Air Fryer Sugar Cookies
These air fryer sugar cookies are drop-style sugar cookies. They’re thick and soft and delicious.
These air fryer cookies are so easy and delicious! They are thick, soft cookies flavored with vanilla and almond extract. The optional rainbow sprinkles dotted on top and throughout the cookies make these sugar cookies so much fun.
The dough is quick and easy to make and needs no chill time.
Drop-style sugar cookies
Classic sugar cookies are usually formed in two different ways. These easy air fryer sugar cookies are drop cookies that use a soft dough rolled into balls or scooped and dropped onto a baking tray.
The other way is a cut-out sugar cookie. In those recipes, the dough is rolled out with a rolling pin, and a cookie cutter is used to make the shapes. This recipe is not suitable for rolling out.
Ingredients
You can find the full ingredient amounts for these homemade cookies in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of the simple ingredients that you will need.
- Softened butter. This can be salted butter or unsalted butter. It should be softened to room temperature. This is soft enough that a finger pressed into the butter leaves an indentation but not so soft that the butter is greasy.
- Granulated white sugar – gives the cookie slightly crispy edges. You could also use light brown sugar and this will give a more caramel taster and moist cookie.
- A large egg
- Vanilla extract or vanilla paste – Use good quality, not imitation vanilla extract.
- Almond extract – Optional, but so delicious.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Sprinkles (optional) – Use your favorite sprinkle mix, but avoid nonpareils sprinkles. You’ll need sprinkles for the dough and additional sprinkles to decorate the tops.
Additions
- Instead of sprinkles, add in m&ms, chocolate chips, or chopped nuts. Alternatively, don’t make any additions and keep them as classic sugar cookies.
Method
Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set the flour mixture aside.
Line an air fryer basket with a piece of parchment paper. If you’re not using air fryer-specific parchment paper, you’ll need to cut some holes in the parchment paper to allow the air to circulate better.
Fold the parchment paper into a small square, then cut off one corner. Unfold it, and it should have multiple holes.
If you have no parchment paper, you can use aluminum foil too.
In a large bowl, add the room-temperature butter and the sugar.
Use an electric beater or the stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy.
Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat on medium speed until combined.
Tip the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold them with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until nearly combined.
Add in the sprinkles and continue mixing until combined.
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to scoop around 1.5 tablespoons of dough for each cookie ball. Lightly roll the dough into a ball and dip the tops of the cookies into a small bowl of extra sprinkles.
Cooking
The dough will be soft and a little sticky. If it’s too sticky to roll, it can be refrigerated for 15 minutes to stiffen slightly.
Space the cookie dough balls around 1.5 inches apart in a single layer in the air fryer basket, around 5 depending on the size of your air fryer basket.
Add enough cookie dough balls to hold down the parchment paper, so it doesn’t fly around when baking.
If you’re only baking a few at a time, lay down some metal forks or spoons to hold down the parchment paper.
Bake the cookies at 325°F/160°C for around 7-8 minutes until slightly golden brown. The cooking time will depend on your air fryer.
Let the cookies cool in the air fryer basket for 5 minutes to firm up before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool further.
Storing
These delicious cookies can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week. The unbaked dough balls can also be frozen for up to three months in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. You can bake them without thawing, though they may need an extra minute.
More air fryer recipes
- Blueberry Air Fryer Muffins
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Bananas
- Chocolate Lava Cake In The Air Fryer
- Air fryer cinnamon rolls
Air Fryer Sugar Cookies
These air fryer sugar cookies are drop-style sugar cookies. They’re thick and soft and delicious.
Ingredients
- 188g (1 ½ cups*) all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 113g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 135g (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup sprinkles, or use chocolate chips or chopped nuts
Instructions
- Line an air fryer basket with parchment paper. If you’re not using air fryer-specific parchment paper, you’ll need to cut some holes in the parchment paper to allow the air to circulate better. Fold the parchment paper into a small square, then cut off one corner. Unfold it, and it should have multiple holes.
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set the flour mixture aside.
- Add the room-temperature butter and sugar in a large bowl. Use an electric beater or the stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and creamy.
- Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat on medium speed until combined.
- Tip in the dry ingredients and fold them with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
- Add in the sprinkles if using and continue mixing until combined.
- Use a cookie scoop or spoon to scoop around 1.5 tablespoons of dough for each cookie ball. Lightly roll the dough into a ball and dip the tops of the cookies into some extra sprinkles.
- Space the cookie dough balls around 1.5 inches apart in the air fryer basket. Add enough cookie dough balls to hold down the parchment paper, so it doesn’t fly around when baking.
- Bake the cookies at 325F/160°C for around 7-8 minutes. Let the cookies cool in the air fryer basket for 5 minutes to firm up before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool further.
Notes
*The cup sizes given are US-sized cups. Note that these are smaller than metric. For best results, use scales.
Nutrition Information
Yield
18Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 83Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 12mgSodium 77mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 0gSugar 4gProtein 2g
