Temperatures and technique
Air Fryer Baking Temperatures: 34 Desserts Compared
Published by the RecipeAirFryer editorial team · How we source times · Updated
Air fryer desserts cook at an average of 170°C, which is 20°C lower than the 190°C average for savoury recipes. The most common baking setting is 160°C / 320°F, used by 14 of 34 dessert recipes. A few run hotter: churros, pineapple and s’mores cook at 190°C.
Key findings
- 15 of the 34 desserts cook at 160°C / 320°F or below.
- 26 of the 34 are left alone for the whole cook.
- The median dessert cooks for 9 minutes, with 11 minutes of prep.
- The hottest desserts are churros, pineapple and s’mores, at 190°C.
- 150°C1
- 160°C14
- 165°C1
- 170°C1
- 175°C3
- 180°C12
- 190°C2
All 34 desserts
| Dessert | Temperature | Time | Flip or shake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheesecake | 150°C / 300°F | 25-30 min | No need to flip |
| Cookies | 160°C / 320°F | 6-8 min | No need to flip |
| Chocolate Chip Cookie for One | 160°C / 320°F | 6-8 min | No need to flip |
| Oatmeal Cookies | 160°C / 320°F | 6-8 min | No need to flip |
| Sugar Cookies | 160°C / 320°F | 7-9 min | No need to flip |
| Peanut Butter Cookies | 160°C / 320°F | 7-9 min | No need to flip |
| Cinnamon Rolls | 160°C / 320°F | 8-11 min | No need to flip |
| Scones | 160°C / 320°F | 8-11 min | No need to flip |
| Vanilla Cupcakes | 160°C / 320°F | 9-12 min | No need to flip |
| Muffins | 160°C / 320°F | 10-13 min | No need to flip |
| Chocolate Muffins | 160°C / 320°F | 10-13 min | No need to flip |
| Brownies | 160°C / 320°F | 14-18 min | No need to flip |
| Bread Pudding | 160°C / 320°F | 20-25 min | No need to flip |
| Chocolate Cake | 160°C / 320°F | 25-30 min | No need to flip |
| Banana Bread | 160°C / 320°F | 25-35 min | No need to flip |
| Peach Cobbler | 165°C / 330°F | 20-25 min | No need to flip |
| Apple Crumble | 170°C / 340°F | 18-22 min | No need to flip |
| Donuts | 175°C / 350°F | 5-6 min | Flip halfway |
| Beignets | 175°C / 350°F | 6-8 min | Flip halfway |
| Apple Pie | 175°C / 350°F | 22-28 min | No need to flip |
| S’mores | 180°C / 350°F | 3-5 min | No need to flip |
| Oreos | 180°C / 350°F | 4-6 min | No need to flip |
| Roasted Strawberries | 180°C / 350°F | 5-7 min | No need to flip |
| Smores Dip | 180°C / 360°F | 5-7 min | No need to flip |
| Roasted Grapes | 180°C / 350°F | 6-8 min | Shake halfway |
| Peaches | 180°C / 350°F | 7-10 min | No need to flip |
| Apple Fritters | 180°C / 350°F | 7-10 min | Flip halfway |
| Lava Cakes | 180°C / 350°F | 8-10 min | No need to flip |
| Pop Tarts | 180°C / 360°F | 8-10 min | No need to flip |
| Hand Pies | 180°C / 350°F | 8-12 min | Flip halfway |
| Cinnamon Apples | 180°C / 350°F | 8-12 min | Shake halfway |
| Baked Apples | 180°C / 350°F | 12-16 min | No need to flip |
| Churros | 190°C / 375°F | 8-10 min | Flip halfway |
| Pineapple | 190°C / 375°F | 8-10 min | Flip halfway |
Converting an oven bake
Take about 20°C / 25°F off the oven temperature and about 20% off the time, then check early. A cake written for 180°C in an oven goes in at 160°C, which is why that setting dominates the list.
Cover the top with foil for the first two-thirds of the bake if the batter is loose or the topping is light. The fan is strong enough to scorch a surface or blow a crumble topping around the basket.
Use a tin that leaves a finger of space on every side. A tin that fills the basket blocks the airflow, and the bake cooks unevenly whatever the temperature.
How these figures were worked out
The figures are counted from the 304 recipes published on RecipeAirFryer.com on 2026-10-08. Each recipe has one temperature, a time range, a prep time, an ingredient list and a serving count, and those fields are what is counted here.
The times and temperatures are the starting points given on each recipe page for a standard basket air fryer. They are not laboratory measurements, and air fryers differ between models, so treat the counts as a description of this recipe set, not of every air fryer.
The savoury average covers the dinner, side dish, snack and appetizer categories (165 recipes).
You may quote these figures with a link to this page. If you spot an error, tell us through the contact page and we will correct it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature do you bake a cake in an air fryer?
About 160°C / 320°F, which is 20°C below a typical oven recipe. 14 of our 34 dessert recipes use 160°C.
Do you lower the temperature when baking in an air fryer?
Yes, by about 20°C / 25°F from the oven temperature, and reduce the time by about 20%. The element is close to the food and the fan is strong, so the top browns faster than in an oven.
How long do desserts take in an air fryer?
The median dessert in our set cooks for 9 minutes. Cookies and fruit are at the short end, and cakes and cheesecake at the long end.