Baking cookies in an air fryer is easy, and the results are amazing. These Air Fryer Cookies have deliciously chewy centers and crispy edges. In this post, you will find a chocolate chip cookie dough that is specifically designed for baking in the air fryer, but you can make them in the oven too. It's a small-batch cookie recipe that yields 8 cookies. By the way, have you tried baking my chewy peanut butter cookies in the air fryer yet?

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Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Plain all-purpose flour - To make them gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free blend instead. Bob's Red Mill's 1 to 1 baking flour works well with this recipe.
- Egg - For this half-batch recipe, you need just the egg yolk. Please don't waste the egg white. Use the leftover egg white for other recipes or freeze it.
- Chocolate - I added chopped milk chocolate bars, but you can use any chocolate you like or leave it out altogether. By the way, have you seen my handy list of cookie recipes with chocolate chips?
Step-by-step instructions
In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar for 2-3 minutes.

Then add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix until creamy and well combined.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix just until incorporated. Then add the chocolate chips and mix for a few seconds until well distributed. Then cover and chill.

Preheat the air fryer and scoop 8 equal-sized balls of chilled cookie dough and roll into balls.

Line the preheated air fryer basket with parchment paper and place 3-4 dough balls (depending on the size of your air fryer), about 4 inches (10cm) apart, and flatten them.

Bake for 5-6 minutes, or until they are lightly browned, puffed, and ripped on top. Remove the air fryer basket from the air fryer and let them cool for 5 minutes in the air fryer basket or until firm enough to move them. Then, transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Air frying tips
- Every air fryer is different, and the temperature and time needed will vary slightly from make to make and model to model. To be sure that the recommended baking time and temperature work well for your air fryer, bake a test cookie. Bake it as directed in the recipe, and then see if you need to adjust the time or temperature. I suggest starting with adjusting the time by 1-2 minutes up or down, and if you feel that your air fryer temperature needs to be adjusted as well, adjust the temperature by 5°F (2°C) up or down.
- If the tops brown too fast and the bottoms are still unbaked, I suggest baking them at 325°F (163°C) for 7-9 minutes. You could also turn them upside down after 6 minutes and bake additional 1-2 minutes.
- Make sure you flatten the cookies and place them on the parchment paper that there is about 1-inch (2.5 cm) space between the cookies and the edges of the paper. Otherwise, the circulating air blows up the edges of the paper, and your cookies can't spread properly.
- Do not overbake them, or they dry out. Cookies shouldn't look completely baked through when done baking. They continue baking while cooling. That's the key to chewy centers.

Cookies FAQs
I wrote a thorough guide on how to make cookies where questions like why cookies turn out flat, don't spread, turn out hard, or how chilling affects the taste and texture are answered. I also share mistakes to avoid and tips for success. So whatever your question, check out my how to make cookies post and find the answer. If your question is still not answered, simply leave a comment below.
More air fryer recipes
If you love air fryer baking as much as I do, you've come to the right place. Try some classics specially designed to bake in the fryer.
Recipe

Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- â…” cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. Then add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix for about 1 minute, until creamy and well combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix on medium-low speed just until incorporated, about 30-60 seconds. Then add the chocolate chips and mix on medium-low speed just for a few seconds until well distributed. Then cover and chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat the air fryer at 350°F (175°C). Prepare parchment paper for the air fryer basket by cutting it into the size of the air fryer basket. Set aside.
- Scoop 8 equal-sized balls (about 2 tablespoons [45g]) of chilled cookie dough and roll into balls. Once the air fryer is preheated, line the air fryer basket with the prepared parchment paper and place 3-4 dough balls (depending on the size of your air fryer), spaced 4 inches (10cm) apart, and flatten them until ½ inch (1.3cm) thick. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until they are lightly browned, puffed, and ripped on top.
- Remove the air fryer basket from the air fryer and let them cool for 5 minutes in the air fryer basket or until firm enough to move them. Then, transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Video
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