The Simple Air Fryer Adjustment That Can Produce Flawless Cakes And Cookies

Air fryers use hot air circulating in a small space to cook or reheat food, similar to a convection oven. Air fryers offer cooking power comparable to a conventional oven, too, but are much smaller, faster, and oftentimes pretty easy to use. While they are called fryers, they're in no way limited to fried fare like hot wings or French fries. Indeed, just about any recipe you can make in an oven can also be made in an air fryer with some minor adjustments, like some handy air fryer garlic bread. And yes, that does mean you can bake cookies in an air fryer. For oven-based recipes, all you have to do is reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and the cooking time by 25%. So, say your recipe tells you to bake something at 400 degrees for 80 minutes. In an air fryer, that would become 375 degrees for 60 minutes.

With this simple trick, you can have your favorite treats more easily. There are some potential drawbacks, as the smaller size of an air fryer compared to an oven means that you can't make them in larger batches. That doesn't have to be a downside, however. It just means that it's easier to make small portions that are perfect for a quiet day in by yourself (and you won't have to worry as much about leftovers).

Of course, there are a couple of other basic tips you should know before you fire up that air fryer to get some sweet treats going. Firstly, if you're baking a cake, use a metal pan instead of a ceramic one. While oven-safe ceramic pans should survive an air fryer, it and similar materials can heat up more quickly and could complicate your cook time. Second, swap out the perforated pan that air fryers usually come with for a solid flat one, especially when baking cookies. Otherwise, they'll expand into the holes while cooking and could deform or make a mess.

There are also some don'ts to go with your dos. A common air fryer mistake is overcrowding the basket with too much food, creating soggy results and uneven cooking. If you're making baked goods, they will also likely need room to expand. Since space is limited in an air fryer, give them some room to breathe.

Air fryer baking is simple once you know how to convert your favorite recipes. If you love baking but don't like fiddling with an oven or waiting so long for your treats to finish, it can be a great way to simplify the baking process.