Air Fryer Desserts: 8 Recipes From Brownies to Lava Cake

Introduction

An air fryer isn't just for fries and chicken — it's also a surprisingly good baking tool. With its circulating hot air and compact cavity, it bakes desserts faster than a regular oven, with almost no preheat time and more even results. From fudgy brownies to crispy churros, these eight recipes show what your air fryer can do for your sweet tooth.

The biggest advantage of baking in an air fryer is the time you save: no waiting 15 minutes for a full-size oven to preheat for one small dessert. For best results, use air fryer-safe baking pans and molds.

1. Fudgy chocolate brownies

Ingredients

• 3.5 oz (100 g) dark chocolate (70% cacao), 5½ tbsp (80 g) butter
• 3.5 oz (100 g) granulated sugar, 2 eggs
• 1.8 oz (50 g) all-purpose flour, pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1.8 oz (50 g) chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring after each one.
2. Stir in the sugar, then the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
3. Fold in the sifted flour and salt. Add the walnuts, if using.
4. Pour into a greased 7-inch (18 cm) round or square pan that fits your air fryer.
5. Bake at 320°F (160°C) for 18 to 22 minutes. A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.
6. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan before lifting them out.

Chef's tips

The key to fudgy brownies is not overbaking. Pull them when they still look slightly underdone — residual heat keeps cooking them. Tent with foil if the top browns too fast.

2. Blueberry muffins

Ingredients

• 7 oz (200 g) all-purpose flour, 3.5 oz (100 g) sugar, 2½ teaspoons (11 g) baking powder, pinch of salt
• 1 egg, ½ cup (120 ml) milk, ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4.2 oz (120 g) fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions

1. Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
2. Stir them together just until combined — lumps are fine, even desirable.
3. Fold in the blueberries. If they're frozen, add them straight from the freezer.
4. Fill silicone muffin cups ¾ full.
5. Bake at 340°F (170°C) for 12 to 15 minutes (4 to 6 at a time). A toothpick should come out clean.

Chef's tips

The secret to tender muffins is not overmixing. Overmixing develops the gluten and makes muffins tough and rubbery. Toss the blueberries in a little flour before folding them in so they don't sink.

3. Cinnamon apple chips

Ingredients

• 2 apples (Gala, Fuji or Pink Lady)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Core the apples. Slice them into 1/16-inch (2 mm) rounds on a mandoline.
2. Pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
3. Arrange in a single layer with no overlap.
4. Air fry at 300°F (150°C) for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
5. The chips will still be soft when hot — they crisp up as they cool.

Chef's tips

Slice thickness is everything: too thick and they stay soft, too thin and they burn. About 1/16 inch (2 mm) is the sweet spot. They keep 3 to 5 days in an airtight container.

4. Crispy churros

Ingredients

• ½ cup (125 ml) water, 3½ tbsp (50 g) butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, pinch of salt
• 2.6 oz (75 g) all-purpose flour, 1 egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla, cooking spray
• Coating: 1.8 oz (50 g) sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Bring the water, butter, sugar and salt to a full boil.
2. Take the pan off the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir hard until a smooth ball of dough forms.
3. Let cool 5 minutes, then beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
4. Using a star tip, pipe 4-inch (10 cm) lengths onto strips of parchment paper.
5. Mist with cooking spray. Place in the preheated air fryer, paper and all; the paper will release on its own after 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden.
7. Roll the hot churros in the cinnamon sugar.

Chef's tips

Air fryer churros are far less greasy than deep-fried ones but keep the same crispy outside. Serve with a chocolate dipping sauce (3.5 oz/100 g chocolate melted into ¼ cup/60 ml warm heavy cream).

5. Chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients

• 7 tbsp (100 g) softened butter, 2.8 oz (80 g) brown sugar, 1 oz (30 g) granulated sugar
• 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 5.3 oz (150 g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, pinch of salt
• 3.5 oz (100 g) dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and both sugars for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking soda and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Shape into 1 oz (30 g) balls (about 2 heaping tablespoons each) and flatten them slightly. Place 4 or 5 on parchment, 1¼ inches (3 cm) apart.
4. Bake at 340°F (170°C) for 8 to 10 minutes: golden edges, soft center.
5. Let cool 5 minutes on the paper before moving them.

Chef's tips

Cookies keep baking as they cool — take them out while the centers still look a little underdone. For even better cookies, chill the dough 30 minutes before shaping.

6. Banana bread

Ingredients

• 3 very ripe bananas (10.6 oz/300 g), 2.8 oz (80 g) sugar, 1 egg, ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
• 6.3 oz (180 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1.8 oz (50 g) chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Mash the bananas. Stir in the sugar, egg and oil.
2. Fold in the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the walnuts.
3. Pour into a greased 8 x 4-inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf pan that fits your air fryer.
4. Bake at 320°F (160°C) for 35 to 40 minutes. Tent with foil after 20 minutes if the top browns too fast.
5. A toothpick should come out clean. Let cool 15 minutes in the pan.

Chef's tips

The riper the bananas (black, spotty peels), the sweeter and more flavorful the bread — you can cut the sugar to 1.8 oz (50 g). It keeps 4 days wrapped in plastic wrap.

7. Cinnamon rolls

Ingredients

Dough: 8.8 oz (250 g) all-purpose flour, 1 oz (30 g) sugar, 1 packet (7 g) instant yeast, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ cup (120 ml) warm milk, 2 tbsp (30 g) melted butter, 1 egg

Filling: 3½ tbsp (50 g) softened butter, 2.8 oz (80 g) brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Frosting: 3.5 oz (100 g) cream cheese, 1.8 oz (50 g) powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the milk, butter and egg. Knead 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
3. Roll out into a 12 x 8-inch (30 x 20 cm) rectangle. Spread with the butter, then sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon.
4. Roll up tightly from the long side and cut into 8 equal slices.
5. Place in a greased round pan (the rolls should touch). Let rise 20 more minutes.
6. Bake at 340°F (170°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.
7. Mix the frosting ingredients and spread over the warm rolls.

Chef's tips

Spread the cream cheese frosting while the rolls are still warm so it melts slightly. Tent with foil if the tops brown too quickly.

8. Chocolate lava cake

Ingredients

• 3.5 oz (100 g) dark chocolate (70% cacao), 5½ tbsp (80 g) butter
• 2 whole eggs + 2 yolks, 2.1 oz (60 g) sugar, 1 oz (30 g) all-purpose flour
• Butter and cocoa powder for the ramekins

Instructions

1. Melt the chocolate and butter together. Let cool slightly.
2. Whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar for 3 minutes, until pale and foamy.
3. Fold in the chocolate mixture, then the sifted flour.
4. Butter 4 ramekins (3 inches/8 cm across) and dust with cocoa. Fill them ¾ full.
5. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 8 to 10 minutes. The outside should be set, and the center should jiggle when you tap the ramekin.
6. Let rest 1 minute, then invert onto plates.

Chef's tips

Timing is everything — one minute too long and you get a fudgy chocolate cake, not a lava cake. Test one ramekin first. You can refrigerate the batter for up to 24 hours; add 1 to 2 minutes if it goes in cold. Serve right away with vanilla ice cream.

Temperature and time cheat sheet

General baking tips

• Lower the temperature by about 20 to 35°F (10 to 20°C) compared with a conventional oven recipe.
• Use the right pans and molds — leave about ½ inch (1 cm) of space around the pan. See our best accessories guide.
• Cover if needed — foil keeps the top from overbrowning.
• Don't overfill — fill pans and molds no more than ¾ full, since the batter rises.

To avoid beginner errors, read our article on common air fryer mistakes.

Summary table: times, temperatures and calories

5 tips for perfect air fryer desserts

• Lower the temperature by 20 to 35°F (10 to 20°C) compared with a conventional oven recipe — an air fryer heats more intensely.
• Use the right pans and molds — silicone or thin aluminum molds that leave ½ inch (1 cm) of space on all sides for airflow.
• Cover if needed — a sheet of foil laid on top keeps the top from browning too much.
• Fill molds no more than ¾ full — batters rise more than they do in a conventional oven.
• Test with a toothpick — the outside can look done while the inside is still runny.