I’ve been hearing a lot about air fryers lately, and I wanted to share my experience using one for gluten-free cooking and baking. The promise is tempting: crispy, “fried” foods with far less oil. They’re not a perfect replica of deep frying, but they do open up many healthier and quicker options in the kitchen.
How Air Fryers Work
Air fryers are essentially compact, powerful convection ovens. Unlike deep frying, which uses hot oil to quickly brown and seal the outside of food while keeping the interior moist, air fryers use rapidly circulating hot air to achieve browning and crispness. Because air transfers heat more slowly than oil, expect some differences in texture and flavor compared with traditional frying. Food can dry out if overcooked or left unattended, and you won’t get the same rich, fatty flavor that oil provides. The benefit, though, is faster cooking, minimal to no oil, quick preheating, and an overall more convenient cleanup.
Choosing an Air Fryer
Shopping for an air fryer can be overwhelming. There are many sizes, power ratings, and designs — from compact baskets to larger toaster-oven-style models. I chose a brand I trust and went with a Cuisinart air fryer toaster oven because of its build quality and versatility. The stainless steel exterior and full-feature design made it a good fit for my daily-baking lifestyle.
Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven
The Cuisinart TOA-60 Air Fryer Toaster Oven is a full-sized countertop oven that air fries, bakes, broils and toasts. Its stainless steel construction feels durable, and the appliance replaces a standard toaster oven while adding air fry capability. It offers several functions — Air Fry, Convection Bake, Convection Broil, Bake, Broil, Warm and Toast — along with adjustable toast shade settings and automatic shutoff for safety. The .6 cubic foot interior is larger than many compact air fryers: you can air fry up to about 3 pounds of food, toast six slices, roast a 4-pound chicken or cook a 12″ pizza. The unit runs quietly, heats quickly and is easy to clean thanks to a non-stick interior.
Air Fryer Potatoes
I tested fries and potato chips first. The Cuisinart’s flat basket exposes more surface area to the hot air and browns well without a lot of oil or frequent flipping. For the potatoes shown, I sliced them, placed them in a gallon-sized zip-top bag with about 1 tablespoon of avocado oil, shook to coat, then spread them in the basket and seasoned with salt and pepper. I didn’t preheat; I positioned the basket on rack position 2 and cooked on Air Fry at 400°F for about 12 minutes, tossing once after 8 minutes. They browned nicely and stayed tender inside.
Air Fryer Gluten-Free Doughnut Holes
My real test was gluten-free doughnut holes. The Cuisinart recipe guide suggested it was possible, so I used my trusted gluten-free doughnut dough. After making the dough and letting it rise, I rolled the dough into balls, sprayed the air fryer rack lightly with oil, and set the machine to Air Fry at 350°F. The timer must be running for the air fry setting to operate, so I started it and set the tray on rack position 2.
These small doughnut holes cooked very quickly — about 4 minutes was perfect for my size. A five-minute cook time was slightly too long and made them a bit too brown, so check yours early. Because this rack position sits near the top heating element, keep an eye on color and adjust rack placement if needed. Finishing them with a simple glaze made from sifted confectioner’s sugar, almond milk and a splash of pure vanilla (or maple syrup) produced a smooth, drizzleable coating. I dunked each doughnut hole in the glaze and set them on a wire rack to cool. They were best fresh but warmed slightly in the microwave the next day and still tasted great, likely because they were not saturated with oil.
How I Cooked the Doughnut Holes
Summary of my method: roll the risen dough into small balls, lightly oil the rack or tray, cook at 350°F for roughly 4 minutes (adjust time to size and color), and glaze while warm. Watch the first batch closely so you can dial in timing for your machine and dough size.
Gluten-Free Hand Pies in the Air Fryer
I also re-created fried hand pies. After baking the mini pies, I sprayed them lightly with oil and air fried them for 3–4 minutes to achieve a light, satisfying crunch. The result was a handheld fried-pie experience without deep frying. A brief turn in the air fryer after baking added that golden, slightly crisp exterior everyone remembers from traditional fried hand pies.
I’d love to hear your results if you try these recipes in another air fryer model. We were impressed with the Cuisinart for its size, speed and cleaning ease, and I’m excited to explore more gluten-free recipes in it. Air fryers can expand the repertoire for gluten-free cooks: doughnut holes, beignets, churros and apple fritters can all be revisited with less oil and less mess.
If you’re curious about conversions between a traditional oven and an air fryer, there are helpful calculators and resources developed by experienced air-fryer users. Testing and adjusting times and temperatures for your specific model and recipes will yield the best results.
In short: air fryers won’t perfectly mimic deep frying, but they offer quick, low-oil alternatives that work very well for many gluten-free baked and fried-style treats. With a bit of experimentation you can get excellent texture and flavor while cutting down on oil and cleanup.