Baking traditional cookies during the festive season never fails to prepare us for the holidays, so when we came across this tasty Gingerbread Fry Cookie Recipe on Instagram, we couldn’t wait to try it out.
Quickly becoming the must-have small appliance this winter, one of the best air fryers is on many of us’s wish lists. We’re big fans of the latest air fryers for a number of reasons. But mostly, their impressive time and money saving features make them a worthwhile investment and a useful countertop appliance to keep on hand.
We have seen many cookie recipes online that allow you to bake in the air fryer with ease, so when we saw the air fryer gingerbread cookie recipe on Instagram from @airfriingfoodie (opens in a new tab) We thought we’d give it a whirl. We’ve summarized the recipe below and given our verdict to include any adjustments you may want to try and get your gingersnaps baked to perfection. Read on to find out how it went.
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If you’re going to make these deep fryer gingerbread men, you’ll need a deep fryer (if you don’t already have one)…
Air Fryer Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
The deep fryer gingerbread cookie recipe we opted to follow for the holidays is from @airfringfoodie on Instagram. It seems super easy to follow, and the results look pretty tasty.
Make ahead and you can store the dough wrapped in cling film for up to 7 days. You can also freeze raw cookie dough in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once cooked, you can store the cookies in an airtight bag or airtight tin for up to 3 weeks.
Deep Fryer Gingerbread Cookies Ingredients
We followed @airfringfoodie’s Deep Fryer Gingerbread Cookies recipe, which we’ve jotted down below for you:
Ingredients:
2 x 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
⅓ cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
Air Fryer Gingerbread Cookie Method
We read that the recipe suggests baking the cookies for 8-10 minutes at 176°C (348.8°F). we use the Ninja Foodi Max Health Grill and Air Fryer AG551UKDBCP (opens in a new tab), which features variable temperature settings and up to 6 cooking functions to broil, fry, broil, bake, reheat and dehydrate. As the temperature rises in 10°C increments, we decided to bake at 338°F (170°C) for 8 minutes.
We used the Ninja Foodi MAX Health AG551UKDBCP Grill and Fryer to bake Gingerbread Man Christmas Cookies (Image credit: Future | Photo: Emily Peck)
The method we followed was very easy, and we even used the Reheat function on the deep fryer to melt the butter in the first step. Once the butter was melted, it was just a matter of mixing everything together and chilling the batter in the freezer before cooking.
Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl, then set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl or stand mixer, add the butter and sugar. Beat together on medium speed. Add the egg, vanilla, and molasses. Continue mixing on medium speed until well combined.
Step 3: Slowly add the flour mixture and continue to mix until all the ingredients are combined. Scrape down the inside of the container if necessary.
Step 4: Wrap and chill the dough for about 30 minutes.
we roll out the dough after chilling for 30 minutes and cut out our gingerbread man shapes (Image credit: Future | Photo: Emily Peck)
Step 5: On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough about ¼-inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut into your favorite shapes.
Step 6: Place the cookies in the air fryer basket, lined with parchment paper.
Once the cookies are cut, place them on baking paper ready to fry for 6 minutes at 170°C (Image credit: Future | Photo: Emily Peck)
Step 7: Air fry at 176°C for 8-10 minutes until the batter is cooked. Adjust as you see fit. We tested 5 minutes at 170°C
Step 8: Allow cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes before removing from fryer basket. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Deep Fryer Gingerbread Cookies Recipe Verdict
While it’s a good practice not to interrupt your baking cycle midway, we opened the fryer lid halfway through the six-minute cycle to see how well the cookies were doing. On our first try, we baked the cookies for 8 minutes at 350°F, but found that the cookies came out a little undercooked and were too burnt on the sides. Once the cookies had cooled they started to get too hard for our liking.
On our first attempt at following the cookie recipe, the gingerbread cookies came out a bit burnt and became too hard when cooled. (Image credit: Future | Photo: Emily Peck)
Learning from our mistakes, we made a second batch and baked them for 6 minutes at 170°C and the results were much more pleasing. While the gingerbread cookies looked a little paler than our first batch, they were well cooked and retained a hard, crunchy exterior with a nice soft center. We only had to wait for them to cool down and decorate.
On our second attempt at baking a batch of gingerbread cookies, we managed to bake cookies that stayed soft on the inside and had a nice crunchy texture on the outside. (Image credit: Future | Photo: Emily Peck)
A little trial and error gave us the results we were looking for when making our gingerbread cookies. Since air fryers are very powerful and cook food at a high temperature quickly, you’ll need to be careful when choosing the perfect setting to bake a batch of cookies. Remember that the cookies will harden a bit more as they cool, so it’s best not to overbake them in the air fryer.
Our Air Fryer Gingerbread Cookies are soft in the middle and crispy on the outside (Image credit: Future | Photo: Emily Peck)
Yeah, so now we know. An air fryer can not only create quick starters and main meals, but the latest designs are also great for sweets and baking. The focus here is on speed, without compromising flavor, which is why making cookies in the air fryer is such an appealing idea.
If you’re looking for more cookie ideas, we also love the @airfryongfoodie look. Air Fryer White Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies (opens in a new tab). the Air Fryer Christmas Brownie Mix Cookies (opens in a new tab) It’s also worth a try and use a pre-made cookie mix for even faster results.
We found that as long as you get the temperature and timings right, you get that crunchy outer shell with a moist, chewy center, which tastes delicious. Additionally, faster cooking times can mean reduced energy consumption and therefore cheaper electricity bills as well. If you’re still sitting on the fence wondering whether to buy an air fryer, you can read our article on deciding if air fryers are worth it.