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Air fryers are powerhouses in the kitchen. While you may already associate them with foods like french fries or crispy chicken wings, there are tons of other foods you should be cooking in your air fryer. One of our favorites happens to be a baked good: scones. Believe it or not, there are several styles of scones that you can bake using an air fryer. To help ensure that they come out perfectly fluffy, we spoke to Odette D’Aniello, baking expert and CEO at Dragonfly Cakes, to find out which ingredient she swears by.
According to D’Aniello, lemon juice is a flavorful acid that can take your air fryer scones to new heights — and its superpowers are all about the chemistry. “The acidity in the lemon juice reacts with baking soda, creating little bubbles of carbon dioxide that help the dough rise,” D’Aniello told Food Republic. “That reaction gives scones a lighter texture, which is especially helpful in quick bakes because air bubbles are now present in the dough.” When adding lemon juice to your scone recipe, start off with about ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon, depending on how much lemon flavor you prefer. It’s also important to note that we’re referring to fresh lemon juice, not bottled. Fresh lemon juice has a brighter flavor that you simply can’t get in the bottled form.
Tips for making air fryer scones
Keep in mind that an air fryer works similarly to a convection oven. “It circulates hot air around your food, which means things cook faster and brown more evenly — but it also means they can dry out if you’re not careful,” Odette D’Aniello explained. Because of this, it’s important that you keep a close eye on your scones so that you don’t overbake them.
The expert provided other tips for making air fryer scones, including the note that you should be chilling your dough. “Cold butter in the dough creates steam when it’s baked (or air fried) which helps the scones rise and gives a flakier texture,” D’Aniello said. To properly chill, just pop the dough in your refrigerator for about an hour before baking. You can also shape your scones and then let them chill for another 15 minutes. Just before tossing into the air fryer, D’Aniello advised, “Brush the tops with cream or an egg wash for a golden crust without drying out the scone.”
To avoid burning the bottom of your baked goods, line the air fryer basket with parchment paper — these easy, disposable air fryer liners from ReLuien are extra handy — and make sure to rotate the scones halfway through baking. “Every air fryer is a little different, and airflow isn’t always perfectly even, so turning the scones in the tray or basket can help things bake more consistently,” D’Aniello suggested. Once they’re done, make sure you store your scones properly so they can keep as long as possible.
