Can You Use an Air Fryer as an Oven for Baking? A Practical Guide to Results and Limitations

So, can you use an air fryer instead of an oven for baking? Yeah, you totally can. An air fryer basically acts like a mini convection oven, so you can bake a lot of the same stuff, as long as it fits.

Baking in an air fryer often goes faster, thanks to all that hot air swirling around. Just don’t forget to drop the temperature by about 25 degrees compared to your usual oven setting, or you’ll risk overdoing it.

Air fryers are especially handy for small batches or when you don’t want to make your kitchen feel like a sauna. It’s worth a shot if you like quick, easy baking and don’t want to wait around. For more tips, here’s a helpful oven to air fryer conversion guide.

Comparing Air Fryers and Ovens for Baking

When you bake with an air fryer or a traditional oven, how the heat moves and the way you manage temperature really change the outcome. Each appliance has its own strengths, depending on what you’re making and how much.

Baking Techniques in Air Fryers vs. Traditional Ovens

Air fryers use rapid air circulation to cook food quickly on every side. That often means your baked stuff gets a crisp outer layer way faster than in a regular oven.

You’ll need smaller pans or containers that actually fit inside the air fryer basket. It’s kind of a puzzle sometimes.

Traditional ovens cook food with radiant heat from heating elements. Heat rises and spreads out, so ovens are better for things like big cakes or when you need to bake a bunch of things at once.

You can use baking sheets or even stack a few racks in an oven, which just isn’t possible with most air fryers.

Air fryers really shine with smaller bakes like muffins or cookies. But when it comes to big breads, cakes, or casseroles, ovens just do a better job getting things evenly baked.

Temperature Control and Heat Distribution

Air fryers heat up quickly and usually need lower temps than ovens for the same recipes. Most air fryer recipes suggest dialing the oven temperature down by 25°F (about 15°C) so you don’t burn or dry things out.

Ovens have more precise temperature controls and keep the heat steady, especially if you use the convection setting. That’s a big deal for delicate baking projects like soufflés or layered cakes.

If you cram too much into your air fryer basket, you’ll probably get uneven results. Ovens just have more space for air to move around, so your pans get better airflow.

Types of Baked Goods Suitable for Air Fryers

Air fryers are awesome for small, quick bakes like:

• Cookies
• Muffins
• Small cakes
• Baked potatoes

They cook fast and give a nice crispy edge, which works for these treats.

Ovens handle bigger or bulkier baked goods, like:

• Large cakes
• Bread loaves
• Pies
• Multi-layer dishes

If you’re feeding a crowd or want to bake a lot at once, an oven just makes more sense.

If you want to dig deeper, here’s a detailed comparison of air fryer and oven cooking methods.

Optimizing Baking Results in an Air Fryer

To get good results, you’ll need to tweak your recipes, pick the right bakeware, and avoid a few common mistakes. These little changes help your food bake evenly and taste the way you want.

Adjusting Recipes for Air Fryer Baking

Air fryers cook faster and hit food with intense hot air. You’ll want to cut down the baking time by about 20-25% compared to the oven.

Lower the temperature by 25°F, or things might burn or dry out before you know it.

Since air fryers are small, break up your recipes into smaller portions or batches. If a cake recipe says 60 minutes at 350°F, try 45 minutes at 325°F instead.

Don’t overcrowd the basket. Leave space for the heat to move so your baked goods cook through and get the right texture.

Best Practices for Using Bakeware in Air Fryers

Pick bakeware that actually fits in your air fryer basket. Metal or silicone pans—round or square—usually work best.

Glass or ceramic can be risky unless the manufacturer says they’re safe for air fryers.

Leave at least half an inch between your pan and the basket edge. That gap is key for hot air to circulate and cook everything evenly.

Shallow pans work better than deep ones. They let heat get to the middle, so you avoid soggy or undercooked spots.

Line your pans with parchment paper or use non-stick spray for easier cleanup. Just make sure the paper doesn’t block the air vents—nobody wants a fire hazard.

Common Baking Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

One mistake? People forget to preheat their air fryer. Give it 3-5 minutes so it hits a steady temperature before you start baking.

If you skip this, you might end up with unevenly cooked food.

Opening the air fryer basket too often is another issue. Every time you peek, the temperature drops.

Try to check your food only when you really need to.

Overcrowding the basket also causes problems. When you cram in too much, you block the airflow.

Baking in smaller batches works way better.

And don’t forget—every air fryer’s a little different. If you just guess at time and temperature, you could mess up your results.

Check your air fryer’s manual or experiment with small batches until you figure out the right settings.

For more details, there’s a handy guide on oven-recipe conversion for air fryers.