Air Fryer Baking Guide: How to Convert Cakes, Muffins, and Bread
Baking in an air fryer means cutting time by 10–15% (not 20%) and dropping temperature by 25°F (14°C) — the smaller reduction prevents overbrowning before the center sets.
2026-04-29
Baking in an air fryer works — but it punishes you faster than roasting does when the conversion is slightly off. A chicken thigh can handle a 5-minute overshoot. A muffin cannot. The rules are different from savory cooking, and the margins are tighter.
The Baking Conversion Rules
For most oven baking recipes, use these adjustments:
- Temperature: reduce by 25°F (14°C) — not the full 50°F used for savory oven recipes
- Time: reduce by 10–15% — not the standard 20%
The reason both reductions are smaller: baked goods need time for the center to set before the edges firm up. The air fryer's aggressive airflow browns the outside fast. If you drop the temperature too much or cut the time too aggressively, you get a perfectly done exterior and a raw or sunken center.
Use the Oven to Air Fryer Converter as a starting point, then apply the baking correction manually — reduce the output temperature by an extra 14°C (25°F) before you start.
Conversion Table
| Item | Oven temp | Oven time | Air fryer temp | Air fryer time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muffins | 190°C (375°F) | 20 min | 160°C (320°F) | 12–14 min |
| Cupcakes | 180°C (350°F) | 20 min | 155°C (310°F) | 12–14 min |
| Brownies | 175°C (350°F) | 25 min | 150°C (300°F) | 18–20 min |
| Banana bread | 175°C (350°F) | 55 min | 155°C (310°F) | 35–40 min |
| Pound cake | 170°C (340°F) | 60 min | 150°C (300°F) | 40–45 min |
| Dinner rolls | 190°C (375°F) | 20 min | 165°C (330°F) | 12–14 min |
| Biscuits | 220°C (425°F) | 12 min | 180°C (355°F) | 8–10 min |
| Cookies | 175°C (350°F) | 12 min | 150°C (300°F) | 7–9 min |
Check doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center — it should come out clean or with dry crumbs. Color alone will mislead you in an air fryer.
What Changes About Baking in an Air Fryer
The airflow hits the top of your batter directly. In a conventional oven, heat comes from elements above and below, and the air is relatively still. An air fryer blows air in a concentrated stream. This means the top of a muffin or cake rises and sets faster than the bottom, which can cause doming, cracking, or a dense base.
Temperature precision matters more. An oven at 175°C that's actually running 185°C is a minor inconvenience. The same miscalibration in an air fryer, with its aggressive airflow, is enough to overbrown the exterior in the last 3 minutes of a 15-minute bake. If your air fryer runs hot, reduce by an extra 5°C.
Capacity is the real constraint. Most air fryer baskets fit one small loaf pan, four to six muffin cups, or a 6-inch round cake pan. You're baking in portions, not batches.
Equipment That Actually Helps
Silicone molds are better than metal for air fryer baking. They conduct heat more gently, don't cause overbrowning on the sides, and fit more easily in round or square baskets. Size them slightly smaller than the basket so hot air can circulate around the edges.
A 6-inch round cake pan (metal or silicone) fits most 4–6 litre baskets. For a standard recipe that calls for a 9-inch pan, cut the recipe in half and expect roughly the same bake time — smaller volume, same depth.
A toothpick or cake tester is non-negotiable. The air fryer's exterior browning happens 3–5 minutes before the center is done. Never judge doneness by color.
Common Mistakes
Using the full −50°F (−28°C) reduction. That rule is calibrated for savory roasting, where browning is the goal. At 150°C instead of 175°C, a muffin will still be pale and collapsed in the center — the heat isn't sufficient to drive the rise before the structure sets. Use −25°F (−14°C) for baking.
Cutting time by 20%. A 20-minute muffin becomes 16 minutes at −20%. In an air fryer at the right temperature, that's usually 2 minutes too early. Start checking at −15% (17 minutes) and test with a toothpick.
Not covering the top. For longer bakes like banana bread or pound cake (35+ minutes), the top will be done long before the center. Tent loosely with a small piece of foil after the first 20 minutes to prevent overbrowning while the interior finishes.
Filling molds too full. Batter rises more unpredictably in an air fryer because the direct airflow pushes it. Fill muffin cups or cake pans to two-thirds, not three-quarters.
Skipping the preheat. Even more important for baking than for roasting. An immediate blast of hot air helps baked goods rise correctly. Preheat 3–5 minutes, then add your filled molds.
Bread: What Works and What Doesn't
Rolls and biscuits work well — small, consistent shapes that brown evenly in 8–14 minutes.
Quick breads (banana bread, zucchini bread) work with patience. Use the foil tent method after 20 minutes and expect 35–45 minutes total at 150–155°C (300–310°F).
Yeast bread loaves are difficult. The crust sets and hardens before the crumb structure fully develops, and the confined space doesn't allow enough steam for a good rise. A Dutch oven in a conventional oven produces a far better result for yeasted loaves.
Sourdough — skip it. The long ferment and steam requirements that make sourdough work are incompatible with an air fryer basket.
- Oven to Air Fryer Converter — convert your recipe's temperature and time, then apply the baking correction
- Air Fryer Conversion Calculator — quick temperature and time adjustments