Baking frozen cookie dough in an air fryer is the best way to get a small batch of freshly home-baked cookies in the shortest time possible.
How to Bake Frozen Cookie Dough in an Air Fryer
Cookie dough is easy to freeze, and quick to bake from frozen, and air fryer frozen cookie dough is even quicker! If you love freshly baked cookies (like I do) then this is the recipe for you!
This is the greatest reason for owning an air fryer. Sure you can roast meat and vegetables, grill chicken, and so much more. But single serve freshly baked cookies with no need to turn your oven on? Sold!
Scroll down for the printable recipe card, or read on for more tips to cook frozen cookie dough in the air fryer.
Tip 1
There is no need to defrost the frozen cookie dough before you bake it in the air fryer, however, if you have a frozen dough ball then it will keep its shape when air fried much more than it would if baked in a conventional oven, so expect some tall round cookies. They will still be just as delicious!
Tip 2
It is best to air fry frozen cookie dough in a small pan rather than directly in the air fryer basket, as it would melt onto the wires before it cooked through.
Tip 3
Alternatively, you could use foil or baking paper, but this is not recommended for all air fryers, so please check your air fryer manual to see if it’s OK before you try that!
>> Can you put parchment in an air fryer?
One final tip: eat them while they’re still warm!
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
My go-to air fryer chocolate chip cookie recipe makes approximately two batches of cookies, so I usually bake one batch, and freeze the second batch for cooking later (often individually).
To freeze cookie dough, shape the cookies as you would before baking (either roll flat and cut out, or roll into balls), place on a baking sheet as if you were going to bake them in the oven, but place them in your freezer instead.
Then, when they are frozen solid, remove the tray and place them into an airtight container or zip-lock freezer bags for easy storage in your freezer without taking up too much space.
Then when you are ready, you can air fry them straight from frozen either individually or as a whole batch.
FAQs & Tips
Yes you can! Air frying is a great way to cook frozen cookies, and as a bonus it is quicker than oven baking as there is no need to wait for the oven to heat up!
Yes you can bake frozen cookie dough without thawing it. However, be aware that cookie dough baked from frozen won’t ‘spread’ as much during baking, so your cookies may turn out a little thicker than if you baked them using fresh dough.
You can bake cookies in the air fryer. You will need to adjust cooking times and temperatures for any non-air fryer recipe (see full post on baking air fryer cookies from scratch for more details).
The recipe below requires a temperature of 320°F (160°C), but if you are following another recipe or packet instructions, then reduce the required temperature by around 20°F.
It is fine to use parchment in some brands of air fryer, but others do not recommend it. Please check your air fryer manual to confirm.
Scroll down for the recipe card for these air fryer frozen cookies!
Recommended tools
- Mini pans* (for baking individual cookies)
- Cookie scoop* (for making perfectly-sized cookie dough balls to freeze)
- Zip lock bags* for freezing cookie dough balls
Print this recipe card and keep for future reference:
How to Bake Frozen Cookie Dough in an Air Fryer
How to bake frozen cookies or cookie dough in an air fryer.
Ingredients
- Frozen cookie dough ball(s) (approx 1.5 tablespoons size)
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 320°F (160°C).
- Arrange frozen cookie dough balls on a small cookie sheet or baking pan. You can bake as many as you like, but leave approximately an inch between dough balls.
- Place baking pan into air fryer basket, and bake frozen cookie dough in air fryer for 8-15 minutes. The exact time will depend on how large your cookie dough balls are, and how crisp you like them.
- Carefully remove the baking pan from the air fryer, leave cookies to cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 149Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 106mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 1g
Nutritional information is an estimate only, and depends on the exact brand of ingredients used.
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- Ultimate guide on baking in an air fryer
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I’m Eliza, busy mom, home cook, and blogger. My goal is to help everyone cook good food. Whether you are short on time, skills, or motivation, there is something here for you! We have dozens of quick and easy recipes for dinner, lunch, side dishes, and more. Our recipes use everyday ingredients, for quick delicious meals your family will love! Read more…
