Can you air fry sugar cookies? You bet! These air fryer sugar cookies from scratch are quick and easy to make. Learn how long to air fry sugar cookies, what temp you should air fry your cookies, and more! You’ll love how delicious these small batch sugar cookies are. They might just become a regular snack in your household when you have a sweet craving!
This air fryer sugar cookie recipe is pretty basic, but I think that’s a good thing. What you’re getting are some simple cut out cookies, kind of like the sugar cookie rolls from the store. They’re like a hybrid of shortbread and sugar cookie, rather than a soft cookie that spreads.
What’s so great about this sugar cookie air fryer recipe, IMVHO, is how customizable it is. Substitute some lemon extract or almond extract for the vanilla. Try stirring some chocolate chips, M&M’s, or Reese’s Pieces into your air fried sugar cookies.
Why not? They’re all yours.
I’ve made these air fryer cookies without brown sugar, or any sugar for that matter. But though they’re air fryer sugar free cookies, you could substitute with white sugar if you wanted.
Of course, I’m going to tell you in the expert tips section the advantages of making sugar cookies without sugar. (That’s just how I roll.) But feel free to make the snack that works for you.
And enjoy! 🙂
Jump to:
- ⭐ Air Fryer Sugar Cookies Benefits
- 🥘 Sugar Cookies in Air Fryer Ingredients
- 🔪 How to Make Air Fryer Sugar Cookies
- ⏲️ Cooking Time and Temperature
- 😋 Tips for the Best Sugar Cookies
- 🌡️ How to Store Air Fryer Sugar Cookies
- 📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
- 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
- FAQs
- 👨🏾🍳 More Air Fryer Dessert Recipes
- The Disclaimer…
- 📖 Recipe
⭐ Air Fryer Sugar Cookies Benefits
Why make sugar cookies in the air fryer? Here are a few reasons I like this recipe:
- Quick and Easy: It only takes a few minutes to mix together the cookie dough and 5-6 minutes to air fry them. You get near-instant gratification when that cookie craving hits!
- Holiday Baking: Things can get a little crazy around the holidays, right? When you’re using the oven 24/7 but need some cookies for a cookie swap, let the air fryer come to the rescue! (And don’t miss the decorating tips below!)
- Snacking: Need an afterschool snack for the kids? Something portable or freezer-friendly? This sugar cookie recipe has got your back, my friend.
- Sugar-free sugar cookies: I’m using Swerve in this recipe, a 1:1 sugar substitute, to make sugar cookies sugar free. This gives you sugar cookies that are lower carb and lower calorie than classic sugar cookies.
- Delicious: Sugar cookies have always been one of my favorite types of cookies. Young and old will love this tasty treat!
🥘 Sugar Cookies in Air Fryer Ingredients
To make sugar cookies in the air fryer, you need the following ingredients:
- White flour
- Spelt or whole wheat flour
- Baking powder
- Butter
- Swerve granular or white granulated sugar
- Egg white
- Vanilla
As always, find specific quantities of ingredients in the recipe card at the end of the post!
Everyone has their own way to make sugar cookies. For instance, the Betty Crocker sugar cookies recipe uses powdered sugar, not granulated. Many sugar cookie recipes use all white flour, but I like to add some whole grain flour for fiber.
(Using all whole grain flour in this recipe makes it taste a little too healthy, and not in a good way IMHO.)
I tried an allulose sweetener in this recipe originally. It was supposed to be a 1:1 sugar substitute, but it’s not as sweet as sugar, like Swerve is. So, I’d go with Swerve or table sugar in this recipe.
I developed this recipe in a 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven. The Ninja Foodi, Philips, Nuwave, Pampered Chef, Actifry, Instant Pot Vortex, Cosori, Breville, and other air fryers may also work. However, keep in mind that cooking times can vary between air fryer brands.
Check the air fryer basket early whenever you try a new air fryer recipe. That way you won’t burn the food if the cooking times for your device are different.
Aside from an air fryer, you’ll also need these cut out cookie basics:
- Food scale
- Electric mixer
- Rolling pin
- Parchment paper
- Cookie cutters
Yes, we’re weighing the dry ingredients in this recipe. That’s the best way to get consistent results in baking.
🔪 How to Make Air Fryer Sugar Cookies
To make air fryer sugar cookies, begin by mixing together the flours and baking powder in a medium-size bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sweetener with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. It will take about 5 minutes.
Add the egg white and vanilla to the butter mixture in the bowl. Mix until combined.
Next, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Use the electric mixer to mix everything together into a cohesive dough. This will take a few more minutes.
I did not chill the dough in the fridge because these cookies really don’t spread much. If your dough is a bit sticky, you may want to chill it in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.
Cookie dough that is too cold can crack when rolled. If this happens, just pinch the cracks together and let it warm up at room temperature for a few minutes.
Now that the dough is ready, you can cut it into cookies. You can either roll the dough into a log and cut it into circles or you can use cookie cutters.
To use cookie cutters, roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper. The dough should be ½-inch thick (1.27 cm). Be sure the cookies are the thickness you want them to be, since they won’t spread.
Once the dough is rolled, remove the top parchment sheet and cut them into cookies. I cut hearts that are about 2 inches in diameter (5 cm). If you cut shapes with very thin sections (like stars), there’s a higher risk the cookies won’t brown evenly.
After the cookies are cut, put a few in your air fryer basket or tray. I could fit 4-5 cookies on a tray.
⏲️ Cooking Time and Temperature
How long to air fry sugar cookies from scratch? What temperature to air fry homemade sugar cookies? Air fry sugar cookies for a total of 5-6 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200C). Use the top rack position if you have an air fryer oven.
This recipe makes about 9 cookies, so I had to air fry them in two batches. Since the air fryer is essentially preheated after cooking the first batch, you may want to take the second batch out 1 minute early.
After the sugar cookies have air fried, let them cool a few minutes before carefully lifting them from the air fryer tray. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
If you wait about 10 minutes, you may be able to gently lift them off the tray with your fingers. If the cookies are sticking a bit, use a spatula to help release them.
So, there you have it... sugar cookies without an oven!
😋 Tips for the Best Sugar Cookies
How to make the best air fryer sugar cookies? First of all, think about cutting them into seasonal shapes with cookies cutters. Use pumpkins for Halloween, Christmas trees for Christmas, etc. Second, you can get fancy with decorating. After spreading the sugar cookies with frosting or icing, sprinkle on any of the following:
- Colorful sprinkles (AKA jimmies)
- Crushed candy bars
- Jellybeans
And yes, you could also decorate your cookies with nuts, seeds, dried cherries, and other healthy options.
🌡️ How to Store Air Fryer Sugar Cookies
Air fryer sugar cookies can be kept in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. They also freeze well. Store them in the freezer in freezer bags with the air pressed out.
📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
One air fryer sugar cookie has 152 calories, 11.9 grams net carbs, and 2.3 grams protein. Nutrition information will vary depending on how big you cut your cookies and any toppings or add-ins you use.
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). I’m still waiting for someone to invent cookies that are easy to stop eating after one cookie. (And no, I’m not talking about healthy “cookies” that are not truly cookies.)
These air fryer sugar cookies do have a few things going for them nutritionally. However, they’re still loaded with high calorie flour and butter. (Though whole grain flour contains more fiber than white flour, unfortunately it contains about the same number of calories.)
The one thing these cookies don’t have (depending on how you make them) is sugar. Using Swerve knocks 270 calories off of the recipe, as well as 72 grams of net carbs. If you make 9 cookies, you’re saving 30 calories and 8 grams of net carbs per cookie.
It may seem like a small difference, but remember many of us eat more than one cookie. If you’re on a carb-restricted diet for diabetes, choosing sugar free cookies may make it easier to stay on track.
That said, for many Americans, cutting back on sugar cookies (even sugar free, low carb, or low fat cookies) may be a good move. The average American diet is packed with refined flour, added oils, and sugar. The foods containing these ingredients are crowding out more nutritious options (e.g., fruits, veg, seafood, etc.)
I like this small batch sugar cookie recipe because it helps satisfy a craving without having dozens of leftover cookies around. I can have a cookie (or two), pop what’s left in the freezer, and go back to my regular healthy eating plan. There’s no need for me to give up the occasional cookie if I want one. 🙂
FAQs
To make air fryer Pillsbury sugar cookies, bake for about 8 minutes in an air fryer set to 350F (177C). Use the top rack if you have an air fryer oven. Let the cookies cool before lifting from the air fryer rack; they’ll firm up more.
The egg gives a little leavening in cookie recipes, but it may not completely replace the baking powder. One good substitute for baking powder uses baking soda. For each teaspoon of baking powder in the recipe, use ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus ½ teaspoon cream of tartar.
Even though these are sugar free sugar cookies, they are not low carb or keto. White flour and whole wheat flour are both high carb ingredients. Almond flour or coconut flour are two keto flours, but I have not tested them in this recipe.
For vegan air fryer cookies, you need to make a sugar cookie recipe without butter. Use a vegan butter stick (such as Earth Balance) as a 1:1 butter substitute. You will also need to use an egg replacer for the egg white in this recipe.
Parchment paper is safe to use in the air fryer. However, do not use parchment paper under the cookies in this recipe. The paper blocks the air flow in the air fryer, leaving the bottom of the cookies doughy.
👨🏾🍳 More Air Fryer Dessert Recipes
Looking for more air fryer recipes for desserts? Try these:
- Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies
- Gulab Jamun Cheesecake with Air Fryer Gulab Jamun
- Air Fryer S’mores
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls
Also, don’t miss the entire collection of Air Fryer Recipes!
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Sugar Cookies (from Scratch Recipe)
Ingredients
- 90 grams white flour (¾ cup)
- 60 grams whole wheat or spelt flour (½ cup, can also use more white flour)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 72 grams Swerve, granular (6 tablespoons)
- 1 large egg white
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Weigh the dry ingredients using a food scale. Mix together the flours and baking powder in a medium-size bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sweetener with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. It will take about 5 minutes.
- Add the egg white and vanilla to the butter mixture in the bowl. Mix until combined.
- Next, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Use the electric mixer to mix everything together into a cohesive dough. This will take a few more minutes.
- To shape the cookies, either roll the dough into a log and cut it into circles or use cookie cutters.
- To use cookie cutters, roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper. The dough should be ½-inch thick (1.27 cm). Remove the top parchment sheet and cut them into cookies. I cut hearts that are about 2 inches in diameter (5 cm). If you cut shapes with very thin sections (like stars), there’s a higher risk the cookies won’t brown evenly.
- Put 4-5 cookies on your air fryer tray. Air fry for 5-6 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Use the top rack position if you have an air fryer oven.
- This recipe makes about 9 cookies, so I had to air fry them in two batches. Since the air fryer is essentially preheated after cooking the first batch, you may want to take the second batch out 1 minute early.
- Let the cookies cool a few minutes before carefully lifting them from the air fryer tray. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool. If the cookies are sticking a bit, use a spatula to help release them.
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