This air fryer oatmeal cookies recipe makes one dozen cookies that are chewy inside, crispy outside, and have the perfect brown sugar cinnamon flavor. Customize them how you like – you can add raisins, chocolate chips, or nuts!
One of the things I love most about the air fryer is it saves you from having to turn on the oven and heat up the kitchen. The air fryer is perfect for “baking” cookies any time a craving strikes, even in hot summer months.
If you haven’t tried making cookies in the air fryer, you’re going to love how easy it is! These air fryer oatmeal cookies are chewy inside and crispy outside, sweetened with brown sugar, have a hint of cinnamon and plenty of oats. I added raisins for chewy bursts of sweetness, but you can swap them out for chocolate chips or nuts if that’s your thing.
Pair these cookies with a cup of coffee for a mid-morning treat or with a glass of milk for an afternoon snack. These cookies are also the perfect lunch dessert if you pack lunches for work or school!
And if you're craving cookies but don't want a big batch on hand, this recipe is a good one to have up your sleeve! It makes a small batch of just one dozen cookies.
The Best Easy Air Fryer Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas. For the full recipe (including ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Ingredients
- Light brown sugar – I love the molasses-y caramel notes of brown sugar in oatmeal cookies
- Unsalted butter – we need the butter softened but not melted here (if your butter is melted, the cookies will spread too much)
- Vanilla extract – for flavor and aroma
- Egg – acts as the binder and adds moisture to our cookie dough
- Flour – regular all-purpose flour
- Cinnamon – this amount adds enough cinnamon to know it’s there without it being overpowering; if you really love the flavor of cinnamon, use a full 1 teaspoon
- Baking powder – our leavening agent
- Salt – to enhance the flavor
- Oats – use old-fashioned rolled oats here for the perfect chewy texture
- Raisins – you can use regular brown raisins or golden raisins, or substitute with chocolate chips or nuts instead
How to Make Cookies in Air Fryer
Step 1: How to Make Oatmeal Cookie Dough From Scratch
- Add the brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and egg to a large bowl.
- Whisk or beat until well-mixed.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir to combine.
- Add the oats and raisins (or chocolate chips or nuts).
- Stir until evenly distributed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes.
Step 2: How to Make Cookies in the Air Fryer
- Preheat an air fryer to 300F. Once the air fryer is hot, line the bottom with parchment paper that’s trimmed to fit inside (or an air fryer paper liner). Use a 1.5-tablespoon scoop to measure out the dough, roll into balls, and arrange them in the air fryer (leaving at least 1 inch between the dough balls).
- Flatten each cookie dough ball slightly.
- Air fry until the cookies are golden on top and set on the outside and the bottom, about 10 to 12 minutes (start checking them for doneness at 10 minutes). Let the cookies cool on the paper and then remove.
Storage
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
These cookies also freeze well! Layer them between pieces of parchment paper and freeze them for up 3 months.
Variations
- Raisins – Instead of raisins, you can use chocolate chips, shredded coconut, chopped dried fruit, or chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans. Or use a mixture of any of these! (You can add up to 1 cup of mix-ins to this cookie dough.)
- Vanilla extract – Swap out the vanilla extract for any flavor extract you like, such as almond, hazelnut, etc.
- Cinnamon – Instead of cinnamon, use a spice blend, such as pumpkin pie spice.
Air Fryer Oatmeal Cookies FAQs
Do Air Fryer Cookies Taste Good?
Yes! Cookies made in the air fryer taste awesome. The air fryer tends to crisp things really well, so these oatmeal cookies are crisp outside and chewy inside (aka cookie perfection!).
Is it Better to Bake or Air Fry Cookies?
There are pros and cons to using an oven to bake cookies versus using an air fryer to make cookies.
The nice thing about baking cookies in the oven is that you can make more cookies at one time. But sometimes you don’t need to make a huge batch of cookies. Sometimes you just want one or two!
However, there are a lot of perks to making cookies in the air fryer. It doesn’t heat up the kitchen, so you can comfortably make cookies during warmer months.
In terms of flavor and texture, I find that these oatmeal cookies come out very similarly in the oven and in the air fryer.
Can I Use Instant Oats in This Recipe?
No, I don’t recommend using instant oats or quick oats in this recipe. I developed this recipe using old-fashioned rolled oats because of the delicious chewy texture they create. Instant oats absorb liquid differently and will result in a different texture.
More Air Fryer Desserts to Make
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Air Fryer Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- Air fryer paper liners make sure to get the right size for your air fryer model
Ingredients
- ½ cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter slightly softened (not melted!)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 10 tablespoons all-purpose flour ½ cup + 2 tablespoons
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup raisins or chocolate chips or chopped nuts
Instructions
- Add the brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and egg to a large bowl, and whisk or beat until well-mixed. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt, and stir to combine. Add the oats and raisins (or chocolate chips or nuts), and stir until evenly distributed.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes.
- Preheat an air fryer to 300F.
- Once the air fryer is hot, line the bottom with parchment paper that’s trimmed to fit inside (or an air fryer paper liner).
- Use a 1.5-tablespoon scoop to measure out the dough, roll into balls, and arrange them in the air fryer (leaving at least 1 inch between the dough balls). Flatten each cookie dough ball slightly. (Note: Depending on the size of your air fryer, you will likely have to make the cookies in 2 batches.)
- Air fry until the cookies are golden on top and set on the outside and the bottom, about 10 to 12 minutes (start checking them for doneness at 10 minutes).
- Let the cookies cool on the paper and then remove.
Faith's Tips
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes 12 cookies for a total of 6 servings. Each serving is 2 cookies.
- Storage: Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. These cookies also freeze well! Layer them between pieces of parchment paper and freeze them for up 3 months.
Nutrition
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