We're all well aware of just how transformative the humble air fryer can be with appetizers, veggies, and sides, but did you know it's also a great vehicle for making desserts? Sweets, particularly fruit, dough, and batter, perfectly complement that crispy exterior your air fryer nails every time you turn it on. Check out these air fryer-friendly dessert recipes for hand pies, cookies, cakes, churros, doughnuts, and more.
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Air Fryer Apple Pies
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"Mini hand pies filled with a buttery apple-cinnamon mixture and topped with a sweet powdered sugar glaze. They bake in less than 10 minutes in an air fryer." — Kim's Cooking Now
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Air Fryer Oreos
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"Craving that carnival food? With just 3 ingredients and an air fryer, you can make fried Oreos at home!" — Yoly
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Air Fryer Churros
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"Who doesn't love churros? They're a delicious cinnamon-sugar treat, and making them in an air fryer takes them from a guilty treat into a sweet treat." — thedailygourmet
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Air Fryer Apple Fritters
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"These yummy apple fritters can be made in under 30 minutes with the help of an air fryer! Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired." — thedailygourmet
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Air Fryer Coconut Macaroons
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"Nutty, sweet, and exactly what you expect from a coconut macaroon! The texture is crispy on the outside and somewhat sticky and chewy on the inside, says creator Marianne Williams. "The chocolate adds a nice bitterness that cuts through the sweetness. These are so easy to prepare and would make great gifts, plus, they're easy to freeze!"
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Air Fryer Roasted Bananas
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"Tastes awesome," says reviewer Opelia. "I used ripe plantains to serve as a side dish. With bananas I like to sprinkle a dust of cinnamon and it makes a great dessert with vanilla ice cream."
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Air Fryer Triple-Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
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When cookie dough meets your air fryer, magic happens and yields guaranteed crispy results. Creator Yoly experimented with ingredients including chocolate pudding, quick-cooking oatmeal, and walnuts to create these delectably crunchy cookies.
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Air Fryer Beignets
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Try these classic New Orleans-style fried doughnuts made a little lighter in your air fryer. Recipe creator thedailygourmet suggests using a silicone egg-bite mold ($18; amazon.com) to hold the dough while it cooks.
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Air-Fried Banana Cake
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Recipe creator Launa says, "Everyone loves a good banana cake; this is a scaled down version that makes a small cake ideal for the air fryer or for a single person."
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Easy Air Fryer Apple Pies
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"This was a very simple and sweet treat," says reviewer sammi. "I added more cinnamon and nutmeg to the apple filling for taste. Will be making these again but will cut and use real apples instead of the can filling for a better taste."
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Air-Fried Butter Cake
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"I made it with almond milk since it was what I had on hand and added a touch of vanilla. It turned out nice and dense. Will make again." — virgoblue
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Don't Go Heatin' the House Gluten-Free Fresh Cherry Crumble
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"Fresh cherries under a crumbly topping baked in an air fryer allow you to have a lovely baked treat during summer without heating up the kitchen with your regular oven. You will need an air fryer baking attachment or a nonstick baking dish that will fit into the fryer basket." — Buckwheat Queen
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Air Fryer Donut Sticks
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Turn a sheet of crescent dough into homemade cinnamon and sugar doughnut sticks, cooked in the air fryer, and served with fruit jam, syrup, honey, or melted chocolate for dipping!
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Air Fryer Nutella® Mini Turnovers
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Crispy, crunchy, smooth, and chocolatey, these simple turnovers are a great treat for a quiet night in or passing around with friends. Dust with powdered sugar before eating for that perfect bit of sweetness.
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Chocolate Cake in an Air Fryer
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"This is a chocolate cake I make in my air fryer, I like to use a ring tin as it makes the cooking time even shorter, perfect for a couple or small family. Top with icing sugar." — Launa
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Air Fryer Shortbread Cookie Fries
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Cut cookie dough into shortbread 'fries' for a fun air fryer sweet treat served with strawberry-chipotle 'ketchup' and lemon curd 'mustard.'
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Easy Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
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Permission to have French toast for dessert! "Wasn't expecting these to be so good!" says reviewer CLG. "I did an extra minute at the end for a bit more crispy and used unsweetened almond milk since that was on hand. I will definitely make these again."
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Air Fryer Peanut Butter & Jelly S'mores
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Traditional s'mores get a fun and tasty PB and J makeover in the air fryer with chocolate graham crackers, peanut butter cups, and raspberry jelly. Not in the mood for a PB and J s'more? Use different candies, jelly, and crackers for an infinite number of s'mores combinations.
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Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites
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Chocolate chip cookies are always a welcome treat, but cooking them in the air fryer instead of the oven gives them an incomparable degree of crispiness. Toasted pecans add some extra crunch.
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Air Fryer Apple Cider Donut Bites
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"These apple cider donut bites have a delightful autumn flavor thanks to the incorporation of apple pie spice and sparkling apple cider," says creator thedailygourmet. "Plan ahead as it requires a silicone mold, which can be bought from Amazon. I got a total of 21 bites, your serving size may vary. "
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Mini Air Fryer Cherry Hand Pies
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These mini cherry hand pies are — dare we say it? — easy as pie. They only require 4 ingredients, and everything comes together in 30 minutes. If you really want to show off, make your own pie dough from scratch.
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Air Fryer Blueberry Crisp
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Thanks to your air fryer, you can enjoy peak blueberry season without having to heat the entire kitchen up. You can also make this recipe using frozen fruit — just be aware that it'll take longer to cook.
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Air Fryer Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnuts
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Canned biscuit dough is the secret to making fluffy doughnuts in minutes. This recipe utilizes an air fryer instead of hot grease, so you can enjoy doughnuts with much less oil. Adding a bit of ground nutmeg to the cinnamon-sugar mix will give these an even cozier feel.
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Air Fryer Walnut-Pumpkin Pie Cookies
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Need to use up some refrigerated pie crusts? Turn them into these tasty cookies, filled with spices and topped with a simple glaze. They've got the taste of a pie, but that snappy texture that's perfect for dunking in milk.
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Air Fryer Apple Bombs
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These pastries come with a surprise inside: warm spiced apples. They're super simple to make, especially if you're looking for a low-stress baking project to do with the kids.
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Air Fryer Mini Blueberry Scones
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Bring coffee shop vibes to your kitchen or just impress your weekend brunch table with these easy air fryer blueberry scones. The zesty orange topping complements the sweet dough and helps the blueberries shine.
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