Often when we think of desserts and sweet treats we either think of them baked and then smothered in some form of sugar syrup or icing, or even worse, deep-fried, well they don’t need to be.
Now you can have air fryer dessert recipes for healthier sweet treats without the guilt and grease, win-win. And I can guarantee the family will love you even more for it.
Sometimes we just need a little sweet bite to make us feel good, and if the day or week has been long and dragging then you have even more reason to indulge and treat yourself. Only now, with the air fryer, you can do it in half the time, what more do you need from a sweet-tasting snack.
#1. Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
There isn’t anyone that I know that will turn down a homemade chocolate chip cookie, and with these air fryer dessert recipes, you won’t want to make these in the oven again. They take minutes to prepare and only 10 minutes to cook in the air fryer, life has certainly become sweeter.
Now you can have your cookies, a well-deserved cup of tea, and all before the kids and hubby wake up, the best moment of peace you could ask for. We know life can get crazy busy, so knowing that one thing can be less time-consuming is a blessing.
The batter or cookie dough is made with only a handful of ingredients and can easily be frozen to use for a later day so you could make up a double or even triple portion to save time later. The kids adore these (although so does the hubby) and there always seems to be half the cookie jar full the next day when I make these.
They make perfect gifts wrapped in cute baskets with some bubbly, or just to say thanks to someone. Chocolate cookies make everyone feel good no matter the reason.
If you have ever been to Spain or a Spanish restaurant then you will know how good churros are, and these convection oven dessert recipes make international treats so much easier to recreate. My kids ate these till they couldn’t anymore so I think it is safe to say they liked them, but the best part is they don’t have the grease like the deep-fried ones which can get messy.
These take a little more effort to prepare but you can make a large batch of the mixture at a time and make them in increments that fit in the fryer. You will cook the piped churros straight from the freezer where they have been resting and holding shape, then cook for 10-15 minutes depending on the strength of the fryer, so keep an eye on them.
The golden churros can then go straight from the fryer into the cinnamon sugar seasoning (or just sugar if the kids don’t like cinnamon, it tastes just as good) to coat evenly and then placed on the platter for the family to tuck into.
They taste amazing just with the sugar, of course, but delectable with caramel or chocolate sauce for dipping into. A crowd-pleasing treat that no one will say no to.
The classic black and white biscuit have been a favorite of kids the world over for years, and if you could believe it, they can get even better. These dessert air fryer recipes show us that even the greatest of treats can be customized to something new and just as delicious and making these for friends and family will make you the star of the party.
Even kids love these air fryer Oreos over the traditional ones and I can’t blame them, they’re a hit.
This is like a bite of heaven and is done on under 10 minutes, amazing. A classic cookie wrapped in golden pastry and fried without grease, is there anything better? And it is an easy dish for the kids to get involved too, they love wrapping the cookies in the dough and placing them in the fryer, eagerly waiting for them to turn golden and gorgeous.
Great with a cup of coffee first thing in the morning and on the weekend before heading out to what will be a busy day with the kids and their sports matches. You work hard, who is to say you can’t enjoy a biscuit for breakfast?
This may not be everyone’s idea of a dessert but for those on a healthy eating plan who don’t want aimless amounts of sugar ruining their gym days, this is the perfect alternative. And ready in no time at all.
I love fruit as a dessert but usually, we find them stuffed into cakes or cookies so it is always nice to have something different in the pantry.
And they only need 3-ingredients making this budget-friendly so you don’t need to go to the store for specific or bespoke ingredients you may not end up using again. Win-win.
Simply toss the sliced banana chips in the oil, my kids love them when they are a little thicker sliced than usual, and place them in the fryer to crisp up. Once they are firm take out and sprinkle generously with salt, the pink Himalayan one for us is the healthiest but using what you have is perfectly fine.
Pop a portion pot into the kids’ lunch boxes for school, into a snack bag for the hubby to nibble on during the day while he is at work and this way you know they at least get some Potassium and vitamin B1 into their bodies.
Quick and easy, a recipe highly recommended for adding to your culinary arsenal.
Yes, believe it, a crumble pie can be made in the air fryer and successfully too, trust me, I know because my kids had two pieces each so it is a definite winner in our house.
I would never have thought I’d be making dessert convection oven recipes that would get the thumbs up from the family but here we are, and if you want a dish that is quick to make to impress the in-laws then give this a try.
There are only a handful of steps to the method and you have a beautiful fruit crumble before you know it, and if the berries are on sale in the frozen section at the store, get them, this can be made with frozen berries too (what a bonus), only remember to add 5 minutes more to the cooking time and lower the degrees a touch.
And you don’t have to use blueberries, all the berry family will work just as great, and you could even have a mixture of berries for added color and tartness, and the same with the crumb topping adding in chopped nuts for a nice crunch and texture element.
There are so many possibilities, and rather than the hour waiting for it to be done in the oven, the air fryer comes to the rescue. Less fuss, less clean up, and healthier than the greasy version we see splattered and sticky on too many oven-baked versions.
The goodness of melted chocolate and marshmallow wrapped between crumbly biscuits, this is one of those air fryer dessert recipes to have on hand when the weather outside is horrible, the kids are bored, and everyone just needs something sweet to fill the gap.
And the kids love jumping in to help put the ingredients together, in the air fryer, and eating of course, so be sure to get them involved. It may seem like a simple task but they feel wanted and important being given jobs to do, and then pride themselves on the success of the dish, it’s a win all around.
You could use any chocolate you like or that the family-like but traditionally milk chocolate is used, and then a marshmallow. Some people prefer the oversized marshmallows which work fine if you keep an eye on them because they take a little longer to soften and essentially melt, but any size other than the mini marshmallows works well.
If the rapid air circulation (blowing hot air) seems to be a little powerful for the marshmallows and they are sliding off, slice a thin layer off of one side of the marshmallow and squash the sticky side down onto the cracker.
You can be sure the family will give this a thumbs up if they aren’t licking their fingers first.
If my kids want a sweet treat I always try to give them something with fruit in it, this way they get what they want and I get them eating something a little healthier, win-win.
And they are delicious.
They do take a little effort to prepare (the effort being that you have to wait for them to chill down in the freezer for a few hours to set before frying) but they are well worth it and the perfect way to bring in the autumn season.
Enjoy them hot with some cream or ice cream, or even with a hot cup of cocoa to warm up when the days are chilly.
I always try to use the red Granny Smith apples because they tend to be less tart than the green ones, though sometimes the tartness is a welcomed balance to the syrup so it can go both ways, and you could see how you feel on the day.
These are so dainty and magazine-worthy looking that I almost look for occasions or reasons to invite family or friends over, or to make a big batch of these to an event just to see people’s reactions when I tell them I made it in the air fryer.
They rave about them, and I have tried it with so many different fillings each successful making it great for buffets or school functions. You can match the filling to a color scheme or a specific flavor for the season or function, and they will be the hit of the party.
I like to make a double or triple batch so that I can freeze them down (raw, not fried yet) for later in the month or week, and then have a nice conveyor line of the ready ingredients. I like the whole kitchen counter with little pastry discs, brush the edges with water, and put a dollop of filling in the center. Then you fold them closed and the kids love to pinch the edges with a fork. Make a little slit in the top for them to breathe and to burst open in the air fryer, and you are good to go.
Give the ready pies a quick spray with some oil, sprinkle sugar on top, and cook for a few minutes. Perfect for sweet appetizers when you have friends over for a chat and a cup of tea.
Nutella should be given a designated food group because it is so good. It has everything in it from richness, to nuttiness, to being so velvety, it is perfect.
And when you combine all of those traits with the best air fryer dessert recipes you have a winning combination for the best start to the morning, every day.
Croissants are flaky and light and taste brilliant plain, and now you’re adding chocolate, and then frying them in the air fryer, who knew desserts could be so simple and tasty.
Once you have laid out the croissants and filled them (you can use jam or marmalade if you want to change from chocolate, even apricots and feta are delicious combining sweet and savory), you roll them closed and brush them with egg and milk wash before placing in the fryer to puff up and filled with tasty goodness and air.
Great for a grab-and-go breakfast snack when you are running late and the kids have to eat in the car on the way to the school run, or piled high on a plate on the weekend when everyone has woken up late from a deserved lie-in.
They store well in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days, but if they begin to dry out, simply pop them onto a flat toaster machine and butter the toasted side for a revamp of an already great sweet snack.
These are so much easier and healthier to make than the takeout versions (we know who they are) and you can pick and choose the filling as you please.
I got my kids to make these so they could learn to make a snack if I was late at work (with my husband supervising, of course, although he is not great in the kitchen) and they managed better than I thought. We all love a good cheesecake but they can more than not be so heavy and dense, but these are light and airy and have a gorgeous golden crisp shell to hold all the goodness inside till you take your first bite.
Simplicity and effortlessness are always a great combination and even more so when the food you make ends up delicate and beautiful with a flavorful filling that melts in your mouth.
Be sure to make a batch of these for when the mom-in-law comes round for a visit, we could all use some points in the kitty from time to time and these will get you them (wink).
This has everything you need in a treat. The hot and the cold the sweet and the savory, and even the crunch and the smooth, there is nothing you will want to add to the dish, and yet we do. Ha.
When you serve this it is already impressive, a perfectly coated ball with a crunchy exterior, and when you dig into it with a spoon you have the velvet smooth, melting-in-your-mouth ice cream inside, and you don’t only need vanilla, let your taste buds run wild.
There are only a handful of steps to this recipe but it is quite time-consuming so you are better off starting this first thing in the morning to be ready for lunchtime or dinner and blow your family away with this restaurant-quality dessert dish. And made in the air fryer. Amazing.
The kids and the hubby enjoyed seeing this served and eating it and gave it a two thumbs up rating. You could once in a while switch up the cereal coating for something like fruit loops to add a fun color pop, perhaps for a birthday, and even a chocolate or nutty version. You have choices and options to choose from.
It is strange how kids won’t eat a jam tart from the bakery but they have no issue stuffing 10 pop tarts into their mouths for breakfast. Well, I guess if they are eating fruit we should be happy. I have made these so many times with hundreds of different fillings and the kids never seem to get bored of them.
We have tried blueberry, apple, and cinnamon (which I loved and I think is more suitable for adults), apricot, and then a mixed berry medley, so you certainly have options and you can enjoy the freedom of mixing and matching flavors.
The best part is while these are rectangles and that is the traditional shape of pop tarts, we have on occasion switched it up with some half-moon shapes for fun, but I think they prefer the rectangle or square. It is just fun to play around with.
And, of course, they can help to pinch the edges with the fork and then give them a quick egg wash before popping them into the fryer.
You can make a big batch of these and freeze them down (uncooked), and then the family can just take a few out and pop them into the fryer from frozen but be sure to leave added time if from frozen. Quick and easy, no grease and no fuss, a healthy, sweet-tasting bite to eat in the morning.
This is a quicker version of the classic bread and butter pudding but done in half the time and without all the stress. We love to make this on the weekends when we are having a relaxed day with nowhere to go, the weather outside hasn’t stopped raining, so comfort food is key to making the day less grey.
You can also add sultanas or raisins into the mix rather than the chocolate chips but I doubt the kids will go for that, it was delicious though, my friends particularly enjoyed it with their tea when they came over.
And what is also great about these convection oven dessert recipes is that you can use bread that is already drying out and becoming a bit stiff, because once the syrup soaks into it and the chocolate chips melt into pools of goodness, the crisp topping is added crunch to the overall flavor and texture.
Make this in 1 larger pan in the air fryer or mini ones (I make smaller ones so each child has his own and there is no fighting over who has the bigger portion), and it is baked in 10 -15 minutes, just keep an eye on it depending on the strength of your air fryer.
A kid favorite from your childhood, and it takes only 10-minutes to make and be ready to eat, yes, please. These are essentially fat pancakes but not in one solid disc but rather a combination of thinner pancake strings stuck together in a circular shape and fried.
Only now you can enjoy your fairground classic treat without the grease and oil splatters, and with a dusting of icing sugar, you have a quick breakfast snack for the family to grab quickly in the morning before heading out for the day’s activities.
Once the mix is ready it is all straightforward from there on out, and you can put the mix into a squeezy bottle so it is easier for the kids to make the discs or other shapes if they like.
Sprinkle with sugar or drizzle melted chocolate sauce over.
Oh, I do love a gooey, thick, and rich brownie. The dark chocolatey mix is baked to perfection and when you have dessert air fryer recipes that are so easy you can have brownies all the time.
The inside is soft and moist and melts in your mouth, and the top and sides are firm and crisp giving you a texture combination that makes everything seem right in the world.
When you start to make the batter you immediately begin to smell the cocoa flavors and sweetness that is going to cook in the air fryer and make the house smell like a bakery. And it does. I make these sometimes to surprise the kids when they come home from school and they are immediately hit with the sweet treat aroma the moment they open the front door and run to the kitchen.
Thankfully, these are done in just 10-13 minutes so all they have to do is pop down their school bags and wash their hands. They are so beautiful when they are warm and freshly baked, and my favorite time to eat them but cold the next day is just as tasty and makes for a great treat in the lunch boxes.
If you have a celebration coming up, you can make a few batches of these delicious brownies. Leave them to cool down and pile high for the kids to grab from. Serve them as is or throw on some smarties or sprinkles before placing the tray in the air fryer for some added fun and color.
Dessert has always been a way for people to close off, or end a meal, and what better way than a sweet snack that is done in 30 minutes or less. Perfect. No one wants to wait to eat something sweet when they can smell it wafting through the house and not be able to taste it for an hour while it bakes.
Now you can try these easy air fryer dessert recipes for sweet treats without the grease, and revel in the fact that cleanup is a breeze. A simple wipe down and you can pop onto the sofa to relax for the evening.
And if these quick recipes caught your eye, be sure to check out our blog for even more great ideas and dishes to spark your culinary creativity and make time in the kitchen fun again.
Born and raised in South Africa and being immersed in the rich culture, Candace soon found a passion for all things food related. Exploring and experiencing new flavors and taste profiles she pursued her career as a qualified chef in silver service specialized in fine dining.
