If your air fryer mostly handles fries and chicken, you’re about to open a whole new world. These 15 air fryer desserts are quick, reliable, and wildly satisfying. No need to preheat the oven or babysit a baking sheet—most of these treats come together in minutes.
You’ll find classics like churros and donuts, plus lighter options like baked apples and peaches. Keep it simple on weeknights or dress them up for company. Either way, dessert just got a whole lot easier.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Speed: Most of these air fryer desserts cook in 5–12 minutes, perfect for last-minute cravings.
- Small-batch friendly: Make just enough for you or a couple of people—no giant oven tray required.
- Crispy outside, soft inside: The air fryer nails textures you usually only get from frying or baking.
- Less mess and oil: Many recipes use little to no oil, so cleanup is a breeze.
- Flexible ingredients: Mix and match fillings, spices, and toppings to suit your mood.
Ingredients
These are the common ingredients you’ll use across the 15 recipes.
Choose what you need based on the dessert you’re making.
- Fruits: Apples, bananas, peaches, strawberries, pineapple
- Doughs and bases: Puff pastry, crescent roll dough, biscuit dough, flour tortillas, sandwich bread, brioche, frozen pie crust
- Pantry staples: All-purpose flour, sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt
- Fats and dairy: Butter, cream cheese, milk, heavy cream, yogurt
- Sweeteners and add-ins: Honey, maple syrup, chocolate chips, Nutella, peanut butter, jam, caramel sauce
- Seasonings: Pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, cardamom
- Extras: Marshmallows, graham crackers, nuts, shredded coconut
- For spraying: Neutral oil spray or melted butter for brushing
Instructions
Pick your dessert from the list below and follow the steps. Times may vary by air fryer model; check early the first time you try one.
- Air Fryer Churro Bites: Cut store-bought biscuit dough into pieces. Air fry at 350°F for 6–8 minutes until golden.
Toss hot bites in a mix of sugar and cinnamon. Serve with warm chocolate sauce.
- Mini Nutella Hand Pies: Cut puff pastry into squares. Add a spoon of Nutella, fold, crimp edges, brush with egg or milk, and air fry at 360°F for 8–10 minutes.
Dust with powdered sugar.
- Apple Pie Egg Rolls: Toss diced apples with brown sugar and cinnamon. Fill egg roll wrappers, roll tightly, spritz with oil, and air fry at 370°F for 8–10 minutes. Drizzle with caramel.
- Banana Fritters: Mix mashed bananas with flour, sugar, a pinch of baking powder, and cinnamon.
Drop spoonfuls onto parchment in the basket. Air fry at 360°F for 6–8 minutes. Finish with powdered sugar.
- Stuffed PB&J Crescents: Place a dab of peanut butter and jam on crescent dough, roll, brush with milk, and air fry at 350°F for 6–7 minutes.
Let cool slightly so the filling sets.
- Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes: Roll biscuit dough into small balls. Air fry at 350°F for 5–6 minutes. Brush with melted butter and roll in cinnamon sugar.
- Air Fryer S’mores Pockets: Sandwich mini marshmallows and chocolate between two pieces of crescent or puff pastry.
Seal edges well. Air fry at 360°F for 7–9 minutes until puffed and golden.
- Baked Cinnamon Apples: Core and slice apples. Toss with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Air fry in a foil-lined tray at 360°F for 10–12 minutes, stirring once.
- Peach Crisp Cups: Mix sliced peaches with a little sugar and vanilla. Top with oats, brown sugar, flour, and butter crumbles. Air fry in ramekins at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
- Chocolate Lava Mug Cakes: In a heat-safe ramekin, mix 3 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp cocoa, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tbsp oil, pinch of salt, and a splash of vanilla.
Press a few chocolate chips in the center. Air fry at 330°F for 8–10 minutes.
- Air Fryer Cheesecake Bites: Press crushed graham crackers mixed with butter into silicone muffin cups. Top with a quick batter of cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla.
Air fry at 300°F for 10–12 minutes. Chill before serving.
- Toasted Coconut Pineapple: Toss pineapple chunks with a touch of honey and coconut. Air fry at 360°F for 8–10 minutes until edges caramelize.
Finish with lime zest.
- Chocolate-Stuffed French Toast Roll-Ups: Flatten bread slices, place a strip of chocolate, roll tight, dip in a quick egg-milk-vanilla mix, and air fry at 360°F for 6–8 minutes. Coat in cinnamon sugar.
- Pumpkin Spice Donuts: Mix canned biscuit dough with a little pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. Cut into rings, air fry at 350°F for 6–7 minutes, then glaze with a simple powdered sugar-milk mix.
- Strawberry Jam Turnovers: Fill puff pastry with strawberry jam, seal, vent with a tiny slit, brush with milk, and air fry at 360°F for 8–10 minutes.
Add a vanilla glaze if you like.
How to Store
- Room temperature: Donuts, churro bites, and roll-ups keep well for 1–2 days in an airtight container.
- Refrigerator: Cheesecake bites, fruit crisps, and filled pastries last 3–4 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 320°F for a few minutes.
- Freezer: Hand pies, turnovers, and egg rolls freeze well unbaked. Freeze on a tray, then bag for up to 2 months.
Air fry from frozen, adding 2–4 extra minutes.
- Keep it crisp: Re-crisp pastries at 320–340°F for 3–5 minutes instead of using the microwave.
Benefits of This Recipe
- Time-saving: Fast preheat and short cook times mean dessert whenever you want it.
- Versatile: Swap fruits, spreads, and spices based on what you have.
- Kid- and crowd-friendly: Easy to assemble and fun to customize.
- Portion control: Make two or three pieces instead of a full pan.
- Less oil: Lighter than deep-fried versions but still crisp and golden.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcrowding the basket: Leave space for air to circulate or the desserts won’t crisp.
- Skipping seals on filled pastries: Press edges firmly with a fork and don’t overfill to prevent leaks.
- Not checking early: Air fryers vary. Check 2–3 minutes before the suggested time to avoid overbaking.
- Forgetting parchment or liners: Use perforated parchment for batters or melty fillings to avoid sticking.
- Using too much oil spray: A light spritz is enough. Heavy spraying can make pastries greasy.
Alternatives
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free puff pastry or crescent dough, or focus on fruit-based desserts with oat toppings.
- Dairy-free: Swap butter for coconut oil and use dairy-free chocolate and cream cheese alternatives.
- Lower sugar: Rely on ripe fruit, cinnamon, and vanilla for sweetness.
Cut sugar by 25–50% and add a light drizzle of honey after cooking if needed.
- High-protein: Add Greek yogurt to fruit crisps or use powdered peanut butter in roll-ups.
- Flavor swaps: Try cardamom with pears, lemon zest with blueberries, or almond extract in cheesecake bites.
FAQ
Do I need to preheat the air fryer for desserts?
Preheating helps with even browning and consistent timing. If your model heats quickly, a 2–3 minute preheat is enough. If you skip it, add a minute or two to the cook time and check early.
Can I bake multiple desserts at once?
Yes, if they cook at the same temperature and you leave space between items.
Otherwise, cook in batches to keep textures crisp and fillings contained.
What liners are safe to use?
Use perforated parchment liners or regular parchment weighed down with the food so it doesn’t fly into the heating element. Avoid wax paper. Silicone muffin cups are great for batters and cheesecake bites.
How do I prevent pastries from bursting?
Don’t overfill, seal edges well, and cut a tiny vent on top for steam to escape.
Brushing with milk or egg wash also helps the seams hold.
Can I reheat leftovers in the air fryer?
Absolutely. Reheat at 320–340°F for 3–5 minutes to restore crisp edges without drying the center. Avoid the microwave for flaky items.
What if my dessert is browning too fast?
Lower the temperature by 20–25°F and cover loosely with foil for the remaining time.
Check every couple of minutes.
Are these suitable for beginners?
Yes. These recipes are simple, forgiving, and rely on store-bought doughs and basic ingredients. Start with churro bites or turnovers for guaranteed wins.
Final Thoughts
Air fryer desserts are the sweet spot between easy and impressive.
With a few pantry staples and a roll of puff pastry or biscuit dough, you can whip up something warm and satisfying any night of the week. Try one or two from this list and build your own favorites. Once you see how fast and reliable these are, you’ll keep them on repeat without thinking twice.