Air fryers are brilliant for crispy fries and juicy chicken, but the question that keeps coming up is whether you can actually bake in one. The short answer is yes, far more than most people think. The longer answer is that an air fryer bakes differently from an oven, so some things shine, some need a workaround, and a few are best left for the big oven.
This guide gives you the clear verdict on each, the reason behind it, and the simple fix where one exists. If you want the deeper how-to afterwards, pair it with our how to bake in an air fryer guide and the baking conversion chart.
How air fryer baking actually works
An air fryer is really a small convection oven. A heating element sits at the top and a powerful fan blasts hot air down and around the food. That fast, dry, top-down heat is exactly why fries turn crispy, and it is also the single thing you have to manage when baking. Because the heat is concentrated and the chamber is small, baked goods cook faster, brown quicker on top, and can dry out if you treat them like an oven bake.
Get your head around that one fact, top-down heat in a tight space, and almost every rule below makes sense. You lower the temperature so the top does not scorch before the middle sets, you keep pans small so air can move, and you check early because things finish fast.
The quick can and can't list
Here is the whole guide in one glance. The detail and the workarounds follow below.
| Bake | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cupcakes & muffins | Yes | Small, forgiving, bake fast in silicone cups |
| Cookies (small batch) | Yes | Crisp edges, gooey centers, ready in minutes |
| Brownies & bars | Yes | Shallow pan or ramekin works beautifully |
| Single-layer cakes | Yes | Keep to a 6-8 inch pan, drop the temp |
| Quick breads (banana, zucchini) | Yes | Dense batters love the caramelized top |
| Rolls & small loaves | Yes | Golden tops in under 15 minutes |
| Cheesecake | Yes, but | Small Basque-style works, large water-bath ones do not |
| Doughnuts | Yes, but | Baked-style yes, true fried texture no |
| Pies & pastries | Yes, but | Mini pies and turnovers yes, tall fragile ones no |
| Large or layered cakes | No | Too big for even airflow, burnt outside, raw center |
| Souffles & meringues | No | The fan collapses delicate structures |
| Thin custards & flan | No | Need gentle, stable, even heat over a long time |
What you can bake in an air fryer
These are the wins. If you are new to air fryer baking, start here, because they are quick, forgiving, and genuinely better in some cases than the oven.
Cakes and cupcakes
Yes, as long as you keep them small. Sponge cakes, carrot cake, banana cake, and cupcakes all work well in silicone molds or a mini cake pan. Lower the temperature by about 25°F versus the oven instructions so the top does not over-brown before the center cooks. A 6 to 8 inch pan is the sweet spot for a standard basket.
Cookies
Air fryers are fantastic for small batches of cookies. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal all come out with a crisp shell and a soft middle, often in a fraction of the oven time. Space them apart so air can circulate, line the basket with parchment so the bottoms do not scorch, and start checking a couple of minutes early because they go fast.
Brownies and bars
Fudgy brownies and dessert bars are a strong yes. Use a small, shallow pan or a couple of ramekins rather than a deep dish, since a thick batter in a deep pan sets on top long before the middle is done.
Quick breads, rolls, and small loaves
Banana bread, zucchini bread, dinner rolls, and focaccia all bake nicely. Dense quick-bread batters in particular get a lovely caramelized top. Proof any yeast dough outside the air fryer and use the machine only for the bake. For the most even rise, give the leavener a head start by preheating first.
Savory bakes
Do not forget the savory side. Quiches, frittatas, savory muffins, and mini lasagna cups all work in oven-safe glass, ceramic, or silicone. They make a fast single-serve lunch with almost no cleanup.
The "yes, but" list (where most guides get it wrong)
This is the part other articles tend to oversimplify. A few bakes get labeled a flat "no" when really they just need the right approach. Here is the honest version.
Cheesecake
A big, classic, water-bath New York cheesecake is not a good air fryer job, the long gentle bake it needs is the opposite of what an air fryer does. But a small Basque-style (burnt) cheesecake is one of the best things you can make in one. The intense top heat caramelizes the surface while the inside stays soft and pudding-like, which is exactly the point of that cake. So the answer is not "no", it is "match the cheesecake to the machine".
Doughnuts
If you want true deep-fried doughnut texture, the air fryer will not match a pot of oil, side-by-side tests bear that out. But baked-style doughnuts and biscuit-dough doughnuts come out light and golden. Set your expectations to "baked doughnut", not "fried", and you will be happy.
Pies and pastries
Mini pies, hand pies, turnovers, and puff-pastry snacks are great. Frozen pastries can go in without fully thawing, just adjust the time. What does not work is anything tall and fragile, where the fan can lift or lopside the pastry before it sets.
The pattern to remember: air fryers reward small, sturdy, and quick. Whenever a "no" item can be made smaller, sturdier, or shorter to bake, it usually moves into the "yes" column.
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What you can't bake in an air fryer
Some bakes really are better left for the oven. Forcing these tends to waste good ingredients.
Very large cakes and loaves
The basket size and concentrated airflow make big bakes cook unevenly. A large loaf almost always ends up burnt on the outside and raw in the middle. Stick to single-layer, small-format cakes.
Multi-layer and tall cakes
A tall, three-tier showstopper is not happening in an air fryer. The top sets and browns long before deep batter cooks through. Bake single layers and stack them afterwards if you want height.
Souffles, meringues, and delicate pastries
Anything that relies on a fragile, airy structure will be wrecked by the fan. Souffles collapse, meringues blow around, and paper-thin pastry lifts before it sets. These need the still, gentle heat of an oven.
Thin custards, flan, and large baked puddings
High-moisture, wobbly bakes need stable, even heat over a long, slow time, which is the opposite of an air fryer's fast, dry, top-down blast. The texture will not set properly.
Best bakeware and pans for air fryer baking
The right pan matters more in an air fryer than in an oven, because the wrong one blocks airflow or reacts badly to the fast heat. Here is what to reach for and what to skip.
| Bakeware | Verdict | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Silicone molds & cups | Great | Non-stick and flexible. Centers can stay soft, so check doneness |
| Small metal pans (6-8 in) | Great | Best heat conduction for cookies, bars, and cakes |
| Ceramic dishes | Good | Lovely for pies, quiches, gratins. Use air fryer-safe ones |
| Oven-safe glass (Pyrex) | Careful | Heats slowly and can crack from sudden temperature shifts |
| Oversized pans | Avoid | Block airflow and cause uneven, soggy results |
| Unweighted paper liners | Avoid | Can fly up into the heating element. Always weigh them down |
A few extra pointers that competitors gloss over: dark pans absorb heat and bake faster, so watch cakes closely in them, while light pans brown more gently and evenly. Silicone is non-stick but it insulates, which can leave centers underdone, so a metal pan is the safer bet for anything that needs a firm set. And never put a cold glass dish straight into a hot air fryer, let it come up to temperature with the machine to avoid thermal shock. For the full breakdown, see our guide on using silicone molds in the air fryer.
Foil and parchment paper safety
Both are fine to use, with two non-negotiable rules.
- Weigh down parchment. Loose parchment will blow into the heating element and can scorch. Always put food on top of it, or cut it to size and add the food before the fan starts.
- Never block all the airflow. Foil is handy for tenting a browning top, but do not line the whole basket or cover the entire surface. The air has to move. Keep foil off the heating element, and avoid wrapping acidic foods in it.
For the deeper dive, including which foods do best on parchment, read can you use foil or parchment paper in an air fryer.
Temperature and time adjustments
Air fryers cook hotter and faster than ovens, so you cannot use oven numbers as-is. The rule of thumb almost every baker agrees on:
- Lower the temperature by 25°F (about 15°C) compared to the oven recipe.
- Cut the time by about 20 percent, and check earlier than that to be safe.
So an oven bake at 350°F for 20 minutes becomes roughly 325°F for about 15 to 16 minutes in the air fryer. Every model runs a little differently, so treat these as a starting point and let doneness, not the clock, be the final word. To skip the math entirely, plug your numbers into our air fryer calculator or the full conversion chart.
Preheating: a short 3 to 5 minute preheat helps a lot, especially for anything leavened with baking soda, baking powder, or yeast, since that early burst of heat kick-starts the rise.
How to tell when your bake is done
Because air fryers cook fast and from the top, the clock lies more often than in an oven. Use these checks instead:
- Toothpick test: insert it into the center. Clean or with a few moist crumbs means done, wet batter means more time.
- Internal temperature: most cakes, muffins, and quick breads are done at about 190 to 210°F (88 to 99°C) in the center.
- Visual and touch: the top should spring back when lightly pressed and the edges should pull slightly from the pan.
Always start checking a few minutes before you think it is ready. It is far easier to add a minute than to rescue an overbaked bake.
Tips for successful air fryer baking
- Do not overcrowd. Leave space around the pan so air can move freely.
- Rotate halfway for even color, especially on cakes and breads.
- Tent with foil if the top is browning too fast before the center sets.
- Keep batches small. The air fryer rewards single-serve and small-format bakes.
- Use the middle rack in oven-style air fryers for the most even heat.
- Add moisture to batters prone to drying, a spoon of yogurt or applesauce helps. More on this in how to avoid dry air fryer bakes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using bakeware that is too big for the basket and chokes the airflow.
- Forgetting to drop the temperature and time, then wondering why the top burned.
- Skipping the preheat on leavened bakes that need that early lift.
- Leaving delicate batter uncovered so the fan dries it out.
- Trusting the timer instead of checking doneness early.
If something has already gone wrong, our troubleshooting air fryer baking guide maps each symptom to its fix.
Frequently asked questions
QCan you really bake a cake in an air fryer?
Yes, as long as it is a small, single-layer cake in a 6 to 8 inch pan. Lower the temperature by about 25°F from the oven recipe and check the center with a toothpick. Large or multi-layer cakes do not bake evenly and are better in the oven.
QCan I use glass bakeware in an air fryer?
Yes, if it is oven-safe glass such as Pyrex and it fits without blocking airflow. Avoid sudden temperature changes, never put a cold glass dish into a hot air fryer, as the thermal shock can crack it. For quick-baking items, metal or silicone is more reliable.
QDo I need to preheat my air fryer before baking?
For most bakes a 3 to 5 minute preheat helps, and it is especially worth it for anything leavened with baking powder, baking soda, or yeast so it gets an early burst of heat to rise. Some newer models preheat automatically.
QCan I bake a cheesecake in an air fryer?
A small Basque-style cheesecake works wonderfully, the top caramelizes while the inside stays creamy. A large, classic water-bath cheesecake does not, because it needs long, gentle, even heat that the air fryer cannot provide.
QCan I bake frozen cake or cookie dough?
Yes. Bake from frozen and simply add a few extra minutes, checking halfway through. Frozen pastries also go in without fully thawing, just adjust the time slightly.
QCan you bake bread from scratch in an air fryer?
Yes, for small loaves and rolls. Proof the dough outside the machine, then bake. Full-sized artisan loaves are too large for even airflow, so keep it small for a golden top and a properly cooked center.
QWhy does the top of my bake burn before the middle cooks?
Because the heating element sits right above the food. Lower the temperature by 25°F, use a shallow pan so heat reaches the center, and tent the top with foil once it has the color you want.
QWhat size pan fits in an air fryer?
For most basket-style air fryers, a 6 to 8 inch round or square pan is ideal, along with ramekins, mini loaf pans, and silicone cups. Oven-style air fryers can take slightly larger pans. Always leave room for air to flow around the pan.
QCan I put a whole cheesecake or flan in an air fryer?
Not ideal. High-moisture, custard-style bakes need stable, gentle heat over a long time, which the air fryer's fast top-down heat cannot deliver. These set far better in a conventional oven.
QIs air fryer baking actually better than the oven?
For small batches, yes in many cases. It is faster, uses less energy, does not heat the whole kitchen, and gives cookies and Basque cheesecake a texture the oven struggles to match. For large or delicate bakes, the oven still wins.
Want to put this into practice? Start with our how to bake in an air fryer guide, then keep the conversion chart and troubleshooting guide handy for your first few bakes.
You can also follow me on Instagram, and Pinterest for more easy & air fryer baking recipes.
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