Air Fryer Cookies
Air fryer cookies bake in about 9 minutes, with crisp edges and a soft, chewy center. This chocolate chip recipe makes 18 cookies in three small batches, and it also works with refrigerated cookie dough from the store. Baking cookies in the air fryer is quicker than heating the oven, especially when you only want a few.
- Temperature
- 330°F170 °C
- Total time
- 1:12hrs
- Prep time
- 15min
- Servings
- 18
- Per serving
- 165kcal
Why the air fryer works for cookies
Cookies are small, thin and sugary, which makes them quick to bake and easy to burn. The air fryer handles them well when you use a lower temperature than the oven. At 330 °F, the edges set and brown while the center stays soft. The compact chamber also heats up in minutes, so baking a few cookies at a time does not mean heating a full oven.
The one limit is space. A 5–6 qt basket holds about 6 cookies without crowding, and a 4 qt basket holds 4. The air needs room to move, otherwise cookies bake into each other. That is why this recipe makes three small batches. If you want to compare with other quick baking recipes, the brownies and muffins use the same lower-temperature method.
How to make cookies in the air fryer
Tap a time to start a timer.
- Cream the butter and sugars Beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with a hand mixer or whisk for , until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients Stir the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl, then mix into the butter mixture until no dry flour remains. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Chill the dough Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for . This keeps the cookies from spreading too thin and gives a chewier texture.
- Shape and load Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon balls. Cut a round of parchment 1 inch smaller than the basket and poke a few holes in it. Preheat the empty air fryer to 330 °F for , then lay the parchment in the basket and set 6 dough balls on it, 2 inches apart. Never preheat with parchment in the basket, because it can fly into the heating element.
- Bake Cook at 330 °F for , until the edges are golden and the centers look just set. They will firm up as they cool. In a 4 qt air fryer, bake 4 cookies at a time.
- Cool and repeat Let the cookies sit on the parchment for , then move them to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough, for 3 batches in total (5 batches in a 4 qt air fryer).
Times and temperatures
| Air Fryer Cookies | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Homemade chocolate chip6 per batch | 330 °F (170 °C) | 9 min |
| Store-bought dough | 330 °F (170 °C) | 8–10 min |
| Frozen dough balls | 320 °F (160 °C) | 10–12 min |
| Small batch of 4 (4 qt air fryer) | 330 °F (170 °C) | 8–9 min |
Times are a guide and depend on the size and wattage of your air fryer. See also air fryer cooking times for all foods.
Read also: Parchment paper and foil in the air fryer
Tips
- Chill the dough. Cold dough spreads less, so the cookies stay thick and chewy.
- Use a perforated parchment round. It keeps the bottoms from over-browning, and the holes let the air circulate.
- Take them out slightly underdone. Cookies finish baking on the parchment, so a soft center in the basket turns into a chewy center once cool.
What to serve with cookies
Serve cookies warm with a glass of cold milk, or sandwich two around a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They go well on a dessert plate with brownies or cupcakes, and they are easy to pack for school lunches or a game day snack table.
Storing and reheating
Store cooled cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freeze unbaked dough balls on a tray, then move them to a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. To warm a baked cookie, heat it in the air fryer at 300 °F for 1–2 minutes, until soft again.
Variations
- Store-bought dough: Slice or scoop refrigerated cookie dough onto a perforated parchment round and bake at 330 °F for 8–10 minutes.
- Oatmeal raisin: Replace ½ cup of the flour with old-fashioned oats and the chips with raisins.
- Double chocolate: Swap ¼ cup of the flour for cocoa powder.
- Peanut butter: Add ½ cup peanut butter to the creamed butter and skip the chips.
If it does not turn out right
- The cookies spread into thin crisps
- The dough was too warm. Chill it for 30 minutes and space the balls 2 inches apart. If the butter was very soft, bake at 320 °F.
- The bottoms are dark and the tops are pale
- The basket gets very hot at the base. Use a parchment round with holes, lower the temperature to 320 °F and take the cookies out as soon as the edges are golden.
- The cookies are hard once cool
- They baked too long. Take them out when the center still looks slightly underdone, because they firm up for 5 minutes on the parchment.
Questions and answers
How long do cookies take in the air fryer?
About 9 minutes at 330 °F for homemade chocolate chip cookies. Store-bought refrigerated dough takes 8–10 minutes, and frozen dough needs 1–2 minutes more.
Can I bake store-bought cookie dough in the air fryer?
Yes. Place slices or balls on a parchment round with holes, space them 2 inches apart and bake at 330 °F for 8–10 minutes.
Can you bake cookies in an air fryer without parchment?
Yes, with a perforated liner or a thin brush of oil on the basket. Parchment is easier to clean, but it must always have dough on top of it so it cannot lift.
Can I bake cookies from frozen dough?
Yes. Bake frozen dough balls at 320 °F for 10–12 minutes, no thawing needed.
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