Air Fryer Sugar Cookies are soft and chewy and absolutely divine. They are made in one bowl and come out perfectly cooked in less than 6 minutes! These cookies have just the right amount of sweetness and hold their shape perfectly. They are seriously addicting!
This is the perfect cookie to make for any holiday as they are perfect for any occasion, whether it's Halloween, Christmas, or Easter.
Sugar cookies have always been one of my favorite cookies to make, and kids of all ages will love to help make them!
They are thick, soft, and aren't too sweet. Decorate them with homemade icing and add some festive sprinkles.
Serve these homemade cookies on a dessert tray with Soft Peanut Brittle, Christmas Fudge, Christmas Crack, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Gingersnap Cookies, Christmas Muddy Buddies, Mini Egg Cookies, and Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars!
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💗 Why this recipe works
- Sugar cookies in the air fryer come out soft and chewy on the inside, with a slightly crispy edge – perfect for satisfying any cookie craving.
- They're not too sweet, so you can enjoy more than one without feeling like you've overindulged.
- These air fryer cookies are quick to make, cutting the baking time in half.
- Only one bowl is needed to make the cookie dough, which means fewer dishes to wash.
- This air fryer sugar cookie recipe is perfect for sharing with friends or family.
- These cookies are made with just a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
- No more worrying about whether or not your cookies will spread too much in the oven - they hold their shape perfectly.
📋 What goes into this recipe
You probably already have all of the ingredients in your kitchen. But if not, you can easily find them at your local grocery store.
- All-purpose flour. Scoop the flour into a measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. If you pack it down, there will be too much flour, and the cookies will turn out dry.
- Unsalted butter. Use cold butter as it will prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
- White sugar. This is one of the most important ingredients. However, I do not recommend using cane sugar; it is too large and grainy.
- Almond extract. This adds another layer of flavor to the cookies.
- Sour cream. This is my secret ingredient. It helps to keep the cookies super moist, just like my Strawberry Cheesecake Bars.
See the printable recipe card for quantities and a complete list of ingredients.
🥣How to make air fryer sugar cookies from scratch
These homemade sugar cookies are so easy to make and are made in just one bowl! To make sugar cookies:
Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients together. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. This will take about 3-4 minutes. Add the sour cream and a large egg and beat until combined. You want the mixture to be light and fluffy. Next, add the vanilla extract and almond extract and mix until smooth.
Step 2: Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Mix the flour mixture into the wet mixture with an electric mixer until combined.
Step 3: Lightly flour the countertop, and roll out the homemade cookie dough until it is about ¼-inch thick. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Step 4: Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Any remaining dough can be put together and rolled back out.
Expert tip: Divide dough in half and place one half in the fridge while you make the other half into cookies. This will keep it from getting too warm and spreading too much while it cooks.
Step 5: Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F. Place a piece of parchment paper in the basket. Place the cut-out cookies in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry cookies for 4-5 minutes until they are slightly golden brown on the outside edges. For best results, carefully flip the cookies over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the cookies from the basket. Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Expert tip: Smaller cookies will cook faster than larger cookies. Cook similar size cookies at the same time.
Step 6: In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar (icing sugar) with vanilla extract, butter, and milk. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
Step 7: Separate the icing into small bowls and add a drop or two of food coloring to tint the icing. Decorate your cookies as desired with frosting or icing.
Step 8: Enjoy!
🍪 Variations
- Make an ice cream sandwich by serving a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream between two cookies for a quick dessert.
- Add chocolate chips to the dough mixture.
- For a super easy buttery cookie, place the dough on a piece of wax paper or parchment paper, and roll the homemade dough into a log shape, about 3 inches wide. Place the dough into the fridge to chill for one hour. Then, remove the dough, cut slices with a knife, and place the slices in the basket to cook.
💭 Expert tips
- Scoop the flour into a measuring cup, and level it off with a knife.
- Use cold butter; this helps the cookies keep their shape.
- Preheat your air fryer before adding the sugar cookies. This will help them cook evenly.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the rolled-out dough. If you don't have a cookie cutter, you can use the bottom of a glass or a knife to cut out circles or other shapes.
- Smaller cookies will cook faster than larger cookies. Cook similar size cookies at the same time.
- Use parchment paper to prevent sticking and allow for easy removal.
- Ensure that the sugar cookies are not touching each other in the basket. This will ensure that they cook evenly and allow air to circulate around them.
- Cook the cookies in small batches. Depending on the size of your basket, you may have to do more batches if you have a smaller basket.
- Cook the sugar cookies for about 4 minutes, or until the outside edges start to turn a light golden brown. They may look undercooked, but they will firm up as they cool.
- For best results, carefully flip the cookies over halfway through the cooking time.
- Let the cookies cool completely before adding the icing. Otherwise, the icing will melt and run off.
- If adding sprinkles, add them as soon as the icing is applied so they have something to stick to.
- The cook time may vary depending on the type of air fryer you have and the size of your cookies.
🧾 Recipe FAQs
Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. They can also be frozen in a Ziploc bag for up to 2 months. Wrap them in plastic wrap individually so you can grab one whenever you feel like a sweet treat.
Parchment paper can be used in the air fryer, but it's important to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't catch fire. If it is not weighed down properly, the paper may blow up to the heating element and smoke or catch fire. Always make sure that the paper is held down with enough weight.
Yes, you need holes in the parchment paper. The holes help the hot air circulate so the cookies can cook evenly.
Yes, you can use regular parchment paper. Just cut the paper to fit inside the basket, and poke holes for better air circulation.
Yes! To make these in the oven, bake them in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F on a baking sheet until they are slightly puffy, about 10-12 minutes.
👩🏻🍳 More easy sweet treats
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📋 Recipe
Easy Air Fryer Sugar Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Large bowl
- electric mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment paper
- cooling rack
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIES
- ¾ cup cold butter unsalted
- 1½ cups sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
FOR THE ICING
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon butter slightly softened
- 5 teaspoon milk or water
Instructions
- Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients together. Use an electric mixer on low speed to cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. This will take about 3-4 minutes. Add the sour cream and a large egg and beat until combined. This will take another few minutes. You want the mixture to be light and fluffy. Next, add the vanilla extract and almond extract and mix until smooth.
- Step 2: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the same bowl as the wet ingredients. Mix with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Divide the dough in half and place one half in the fridge to keep cool while you make the other half into cookies.
- Step 3: Roll out dough. Lightly flour your countertop, and roll out the homemade cookie dough with a rolling pin until it is about ¼-inch thick. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Step 4: Make cookies. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Any remaining dough can be put together and rolled back out.
- Step 5: Cook. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F. Place a piece of air fryer parchment paper in the basket. Place the cut-out cookies in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry cookies for 4-5 minutes, until the edges start to turn slightly golden brown. For best results, carefully flip the cookies halfway through the cooking time. Remove the cookies from the basket. Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Step 6: Make the icing. In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar with vanilla extract, butter, and milk. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Step 7: Decorate. Separate the icing into a small bowl and add a drop or two of food coloring to tint the icing. Decorate your cookies as desired with frosting or icing.
- Step 8: Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Scoop the flour into a measuring cup, and level it off with a knife.
- Use cold butter, this helps the cookies keep their shape.
- Preheat your air fryer before adding the sugar cookies. This will help them cook evenly.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the rolled-out dough. If you don't have a cookie cutter, you can use the bottom of a glass or a knife to cut out circles or other shapes.
- Smaller cookies will cook faster than larger cookies. Cook similar size cookies at the same time.
- Use parchment paper to prevent sticking and allow for easy removal.
- Make sure that the sugar cookies are not touching each other in the basket. This will ensure that they cook evenly and allow for air to circulate around them.
- Cook the cookies in small batches. Depending on the size of your basket, you may have to do more batches if you have a smaller basket.
- Cook the sugar cookies for about 4 minutes, or until the outside edges start to turn a light golden brown. They may look undercooked, but they will firm up as they cool.
- For best results, carefully flip the cookies over halfway through the cooking time.
- Let the cookies cool completely before adding the icing, otherwise, the icing will melt and run off.
- If adding sprinkles, add them as soon as the icing is applied so they have something to stick to.
- The cook time may vary depending on the type of air fryer you have and the size of your cookies.
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