Sometimes you need a warm chocolate chip cookie, and you need it now. But heating up a giant oven for just two or three cookies feels wasteful, and making a whole batch is dangerous.
Welcome back to The Crispy Basket. Today, we are satisfying the sweet tooth with speed.
The air fryer is incredible for baking because it doesn’t need preheating. It blasts the dough with hot air, sealing the outside quickly while leaving the inside warm and molten. This recipe is designed for a small batch—perfect for a movie night for two.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Instant Gratification: From mixing bowl to your mouth in under 20 minutes.
- Portion Control: It only makes 6–8 cookies, so you won’t eat 24 of them by accident.
- The Texture: The contrast between the crispy edge and the gooey center is unmatched.
“The Crispy Basket” Secret: The “Foil Sling” & The Chill
Air fryers have powerful fans. If you put a raw ball of dough on the grate, two things happen: it might get blown around, and it will melt through the holes, creating a disaster in the bottom drawer.
Secret 1: The “Foil Sling”. We create a small hammock out of aluminum foil. This holds the dough, prevents messes, and most importantly, allows you to lift the hot, soft cookies out easily without breaking them.
Secret 2: The Chill. Because air fryers cook hot and fast, the dough needs to be cold going in. If it’s warm, it will spread into one giant, flat cookie pancake before it sets.
Ingredients Needed (Small Batch: Makes 6–8 large cookies)
- 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter: Softened to room temperature.
- 1/4 cup Packed Brown Sugar.
- 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar.
- 1 Large Egg Yolk: (Just the yolk makes it richer and chewier).
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract.
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour.
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda.
- 1/4 tsp Salt.
- 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet or dark work best.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: The Dough In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined (don’t overmix!). Fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 2: The Chill (Crucial!) Scoop the dough into 6–8 rounded balls (about 1.5 Tbsp each). Place them on a plate and put them in the freezer for 10 minutes while you prep the fryer.
Step 3: The Foil Sling Prep Cut a piece of aluminum foil that is slightly narrower than your air fryer basket but long enough to go up the sides (these are your handles). Poke several holes in the bottom of the foil with a fork to allow air to circulate under the cookies. Spray the foil lightly with cooking spray.
Step 4: The Bake
- Place the foil sling into the cold air fryer basket.
- Arrange the chilled dough balls on the foil, leaving about 2 inches between them (you may need to do two batches).
- Set air fryer to 325°F (160°C). Note: We bake lower than a standard oven.
- Bake for 7–9 minutes.
- Check: They are done when the edges are golden brown but the centers still look slightly underbaked and puffy. They will deflate and set as they cool.
Step 5: The Cool Down Use the foil handles to lift the cookies out of the basket immediately. Set the foil on a wire rack or counter and let the cookies cool on the foil for at least 5 minutes before trying to move them.
“The Crispy Basket” Pro-Tips
- Flaky Salt Finish: As soon as they come out of the fryer, sprinkle a tiny bit of flaky sea salt on top to make the chocolate flavor pop.
- Don’t Overcrowd: If you put too many in, they will bake together into one square cookie. Give them room to spread.
FAQ
Can I use store-bought refrigerated dough? Yes! It works great. Just make sure the dough is very cold. Bake at 325°F for about 8-10 minutes.
Why did my cookies fly around? You forgot the foil sling! The fan is too strong for unsecured dough.
