Can You Bake Biscuits In An Air Fryer: Helpful Advice

Want fresh-baked biscuits without an oven? Your air fryer is the answer! This convenient baking method lets you enjoy crispy, homemade biscuits anytime.

Can I make biscuits in an air fryer?

You can make biscuits in an air fryer, and the results are quite good! I've tried it before.

First, lower the temperature.

Air fryers heat up quickly, so it's recommended to set the temperature 10 - 20 ℃ lower than that of an oven. For example, if you bake regular biscuits at 180 ℃ in an oven, you can set the air fryer to 160 - 170 ℃ to avoid the surface getting burnt while the inside is still undercooked.

Shorten the baking time and check the status.

Usually, 8 - 12 minutes of baking is sufficient. However, the power of different models varies. It's advisable to pull out the air fryer basket halfway through to check. When the edges turn slightly yellow and the middle has slightly set, you can stop. The residual heat will continue to make the biscuits crisp.

Don't make the dough too thick.

When pressing out the biscuit dough, make it as thin as possible (about 5 millimeters thick). If it's too thick, the outer layer may turn hard while the core remains soft. Use a fork to press some patterns on the dough to help with even heat distribution.

Bake in small batches.

Don't overcrowd the air fryer. Leave some space for the hot air to circulate. If the frying basket is small, baking 5 - 6 biscuits at a time gives the best results, and the surface color will be more uniform.

Should you flip biscuits in the air fryer?

You need to flip the biscuits, but not in all cases.

If you are making thin - sliced biscuits, such as common butter cookies, flipping them halfway through can make the bottom more crispy. However, when dealing with thick, soft - centered biscuits, flipping may cause them to crack. In this case, you can increase the temperature in the last three minutes to heat up the top.

My experience is to consider two points: If the thickness of the biscuits exceeds 1 centimeter, or if baking paper has been laid, flipping is more likely to be successful. When operating, use silicone tongs to gently push the bottom of the biscuits instead of directly clamping them, as they are prone to breakage.

Open the air fryer to check after it has been running for five minutes. If the surface is already colored but the bottom is lighter in color, quickly flip the biscuits once.

Should I preheat the air fryer for biscuits?

You need to preheat the air fryer. Especially for biscuits containing butter or baking powder, baking them directly in a cold air fryer can easily cause the bottom to become burnt and hard while the middle remains moist and sticky. However, the preheating time is much shorter than that of an oven. Usually, 3 minutes is sufficient.

I remember the time when I made peanut butter biscuits. The finished product without preheating had blackened edges, but the middle seemed undercooked. Later, I preheated the air fryer to 160 ℃ and then baked the biscuits. In the same amount of time, the biscuits came out with an even color and a crispy texture. For thin - slice biscuits like almond cookies, preheating may not be necessary, but it's best to check the status during baking.

It is recommended to preheat at a temperature 5 - 10 ℃ higher than the actual baking temperature. The temperature will drop naturally when you open the door to put in the baking tray. I usually set the air fryer to 175 ℃ and preheat it for 3 minutes with nothing inside, then adjust the temperature back to 165 ℃ after putting in the biscuits and start timing. If your air fryer has a preheating prompt sound function, it's safest to put in the ingredients after the prompt sounds.

How do I prevent biscuits from burning in the air fryer?

Here are some methods to try:

Lower the temperature and increase the time

For example, if you originally bake at 180℃ for 10 minutes, change it to 170℃ for 12 minutes. Baking them thoroughly in this slow way is safer.

Cover with tin foil to prevent over - coloring

For biscuits with a high sugar content (such as caramel biscuits), when the color starts to darken halfway through baking, quickly place a piece of tin foil on the surface. You don't need to wrap it completely; just place it loosely on top. This can retain heat and prevent the surface from getting burnt.

Keep the dough away from the heating tube

If the heating tube of the air fryer is at the top, try to place the biscuits in the middle layer of the frying basket. Use a raised baking rack or place baking paper underneath to avoid getting too close to the heat source. Laying two layers of tin foil at the bottom also has a heat - insulating effect.

Swap the positions halfway through

Pull out the frying basket halfway through baking and swap the positions of the biscuits on the outer edge and those in the center. Especially in a circular air fryer, the edge has a higher temperature. Swapping positions can make the overall color more uniform and prevent the outer part from burning first.

Can frozen biscuits go in air fryer?

Absolutely, it's even more convenient to bake frozen biscuits in an air fryer. I've tried baking pre - made butter biscuits straight out of the freezer, and the result was crisper than when using an oven. However, you need to pay attention to three details; otherwise, the outside may get dry while the inside remains icy.

The temperature should be about 10 degrees lower than the oven temperature indicated on the package. For example, if it says to bake at 200 degrees for 15 minutes, use 190 degrees and bake for 8 minutes first. Then pull out the baking basket, spray a little water mist on the surface of the biscuits, and continue baking for 5 - 7 minutes. This can prevent the surface from cracking and ensure the inside is thoroughly thawed.

Leave more space between frozen biscuits than for room - temperature ones. Leave at least the width of three fingers between them. Last week, when I baked cranberry oatmeal biscuits, some of the ones that were placed too close stuck together at the edges. For thick - cut biscuits, it's best to cut them in half before baking, or use a chopstick to gently poke the center when flipping them halfway through to check if there's any ice left.

If the biscuits have frosting or chocolate chips on the surface, loosely cover the top with tin foil for the first two - thirds of the baking time. Remove the tin foil in the last two minutes. This way, the decorations will melt just right without getting burned. However, fluffy frozen dough like croissants is not suitable to be covered with tin foil as it will hinder expansion.

How many biscuits fit in an air fryer?

Taking a 5 - liter air fryer as an example, usually 4 - 6 round biscuits with a diameter of 6 centimeters can be placed. Make sure to leave at least the width of two fingers between each biscuit. If they are strip - shaped biscuits, arranging them diagonally along the frying basket can fit two more pieces.

Two key points have been found in actual operation: First, for thick biscuits with a height of more than 3 centimeters, at most four pieces can be placed, otherwise the upper - layer biscuits will block the hot air outlet. Second, bake different - shaped biscuits separately. For example, baking round and star - shaped biscuits at the same time will result in uneven heating.

If you need to increase the quantity temporarily, place a heat - resistant silicone stand in the middle of the frying basket to create layers. However, the baking time for the upper layer needs to be shortened by two minutes.