Baking in an Air Fryer: What I Didn’t Expect
I came to air fryer baking sceptically. The air fryer seemed like a savoury appliance — chicken thighs and chips. The idea of baking a cake in it felt like a workaround at best.
After the school holidays gave us enough free afternoon time to experiment, my position changed. The air fryer doesn’t replace the oven for everything, but for small-batch baking with children — individual muffins, brownies, single-layer cakes, banana bread — it’s faster, uses less energy, and produces a better crust in less time.
These are the recipes we tested. The children tested each result and the ratings reflect their honest assessments, which is the most demanding food testing panel I have access to.
What You Need for Air Fryer Baking
A 6-inch round baking pan (fits most 5-quart+ baskets) — for cakes, brownies, frittatas
Silicone muffin cups — for muffins, cupcakes, egg bites
An instant-read thermometer — cake done at 90°C+ internal temperature
Check your basket’s internal diameter before buying a pan. Most 5.8-quart Cosori baskets accept a 6-inch pan with a small amount of clearance around the edge (needed for airflow).
Recipe 1: Banana Muffins (The Weekly Standard)
These are the muffins my children make every Saturday morning. The recipe uses overripe bananas we’d otherwise throw away, takes 20 minutes, and produces 6 muffins that are genuinely moister than most café muffins.
Makes: 6 | Time: 20 minutes | Temperature: 160°C | Child acceptance: 5/5
Ingredients:
– 2 overripe bananas, mashed
– 1 egg
– 80g butter, melted
– 100g plain flour
– 75g caster sugar
– 1 tsp baking powder
– Pinch of salt
– Optional: handful of chocolate chips
Method:
1. Mix mashed banana, egg, and melted butter in a bowl
2. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder, salt until just combined (do not overmix)
3. Fold in chocolate chips if using
4. Divide batter between 6 silicone muffin cups, filling 2/3 full
5. Air fry at 160°C for 15–17 minutes until risen, golden, and a skewer comes out clean
Notes: 160°C is lower than most recipes call for — air fryers cook more intensely than ovens. Start at 15 minutes and check. The tops should be risen and golden, not dark.
Recipe 2: Fudgy Brownies
The best brownies I’ve made in any cooking method in recent memory. The air fryer cooks the edges faster than the centre, creating a crispy-edged, fudgy-centred brownie that is genuinely hard to achieve in a conventional oven.
Makes: 8 pieces | Time: 25 minutes | Temperature: 160°C | Child acceptance: 5/5
Ingredients:
– 100g butter
– 150g dark chocolate (70%)
– 150g caster sugar
– 2 eggs
– 80g plain flour
– 30g cocoa powder
– Pinch of salt
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method:
1. Melt butter and chocolate together (microwave in 30-second bursts, or bain marie)
2. Stir in sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time
3. Fold in flour, cocoa, salt, vanilla
4. Pour into a greased 6-inch round pan (or line with parchment)
5. Air fry at 160°C for 18–22 minutes until the top is set but the centre still has a slight wobble
6. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before cutting
Notes: The wobble in the centre is correct — it firms to fudge as it cools. Overbaked brownies are cakey brownies, which is a different and inferior product.
Recipe 3: Simple Victoria Sponge (Single Layer)
A full Victoria sponge in an air fryer isn’t straightforward — the basket isn’t deep enough for two layers. A single-layer version with jam and cream on top is faster and genuinely excellent for afternoon tea with children.
Makes: 6 slices | Time: 25 minutes | Temperature: 160°C | Child acceptance: 4/5
Ingredients:
– 150g butter, softened
– 150g caster sugar
– 3 eggs
– 150g self-raising flour
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– Pinch of salt
– To finish: 3 tbsp strawberry jam, 100ml double cream (whipped)
Method:
1. Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy (4 minutes with electric whisk)
2. Beat in eggs one at a time, adding 1 tbsp flour with each if mixture splits
3. Fold in remaining flour and vanilla
4. Pour into greased 6-inch pan
5. Air fry at 160°C for 20–25 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean (internal temp 90°C+)
6. Cool completely before topping with jam and cream
Notes: The cake must be completely cool before topping — cream melts on a warm cake. Test internal temperature if you’re unsure; the skewer test can mislead if the skewer misses a dense spot.
Recipe 4: Carrot and Walnut Muffins
The recipe that converts children who claim to dislike vegetables in baking because the carrot is invisible and the muffin tastes like a treat.
Makes: 6 | Time: 22 minutes | Temperature: 160°C | Child acceptance: 4/5
Ingredients:
– 2 medium carrots, grated (about 150g)
– 2 eggs
– 100ml vegetable oil
– 150g plain flour
– 100g light brown sugar
– 1½ tsp baking powder
– 1 tsp cinnamon
– ½ tsp nutmeg
– Pinch of salt
– 50g walnuts, roughly chopped (optional — omit if nut allergy concerns)
Method:
1. Mix eggs and oil in large bowl. Stir in grated carrot
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, spices, salt. Combine with wet mixture until just incorporated
3. Fold in walnuts
4. Divide into 6 silicone cups, 2/3 full
5. Air fry at 160°C for 18–20 minutes until golden and cooked through
Recipe 5: Peanut Butter Cookies (10 Minutes)
Four ingredients. No flour. Ready in 10 minutes. Legitimate cookies.
Makes: 10–12 | Time: 12 minutes | Temperature: 160°C | Child acceptance: 5/5
Ingredients:
– 240g peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
– 100g caster sugar
– 1 egg
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method:
1. Mix all ingredients into a stiff dough
2. Roll into balls (about 2 tablespoons each), place on parchment in basket
3. Press flat with a fork in a cross-hatch pattern
4. Air fry at 160°C for 8–10 minutes until set at edges but still soft in centre
5. They firm as they cool — don’t wait until they’re hard in the basket
Notes: Don’t overbake. They will seem underdone at 8 minutes; they firm to proper cookie consistency as they cool.
What Doesn’t Work in the Air Fryer
Tall cakes (more than 6cm): The top browns before the centre cooks through. Single-layer max.
Bread loaves: Bread needs steam in the early baking phase for proper crust development. Air fryers can’t provide this. Use the oven for bread.
Delicate pastry: The high-speed fan blows thin pastry around. Quiches and custard tarts are better in the oven.
Anything taller than the basket allows: Measure the gap between your pan and the heating element — food needs at least 3 cm of clearance to cook correctly.
Temperature Guide
| Conventional Oven | Air Fryer |
|---|---|
| 180°C | 160°C |
| 160°C | 140°C |
| 200°C | 180°C |
Reduce conventional oven temperatures by 20°C for air fryer baking, and start checking 5 minutes before the recipe’s stated time.