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When making multiple sheets of cookies seems like too much work, and you just want a gooey, warm batch of cookies fast, these Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies are a game-changer. Make the dough, easily freeze it, and then bake exactly what you want when the craving strikes.
Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies are a weekly staple in the kitchen. They take less than 10 minutes to prepare, then bake, and out comes a perfectly soft-baked cookie with crispy golden brown edges. In our household, these cookies save some hectic days when sweet treats are necessary!
Table of Contents
- What is an Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookie?
- Key Takeaways
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pro Tips for Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Variations and Substitutions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What to Serve with Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Storage and Reheating
- More Cookie Recipes
- Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
What is an Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookie?
Air fryer chocolate chip cookies are made with classic chocolate chip cookie dough cooked inside an air fryer basket using rapid hot air circulation. Home cooks love this method because it bakes small batches of cookies in under 10 minutes, with extra chewy centers and perfectly crispy edges every single time.
Key Takeaways
- Ready in minutes with very little prep work!
- Made with pantry ingredients and baking staples.
- Easy to make the dough; freeze it to use when the craving strikes.
- Easy cleanup in minutes!
Ingredient Notes
All-Purpose Flour: Used to ensure the structure of the cookies.
Baking Soda: Gives the cookies the subtle lift they need and helps achieve the golden brown edges.
Salt: Balances the sweetness of the sugars and enhances the rich butter flavor.
Brown Sugar: Adds deep moisture, subtle caramel flavor, and irresistible chewy texture.
Granulated Sugar: Helps create the crisp edges and promotes the gentle spreading.
Unsalted Butter: Melting the butter instead of creaming it creates a denser, chewier cookie structure.
Egg: The eggs provide the structure that adds moisture, richness, and chew.
Vanilla Extract: Enhances the warm, sweet flavors of the dough base.
Semisweet Chocolate Chips: These deliver rich, melted pockets of chocolate throughout every bite.
How to Make Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Line a large and a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or use a Silpat.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk brown sugar and granulated sugar together in a mixing bowl. Whisk in melted butter until combined. Whisk in egg and yolk and vanilla until smooth.
- Gently stir in flour mixture with a sturdy spoon until a soft dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Preheat the air fryer or toaster oven on the bake setting to 350°F.
- Working with 2 tablespoons at a time, roll into balls. (I like to use a #30 scoop to portion out the dough evenly.) Space desired number of dough balls at least 1 ½ inches apart on prepared small baking sheet or the parchment-covered air fryer basket; space remaining dough balls evenly on prepared large sheet. Using the bottom of a greased or floured dry measuring cup, press each ball until 2 inches in diameter.
- Bake small sheet of cookies until the edges are just beginning to brown and centers are soft and puffy, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cookies cool slightly on the sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Freeze the remaining large sheet of cookies until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer cookies to a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Bake frozen cookies as directed; do not thaw.
Pro Tips for Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cool the melted butter for a few minutes before mixing it in to avoid melting the chocolate chips.
- Use perforated parchment paper, if preferred, to allow heat to reach the bottom of the cookies while stopping the dough from sticking to the basket grates.
- Never preheat with the parchment paper; the parchment paper does need weight on it, such as dough balls, before starting to avoid it blowing around. If you have an air fryer with a solid tray such as the Vortex, then parchment isn’t needed.
- If you want to freeze the dough, scoop into dough balls and place on a baking sheet for 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag and store up to 3 months. They can be placed in the air fryer from the frozen state and cooked an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
Variations and Substitutions
- Salted Chocolate Chunk – Swap the chips for dark chocolate chunks and sprinkle flaky sea salt over the cookies right when they come out of the air fryer.
- Nutty Crunch – Fold in 1/2 cup of chopped toasted walnuts or pecans alongside the chocolate chips.
- Gluten-Free – Replace the flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour, such as King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour.
- M&M Candy Crunch – Swap half the semisweet chocolate chips for colorful M&M candies for an extra fun texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
As long as it is weighed down by dough balls, it can be used. It’s best to scoop the dough balls as close to the side of the parchment as possible so that it does not blow up when heating.
Place the frozen dough balls directly onto the parchment paper or in the air fryer basket and add 1 to 2 minutes of extra cooking time.
They can be made without parchment; however, sometimes the dough can sink through the basket grates. Silicone air fryer liners will work well too.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
Homemade Cake Batter Ice Cream
Cold Milk
Hot Coffee
Storage and Reheating
Room Temperature
Keep the baked cookies in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
Freezing
Scoop the dough into balls, freeze for 1 hour on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe storage bag for up to 3 months. They can be cooked directly from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the cooking time.
Reheating
Warm the cookies in the air fryer at 300°F for 1 to 2 minutes for that fresh out of the oven taste.
More Cookie Recipes
From Scratch Recipes
Easy Monster Cookies Recipe (Thick & Chewy)
From Scratch Recipes
Best Fudgy Carmelitas Cookie Bars
From Scratch Recipes
Easy Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Christmas Cookies
Easy Peppermint Snowball Cookies Recipe
Baking sweets doesn’t have to be complicated; with the air fryer and a few baking staples, fresh cookies can be made in minutes. These Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfect to store and warm up anytime the craving hits!
Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2⅛ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled
- 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a large and a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or use a Silpat.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk brown sugar and granulated sugar together in a mixing bowl. Whisk in melted butter until combined. Whisk in egg and yolk and vanilla until smooth.
- Gently stir in flour mixture with a sturdy spoon until a soft dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Preheat the air fryer or toaster oven on the bake setting to 350°F.
- Working with 2 tablespoons at a time, roll into balls. (I like to use a #30 scoop to portion out the dough evenly.) Space desired number of dough balls at least 1 ½ inches apart on prepared small baking sheet or a parchment-lined air fryer basket; space remaining dough balls evenly on prepared large sheet. Using the bottom of a greased or floured dry measuring cup, press each ball until 2 inches in diameter.
- Bake small sheet of cookies until the edges are just beginning to brown and centers are soft and puffy, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cookies cool slightly on the sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Freeze the remaining large sheet of cookies until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer cookies to a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Bake frozen cookies as directed; do not thaw.
