to chill the dough, cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to three days.

Now, let's get into the shaping process:

• Remove the bowl of dough from the refrigerator (if chilled). Take out your air fryer basket and line it with parchment paper. Parchment paper is essential to prevent the dough from sticking to the basket and creating a mess.
• Using your hands, roll the dough into evenly sized balls. The number of dough balls will depend on the size of your air fryer. For a standard air fryer, you'll likely be able to fit 3 or 5 dough balls.
• Place the dough balls onto the parchment paper-lined air fryer basket, ensuring they are spaced evenly and have enough room to spread.
• At this point, you can choose to flatten the dough balls slightly. Use the back of a spoon, a ramekin, or even your hand to gently press down on each ball to create a disc shape. This step is optional but will help create a more uniform cookie shape.
• If desired, you can add extra chocolate chips or other mix-ins on top of the dough balls for a more indulgent cookie.
• Once you're happy with the shape and placement of the dough balls, it's time to bake them in the air fryer! Refer to the baking instructions provided in the full recipe for the appropriate temperature and timing.

Remember, the key to shaping the dough is consistency in the size and spacing of the dough balls. This will ensure even cooking and help you achieve the perfect air fryer cookies.

Air-frying the cookies

Air-frying cookies is a quick and easy way to make a small batch of cookies without heating up your entire kitchen. The intense heat and proximity of the air circulation in an air fryer yield a crispy exterior and a soft and gooey interior.

To air-fry cookies, first, prepare your cookie dough by mixing together your wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls. Then, combine the two, folding the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. You can chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour for thicker cookies, or get straight to shaping the dough into balls.

Line your air fryer basket with parchment paper, which will prevent the dough from sticking to the basket. Place the dough balls into the basket, leaving enough room between them to allow for spreading. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you should be able to fit 2-5 cookies.

Air-fry the cookies at 325°F for 5-8 minutes, or until the edges are slightly firm. Remove the cookies from the basket and let them cool for at least five minutes. They will continue to firm up as they cool.

You can also bake cookies from frozen dough in your air fryer. Simply add on a minute or two to the cooking time.

Cooling and storing the cookies

Once your cookies are baked, it's important to let them cool down. Leave the cookies in the air fryer basket for a couple of minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. This will help the cookies firm up and stop them from breaking.

When it comes to storing your cookies, they can be kept at room temperature, covered, for up to a week. Alternatively, you can freeze them in a ziplock bag for up to six months.

Frequently asked questions