I am fairly certain that most people enjoy snacking on cookies. What’s not to like? Cookies are sweet treats that can be soft and chewy or crunchy and filled with little surprises like chocolate chips, dried fruits, and nuts.
While trying to figure out what cookies to make in my air fryer, I came across so many recipes that I wanted to try. My head was spinning. So, I went back to cookie recipes in my archives that I have baked in the oven to see what might work.
I was actually blown away by how many cookie recipes I had amassed, made, and tweaked over the years. Some were classic, such as chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and peanut butter cookies. Others were pretty out there, but I did remember making them. I have baked gluten-free quinoa crunch cookies, macrobiotic lemon tahini cookies, and vegan puffed cereal cookies, to name a few. I even have recipes for no-bake cookies. I don’t remember those being so great.
I finally zeroed in on a few traditional recipes to start with so as not to test the limits on my first attempts to bake cookies in an air fryer. The recipes here include sugar, oatmeal, and peanut butter cookies. Feel free to swap out the AP flour for a gluten-free flour blend.
It is a bit easier to bake the cookies on a piece of parchment paper that you can just lift in and out of the air fryer. This isn’t essential, but it does work well and keeps the air fryer clean. The recipes should result in enough cookies for 4 people, or even more.
You will have to monitor your first batch of cookies to get the cooking temperature and timing right for your particular air fryer. And yes, you will have to bake the cookies in batches. The cook times listed are for one batch.
Air Fryer Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 whole egg
- 1 tsp almond extract (can use vanilla)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 tsps baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Total time:25 min + refrigeration for 2 hours – Prep time:10 min – Cook time:15 min – Serves:4 people
Author: Nick
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the egg and almond extract. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well to combine.
2. Lay 2 sheets of plastic wrap on your counter. Place half the dough on each sheet. Form into logs that are about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Roll the plastic tightly around the dough and twists the ends. Place the cookie dough logs in the refrigerator to firm up, approximately 2 to 8 hours.
3. Preheat your air fryer to 330°F for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the plastic wrap from the cookie dough. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the cold dough into 1/4 inch thick cook rounds. If they fall apart while slicing, just roll into balls and flatten with your palms.
5. Place the cookies in a single layer on a piece of parchment paper that will fit inside the air fryer basket or on the crisper plate. Place the parchment and cookies in the air fryer and bake until golden and cooked through, approximately 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the first batch so you can get the timing right. Continue until all the cookies are baked. You can reuse the parchment paper, or use clean sheets.
6. Using a spatula, remove the cookies to a serving platter and enjoy. Store the cookies in an air-tight container for a few days.
Air Fryer Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 2 tsps molasses
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend (AP flour for non-gluten-free)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1-1/2 cups gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Total time: 15 min – Prep time: 10 min – Cook time: 5 min – Serves: 4 people
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, egg, molasses, and vanilla. Mix well. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine. Fold in the oats, raisins, and walnuts until everything comes together into a ball of dough.
2. Preheat your air fryer to 350°F for 5 minutes.
3. Using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, form golf ball size cookies from the dough.
4. Place the cookies in a single layer on a piece of parchment paper that will fit inside the air fryer basket or on the crisper plate. Place the parchment and cookies in the air fryer and bake until golden and cooked through, approximately 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the first batch so you can get the timing right. Repeat until all the cookies are baked. You can reuse the parchment paper, or use clean sheets.
5. Using a spatula, remove the cookies to a serving platter and enjoy while soft or allow them to crisp up as they cool. Store the cookies in an air-tight container for a couple of days.
Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 whole egg
- 2 TBS grapeseed or walnut oil
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 TBS whole milk
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Total time: 20 min – Prep time: 10 min – Cook time: 10 min – Serves: 4 people
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, egg, oil, vanilla, both sugars, and milk. Mix well. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine well.
2. Preheat your air fryer to 320°F for 5 minutes.
3. Using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, form golf ball size cookies from the dough. Place the balls in a single layer on a piece of parchment paper that will fit inside the air fryer basket or on the crisper plate. Flatten each ball into a cookie using a fork that will leave a pattern on the surface of the cookies.
4. Place the parchment and cookies in the air fryer and bake until golden and cooked through, approximately 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the first batch so you can get the timing right. Repeat until all the cookies are baked. You can reuse the parchment paper, or use clean sheets.
5. Using a spatula, remove the cookies to a serving platter and enjoy. Store the cookies in an air-tight container for a couple of days.
Leave a Reply