Quick answer: Yes, you can bake desserts in an air fryer. As a rule, use a temperature about 20°C lower than the oven recipe and check 20–25% earlier. Brownies take about 20–25 minutes at 160°C, cookies 6–8 minutes at 160°C, and fruit crumble 15–20 minutes at 170°C. Use a tin or dish that leaves at least 2cm of space around it for air to flow.
An air fryer is basically a small, powerful fan oven, which means it can bake. It’s ideal for small batches: a tray of brownies, a few warm cookies, two baked apples or a crumble for four, without heating up the whole oven. The main challenge is that the heat comes from directly above, so tops can brown before the middle is cooked. This guide gives times for popular desserts, the right tins to use, and how to stop things burning on top.
Air Fryer Dessert Times
| Dessert | Temperature | Time | Tin / dish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brownies | 160°C (320°F) | 20–25 mins | 15–18cm square tin |
| Chocolate chip cookies | 160°C (320°F) | 6–8 mins | Parchment on basket |
| Cupcakes / muffins | 150°C (300°F) | 12–15 mins | Silicone cases |
| Small sponge cake | 150°C (300°F) | 25–30 mins | 15cm round tin |
| Apple or berry crumble | 170°C (340°F) | 15–20 mins | Oven-safe dish |
| Baked apples | 170°C (340°F) | 15–18 mins | Small dish |
| Cinnamon puff pastry twists | 180°C (350°F) | 8–10 mins | Parchment |
| Churros (from dough) | 190°C (375°F) | 8–10 mins | Parchment |
| Ring doughnuts (from dough) | 180°C (350°F) | 5–7 mins | Parchment |
| Grilled peaches / pineapple | 200°C (400°F) | 8–10 mins | Basket |
Ovens vary, and air fryers even more so. Check early the first time and note what works for your model.
Five Rules for Baking in an Air Fryer
- Lower the temperature. Start about 20°C below the oven recipe. The fan and the element above make the air fryer brown things faster. The Oven to Air Fryer Converter does this for you.
- Check early. Start checking at about three-quarters of the oven time.
- Cover the top if it browns too fast. Lay a piece of foil loosely over the tin after the top has set, weighed down so the fan can’t blow it into the element.
- Weigh down paper. Never preheat with loose parchment in the basket; it can blow into the heating element. Put the food on it first.
- Use the skewer test. A skewer in the centre of a cake should come out clean. Brownies should come out with a few moist crumbs.
Which Tins and Dishes Work
Any oven-safe tin or dish works if it fits with at least 2cm of space around the sides for air to circulate. Metal tins conduct heat best and give the most even bake. Silicone moulds and cases work well and are easy to lift out. Oven-safe glass and ceramic ramekins are fine but take a little longer. Measure your basket before buying: most 4–5L baskets take a 15–18cm tin. See also can you put glass in an air fryer and can you put foil in an air fryer.
Brownies
Halve a standard 20cm brownie recipe and bake it in a lined 15–18cm square tin at 160°C for 20–25 minutes. The top should be set and crackly, with a slight wobble in the very centre; they firm up as they cool. Let them cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes before cutting. A boxed brownie mix works the same way, using the lower temperature and the shorter time.
Cookies
Bake cookie dough balls of about 25g on a sheet of parchment, spaced 5cm apart, at 160°C for 6–8 minutes. Take them out when the edges are golden and the centres still look slightly underdone; they’ll set as they cool. Frozen cookie dough works too: add 1–2 minutes. Most baskets fit 4–6 cookies at a time, which is ideal for baking just what you want.
Fruit Desserts
- Crumble: put fruit in an oven-safe dish, top with crumble and bake at 170°C for 15–20 minutes until bubbling and golden.
- Baked apples: core Bramley or eating apples, fill with sultanas, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon, and bake at 170°C for 15–18 minutes.
- Grilled fruit: halved peaches, pineapple rings or banana halves at 200°C for 8–10 minutes, with a sprinkle of sugar for caramelisation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a normal cake tin?
Yes, as long as it fits with a gap of at least 2cm around it. Most standard 20cm tins are too big for a basket air fryer; a 15–18cm tin is the usual size.
Why did my brownies burn on top but stay raw in the middle?
The temperature was too high. Bake at 150–160°C and cover the top loosely with foil once it has set.
Can I bake from a boxed mix?
Yes. Use the lower temperature (20°C below the box instructions), a smaller tin, and check about 25% earlier than the box suggests.
Do I need to preheat to bake?
For cakes and cookies, a 3–5 minute preheat gives a more predictable result, so the bake starts at the right temperature.
Can I make a full-size cake?
It’s better to bake smaller cakes. Large, deep cakes tend to over-brown on top before the centre is cooked.
Find more ideas in our air fryer recipes collection.
