Is It Possible To Bake A Pie In The Air Fryer?

From steak and chicken wings to donuts and cinnamon rolls, the options are practically endless when it comes to foods that can be cooked in the air fryer. So, why not a pie? An air fryer can pop out super tasty pies for your friends and family. You might be wondering, why air-fry a pie when you could bake it? For the same reason we air-fry anything: for that glorious, crispy-crunchy goodness we strive for in many of our meals.

Whether you're making apple, cherry, blueberry, pumpkin, lemon meringue, or even chicken pot pie, using an air fryer can leave your pies with a delicious golden, crispy crust and a warm gooey center, while also freeing up oven space for the main course. As a bonus, air fryers generally cook food faster than a traditional oven, so you can enjoy your tasty classic dessert sooner rather than later. 

In order to understand why air-fryer pie is delicious, it's helpful to know how an air fryer works. An air fryer is more like a miniature but powerful convection oven than an actual fryer. To cook your food, a heating element at the top of the appliance releases heat into the chamber. A fan circulates this heat around the chamber, cooking your food with the hot air. Because the basket or tray is ventilated with holes, the hot air is able to reach all sides of the food, resulting in even more cooking. The best part of the air fryer is that it's great at cooking food with a crispy exterior and a moist center, which is what you want for your pies. 

The compact design of the air fryer also allows the air to circulate faster and heat the food more powerfully than an oven, crisping the food in less time. Scientifically speaking, the Maillard reaction (a chemical reaction that causes your food to become crispy and golden-brown), happens faster in an air fryer due to the rapid airflow. So, you can count on the air fryer to create that perfect golden-brown crust for your pie.

An obvious dilemma when it comes to air-frying pie is the size. Unless you have a large-capacity oven air fryer, a whole, standard-size pie might not fit. If you have a basket air fryer, don't fret. You can still enjoy an air-fried pie — it'll just have to be a smaller version. Mini pie pans, whether ceramic or non-stick, will work great in your air fryer. You can generally put most oven-safe bakeware (ceramic, glass, metal, or silicone) in your air fryer, but you'll want to consult the manual to make sure. And don't forget to wear your oven mitts when removing the pies.

Whether you use pre-made dough or make your own pie crust, brushing the top of the pie with an egg wash will help give it that glorious golden-brown color once cooked. For a pie you can walk around with as you eat, try making hand pies in your air fryer. You can make your own better-than-McDonald's apple pie in your air fryer with all kinds of fruit fillings. These pies can be placed right in the air fryer basket — just make sure to spray both the pies and the basket with cooking spray. No matter what type of pie you make, it's worth giving the air fryer a shot for its ability to cook fast and efficiently, as well as deliver a perfectly-crispy pie crust.