What Not to Bake in an Air Fryer: Avoid These Mistakes

I love my air fryer. It crisps fries, roasts veggies, and reheats pizza like a champ. But after a few disastrous attempts at baking, I learned the hard way: an air fryer is not a mini oven. It's a powerful convection cooker with specific limitations. Trying to bake the wrong things inside it leads to frustration, wasted ingredients, and a smoky kitchen.

The key is understanding why certain bakes fail. It's not magic; it's physics. The intense, rapid hot air circulation that makes it great for crisping is exactly what ruins delicate batters, large doughs, and moist custards.

Why Some Foods Fail in the Air Fryer

Let's cut to the chase. Most baking fails happen for one of three reasons:

• Drip-through Disaster: Anything with a loose, liquid batter will drip through the basket holes. Imagine pancake batter hitting a hot heating element—smoke alarm city.
• The Doughy Center Problem: The air fryer's heat comes from the top down, aggressively. For thick, dense items (like a big loaf of bread), the outside cooks and hardens into a shell long before the heat can penetrate and cook the center. You get a rock-hard crust hiding a raw, gummy middle.
• The Dry-Out Effect: The constant blast of hot air evaporates moisture incredibly fast. Recipes that need a gentle, humid environment to set smoothly—think cheesecake or flan—will develop a leathery, cracked top while the inside remains soup.

I learned this last one after a sad, cratered "air fryer cheesecake." It looked like the surface of the moon and tasted just as dry.

The No-Bake List: What to Avoid

Based on the principles above, here are the specific baking projects you should skip. Save yourself the time and eggs.

Wet Batters & Loose Doughs

This is the number one rule. If you can pour it, don't air fry it.

Large, Dense Bread Loaves

That beautiful sourdough boule or hearty whole wheat loaf? Forget it. The mass is simply too great for the concentrated heat to handle evenly. You'll spend 40 minutes waiting only to slice into a raw center. The outside will be burnt to a crisp. I've thrown away more than one hockey puck-shaped "loaf."

Delicate Custards & Cheesecakes

These desserts need low, gentle, and most importantly, moist heat to set without curdling or cracking. The air fryer's environment is the opposite—dry and aggressive. Your cheesecake will develop a tough skin and deep cracks. A custard or flan will never achieve that smooth, jiggly texture; it'll be grainy and weepy.

Items with Light, Dry Toppings

Think about the powerful fan. Anything not firmly anchored will become a projectile.

What gets blown away: A sprinkling of powdered sugar, loose shredded cheese topping, light breadcrumb or streusel toppings, finely grated coconut.

You'll open the basket to find your topping plastered against the back wall or, worse, melted onto the heating coil.

Very Thin Cookies or Pastries

That delicate lace cookie or paper-thin tuile? The intense air current can literally blow it around the basket before it sets, causing it to fold, stick to the sides, or cook impossibly unevenly. They need a still environment.

What Actually Works Well for Baking

Now for the good news! The air fryer excels at baking smaller, structured items. Here’s your go-to list for success:

• Cookies: Drop cookies, shortbread, and thicker cookie dough balls work brilliantly. They don't spread as much as in an oven, so you might need to press them down slightly. Bake at a slightly lower temp (reduce by 25°F / 15°C) and check early.
• Muffins & Cupcakes: The key is using a thick batter (reduce liquid slightly) and baking them in silicone or metal cups that fit in the basket. They bake fast and get a nice dome.
• Small Bread Items: Think individual: dinner rolls, bagels, small stuffed bread pockets, or even mini loaves in a small pan. The smaller size allows heat to reach the center.
• Hand Pies & Pastries: Empanadas, turnovers, and small pies are perfect. The sealed dough package contains the filling, and the hot air crisps the exterior beautifully.
• Brownies & Dense Bars: Bake them in a small, oven-safe pan (often called "air fryer compatible"). Because they're dense and don't have a liquid batter, they can work well, though edges may get very crisp.

Pro Tips for Air Fryer Baking Success

If you're determined to bake, these tips from hard-won experience will help tilt the odds in your favor.

1. Always Use a Pan or Liner. Never pour batter or place dough directly on the basket. Use parchment paper slings, silicone cups, or small cake pans designed for air fryers. This prevents drips and makes removal easy.

2. Downsize Your Recipes. Your standard 9-inch cake recipe is too big. Halve or quarter it to fit a small 6-inch or 5-inch pan that fits in your basket.

3. Lower the Temperature. The concentrated heat cooks faster. I almost always reduce the oven temperature in a recipe by 25°F (about 15°C) to prevent the outside from burning before the inside is done.

4. Check Early and Often. Baking times can be 20-30% shorter. Start checking at the halfway mark. Use a toothpick or skewer for cakes and breads.

5. Don't Crowd the Basket. Air needs to circulate. Bake in small batches. One layer only. If you pile things on top of each other, you'll get steamed, soggy spots and raw centers.

Remember, the air fryer is a specialist, not a generalist. It's fantastic for certain bakes, but pretending it can do everything your oven can is a recipe for disappointment.

Your Air Fryer Baking Questions Answered

The bottom line? Embrace your air fryer for what it does best: crisping, roasting, and reheating. For cakes, cookies, and breads, think small, think firm, and always use a pan. Knowing what not to bake is the first step to unlocking its true potential and avoiding those frustrating (and sometimes smoky) kitchen failures.