This air fryer oat cookie recipe is so delicious, you’ll be making it on repeat forevermore. It uses store cupboard ingredients, everything is mixed in one bowl and it takes just 15 minutes to cook the oat cookies in the air fryer.
Including oats, nuts and dried fruit makes them a perfect option to stop rumbling tummies at snack time. This recipe makes 12 small cookies but you can easily halve the recipe if you want to make a smaller batch. I used a two-drawer Ninja air fryer to make 12 cookies but if you have a smaller air fryer, you can cook them in batches. And if you're looking for more fruity recipes, why not try these air fryer apple crisps or banana and choc chip muffins?
Easy oatmeal cookie recipe
I’ve been making this easy oatmeal cookie recipe for years. But it’s only recently that I decided to try making it in my air fryer. The results were amazing! The cookies cooked perfectly in just 15 minutes. The cookies are nutty, fruity and taste really decadent. For me, they have the perfect amount of crunch without being too hard. I like to make 12 cookies but you could make six larger cookies if you prefer.
Why you’ll love this air fryer oat cookies recipe
Wholesome – Yes, there’s butter and sugar involved but the inclusion of oats, almonds and dried fruit makes these air fryer cookies feel like a better and more filling option to chocolate chip cookies.
Store cupboard ingredients – The ingredients for these air fryer oatmeal cookies are things that you probably have in your cupboards anyway. The oats, nuts and dried fruit will keep for months in the cupboard, ready to whip up a batch of delicious cookies whenever the craving strikes.
Quick to make – It takes just 10 minutes to prepare the ingredients and then just 15 minutes to cook the cookies in the air fryer.
Keeps well – Store the cookies in an airtight container and they’ll last well for at least 7 days (although you’ll probably find that they’ve been devoured before then!)
Tasty – These air fryer cookies are so delicious. They make the perfect mid-morning snack or after school treat.
Easy to adapt – You can switch out the almonds and apricots for whatever nuts and dried fruits you like best.
Scale up or down – It’s easy to halve this recipe when you want to make a smaller batch of cookies. Equally, when you want more, just double the ingredients.
Ingredients for air fryer cookies
Unsalted butter
Golden syrup
Demerara sugar (or regular brown sugar)
Self-raising flour (or plain/all-purpose flour with a teaspoon of baking powder)
Oats - Use rolled oats, old fashion oats or quick-cooking steel cut oats, but not instant oats.
Almonds – I love almonds and always have a jar of them in the kitchen. But you can swap these for hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans if you prefer.
Dried apricots – I find the apricots go perfectly with the almonds but again you can switch these to whatever dried fruit you prefer, raisins or cranberries work particularly well.
Pinch of salt – A tiny pinch of salt will bring out the flavour of the other ingredients.
How to make air fryer oat cookies
(This is a summary with step-by-step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
To begin, put the butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan and heat very gently until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. This will only take a few minutes so keep an eye on the pan.
Chop the almonds and apricots into small pieces.
When the butter mixture is ready, remove from the heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients (the flour, salt, porridge oats, nuts and dried fruit).
Pour the butter and sugar mixture into the dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to mix everything together.
Once everything is combined, use your hands to form small balls of the mixture. You should get around 12 small cookies – but feel free to make larger balls for bigger cookies.
Place the balls into your air fryer basket and give them a very gentle press to flatten slightly (I like to use a parchment liner but this is optional). The cookies will spread as they cook so leave space around each one.
Cook on the bake setting for 15 minutes at 150°C (300°F). Check the cookies as they come towards the end of this cooking time. They are ready when turning golden brown. When the cooking time is up, leave the cookies in the air fryer to cool and firm up before removing (if you try to move them while they are hot, they are likely to break up).
Tips and Tricks
Don’t worry if the cookies are soft at the end of the cooking time – they firm up as they cool. Leave them to cool before removing from the air fryer basket.
I like to use parchment paper to make it easier to remove the cookies after cooking but this is optional.
Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket – the cookie mixture needs room to spread while cooking.
You can use wet hands to shape the mixture to make it less sticky.
Substitutions
For a nut-free cookie, leave out the nuts or substitute for extra dried fruit or even chocolate chips.
If you don’t have self-raising flour, you can use plain flour (all-purpose flour) and add a teaspoon of baking powder.
If you can’t get demerara sugar, regular brown sugar will work too.
Equipment
To make 12 cookies at once, I use both drawers of my Ninja air fryer. I also line the drawers with parchment paper.
Storage
The cookies will keep well for up to a week in an air-tight container.
Air Fryer Oat Cookies
Ingredients
- 110 g Unsalted butter
- 1 dsp Golden syrup
- 75 g Demerara sugar or regular brown sugar
- 110 g Self-raising flour or plain/all-purpose flour with a teaspoon of baking powder
- 110 g Porridge Oats rolled oats or quick-cooking steel cut oats, but not instant oats.
- 20 g Almonds
- 35 g Dried apricots
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- To begin, put the butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan and heat very gently until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. This will only take a few minutes so keep an eye on the pan.
- Chop the nuts and dried fruit into small chunks.
- When the butter mixture is ready, remove from the heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients (the flour, salt, porridge oats, nuts and dried fruit).
- Pour the butter and sugar mixture into the dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to mix everything together.
- Once everything is combined, use your hands to form small balls of the mixture. You should get around 12 small cookies – but feel free to make larger balls for bigger cookies.
- Place the balls into your air fryer basket and give them a very gentle press to flatten slightly (I like to use a parchment liner but this is optional). The cookies will spread as they cook so leave space around each one.
- Cook on the bake setting for 15 minutes at 150°C (300°F). Check the cookies as they come towards the end of this cooking time. They are ready when turning golden brown. When the cooking time is up, leave the cookies in the air fryer to cool and firm up before removing (if you try to move them while they are hot, they are likely to break up).
Notes
Nutrition
If you've made this air fryer oat cookies recipe, I'd love to hear what you think! You can let me know by leaving a ⭐star rating and a comment below. Thanks for visiting!
Sarah Baird
Where is the recipe?
Jenny
Hi Sarah - Thanks for spotting that the link was missing. The link to the recipe should be there now. I hope you have fun making the cookies!
Anonymous
Thank you!
Jenny
Have you tried these air fryer oat cookies? If so let me know how they turned out by leaving a comment!