Chefs and bakers share 10 desserts you should be making in the air fryer

Chris Tucker, professional baker and founder of Betta With Butta, told Insider that one of his favorite desserts to make in the air fryer is a fruit crumble.

"Using your air fryer to bake a fruit crumble not only cuts the baking time drastically, but gives the crumble a beautiful, toasty crust," he said.

Tucker added that the air fryer also caramelizes the fruit in the crumble without turning it to mush.

Hand pies, small pastries packed with sweet filling or fruit, are the perfect size for cooking in the air fryer.

"Not only do air-fryer hand pies come out super flaky, baking them this way means that the filling holds on to more texture," Tucker told Insider.

Using store-bought pie dough and a few tablespoons of premade pie filling makes this dessert even easier to whip up in just a few minutes.

Chef and food blogger Belqui Ortiz-Millili told Insider that air fryers are uniquely suited for sopaipillas, a type of deep-fried pastry made from a tortilla-like dough.

"Shape the dough into small triangles or rounds and fry it in the air fryer until it is puffy and a small air pocket develops within the pastry," she said.

Sweet sopaipillas are often served with jam, honey, or powdered sugar, but you can also dip them in chocolate sauce or yogurt.

Only need enough cake for a few people? Consider baking one in your air fryer.

"Not only does the crumb of the cake stay more tender and moist, but you don't have to heat up your entire oven for a single little pan," Tucker said.

Just be sure to reduce your recipe's baking time to avoid drying out or burning the cake.

Churros are a classic, deep-fried Mexican street food, but Ortiz-Millili explained that all you need to make your own churro balls at home is an air fryer and four ingredients.

"Roll puff pastry into small balls and coat them with an equal mixture of cinnamon and sugar," she told Insider. "Dip the air-fried balls in caramel sauce and you're done."

You can also make churro sticks if your air fryer is large enough. Just be sure to account for any extra space that the fully baked puff pastry will need.

Cinnamon rolls can be tricky to bake — their tightly wound structure can leave the rolls dry on the outside and undercooked on the inside. But Tucker explained that the rapidly moving heat inside an air fryer is great for avoiding this problem.

"Whereas most home ovens tend to bake hotter in some spots, air fryers constantly circulate hot air," he told Insider. "This means you'll get an extremely even rise and bake in your cinnamon rolls."

Recipe developer and food writer Jim Mumford told Insider that bite-size meringues are an ideal air-fryer dessert.

"Light, fluffy meringues are a perfect application for an air fryer," he said. "The rapidly moving air will dry out the treats better than an oven."

Be sure to use a lower heat setting than you would when making meringues in the oven, or try out the dehydrate function if your air fryer has one.

Roasting banana slices in an air fryer can satisfy a sweet tooth.

"I love sprinkling sliced banana with cinnamon, sugar, and a dash of adobo seasoning," Ortiz-Millili said. "Pop them in the air fryer until they caramelize, and serve them with a dollop of vanilla ice cream."

You can enjoy the roasted banana by itself, or add a few slices to a peanut-butter sandwich for an indulgent snack.

People who prefer a flat, crispy cookie are in luck — air fryers are the ideal vehicle for achieving that perfectly crunchy treat.

"The rapid heating will melt the butter in the cookie quickly, frying it as it cooks. This will give you super crisp edges to your cookie," said Mumford.

Cookies made in an air fryer require less baking time than those made in a traditional oven, so monitor your cookies to avoid burning them.

Baked apples are an easy way to transform plain fruit into a decadent dessert, but making them in a traditional oven can leave the center mushy and overcooked.

"Avoid a soggy baked apple by air frying at a low temperature," Mumford told Insider. "The apples will slowly cook and the moisture will be swept away by the air, instead of soaking into the apple."

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