Air Fryer Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
Published September 13, 2020 • Updated March 11, 2026
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I make these keto air fryer chocolate chip cookies when I want something warm and gooey without heating up the whole oven. Golden brown edges, soft centers, ready in under 10 minutes.
I started baking these about two years ago, and now this is the only method I use. The circulating heat crisps the outside to a golden brown while the center stays soft and gooey, and a whole batch is done in under 10 minutes. No preheating a full oven.
Why I Bake Cookies This Way
These are egg-free, which surprises people. They’re built like a shortbread, so the butter and almond flour handle all the structure. I’ve had readers tell me they fall apart, and every time it comes down to the same thing: they weren’t cooled completely before handling. I let mine sit on the tray for a full 5 minutes after pulling them out. They’re soft and fragile at first, but they firm up as they cool. Once they set, they hold together even if you stack them.
The dough itself is straightforward. Almond flour, coconut flour, butter, monk fruit sweetener, vanilla, and sugar-free chocolate chips. No egg, no complicated prep. I refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before baking because it keeps the butter from spreading too fast and melds the flavors together. I’ve tested it both ways, and the chilled batch always comes out thicker with a more buttery taste. You can skip chilling if you’re in a rush, but I don’t recommend it.
The texture is what sets these apart. The outside gets a light crunch from the circulating heat, almost like a shortbread edge, while the center stays soft and melty. They don’t taste like a substitute to me. My kids eat them alongside their regular snacks and have never once asked if these are “different.”
What I love about this method is how forgiving the dough is. It freezes well (I keep frozen balls on hand for weeks), bakes evenly without rotating, and the cleanup is nothing compared to a full sheet pan and oven setup.
If you’ve made my traditional oven-baked version, you know this flavor profile. The air fryer version gives the edges a crispier finish that I actually prefer. For a single serving, try my single-serve cookie (90 seconds in the microwave). And if you want a thicker, chewier result, my best keto chocolate chip cookies use a different flour ratio.
I keep coming back to this recipe because it works on busy nights. Five minutes to mix, 30 minutes in the fridge, 6-8 minutes to bake. My kids treat it like a normal cookie night (they don’t know these are low carb, and they don’t care). For something even simpler, my 3-ingredient almond flour cookies are a good starting point.
Why does circulating heat make better cookies?
The basket pushes hot air around the dough from every angle: top, bottom, and sides. It’s essentially a small convection oven with tighter airflow. That concentrated heat is why the outside gets crispy while the center stays gooey, and why these finish in half the time of a regular oven batch. I’ve noticed my cookies brown more evenly this way compared to a standard baking sheet, where the bottoms always cook faster than the tops. If your model has both an Air Fry and a Bake setting, try Bake first. The fan runs at lower intensity, which gives you more control before the edges start to darken. I use Air Fry mode and it works well, but if your first batch browns too fast, switching to Bake or dropping to 325 degrees is the fix.
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Ingredients
1 1/2 cups almond flour -
1/4 cup coconut flour
-
1/4 teaspoon salt
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3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
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1/2 cup monk fruit blend sweetener
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1 teaspoon vanilla
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1/2 cup keto approved chocolate chips
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Sift dry ingredients
Sift together almond flour, coconut flour and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Mix wet ingredients
In a medium bowl, cream together butter, monkfruit sweetener, and vanilla extract.
Add dry ingredients
Slowly stir in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld and keep the butter from spreading while baking.
Air fry it
Pinch off a tablespoon of cookie dough and roll into a ball. Place on your air fryer pan (line with parchment paper first if your air fryer only has a wire basket) and press down flat to form a cookie shape. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing about an inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until the tops begin to brown slightly. Remove from the air fryer and let cool on the tray for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
I freeze mine all the time. Roll the dough into balls, freeze them on a lined sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They keep for up to 3 months. I label the bag with the date and have never had a batch go bad within that window. The texture after freezing is exactly the same as fresh dough, which is why I always make a double batch.
Can I bake these straight from frozen?
I do this regularly. No thawing needed. Just add 1-2 extra minutes to the bake time. I pull out however many I want, drop them in the basket, and walk away. It's the reason I keep frozen dough on hand.
Why do my cookies fall apart?
I get this question a lot, and it's almost always the same issue: they weren't cooled long enough. These are shortbread-style, so they're soft and fragile right out of the heat. I let mine sit on the tray for at least 5 minutes before touching them. Once they're cool to the touch, they hold together fine. No egg needed.
Should I use the Air Fry or Bake function on my air fryer?
I wrote this recipe using the Air Fry setting, and that's how I make them every time. But if your model has a Bake function, it runs the fan at lower speed, which gives you more margin before the edges darken. I've tried both and the Bake setting buys about 60 extra seconds before browning kicks in. If your first batch comes out with dark edges and a soft center, switch to Bake or drop the temperature 25 degrees.
My Cosori or Ninja runs hot. What temperature should I use?
I hear this from Cosori and Ninja owners more than any other brand. A reader with a Cosori 5.8qt told me she got dark edges with underdone centers at 350 for the full time. Her fix was pulling the second batch 90 seconds early. Some Ninja models finish in as few as 4 minutes. My advice: check at 5 minutes your first time, not 6. You can always add time. I keep a note on my machine with my own model's timing so I don't have to guess anymore.
Can I make these dairy-free?
I've tested this with coconut oil instead of butter and it works. Use the same amount, make sure it's solid (not melted), and chill the dough a little longer since coconut oil softens faster. The texture is slightly different, a bit more crumbly, but my dairy-free friends have been happy with it.
What does allulose do differently than monk fruit in this recipe?
I've baked this keto recipe with both. Allulose melts more like real sugar, which gives a slightly fluffier, lighter-colored cookie that takes about 2 extra minutes to set. Monk fruit keeps things denser and more shortbread-like, which is what I prefer for this particular recipe. Erythritol works too but has a slight cooling sensation that some people notice. I start with about 3/4 the amount of any substitute and adjust from there.
Can I substitute almond flour with another type of flour?
I've tested sunflower seed flour as a 1:1 swap and it works, but the taste and color are different (sunflower flour can turn slightly green when it reacts with baking ingredients). For a nut-free keto option, that's my recommendation. I wouldn't use coconut flour as a full substitute since it absorbs way more liquid and the ratios would be completely off.
Ok these are genuinely worth making but I have to flag something for anyone with an air fryer that runs hot (mine is a Cosori 5.8qt): I ran them at 350 for the full time on my first batch and got dark edges with centers that were still somehow a little underdone, which is such a specific air fryer failure mode. Pulled my second batch about 90 seconds early and that was the fix, soft center, just enough color on the edges. The almond and coconut flour together is the right call by the way, way less dense and grainy than when I've done straight almond flour cookies in the past. Four stars because I had to figure out my own machine's timing, which isn't really a knock on the recipe, more just a reality of air fryer baking that I wish someone had warned me about before my first batch came out looking like it had been through something.
Cosori runs hot, yeah. 90 seconds early is basically the rule with that model. The two-flour combo is exactly why these work - straight almond flour cookies always end up heavier.
Switched to Lily's chips this time and the difference is noticeable. Still soft in the middle, still done in under 10.
Chilled the dough 20 minutes and the edges crisped up way more than my first batch. Centers stayed soft, no dry crumbly texture. Worth it.
Yeah, chilling makes a bigger difference in the air fryer than the oven. The heat hits direct so cold butter sets the edges fast.
I've made keto chocolate chip cookies plenty of times in the oven but this is my first time trying them in the air fryer. At 350, are they supposed to look a little underdone when you pull them out? I know oven cookies firm up as they cool but wasn't sure if the air fryer works the same way.
Yes, same as oven cookies. Pull them when the edges and tops are golden but the center still looks soft. They firm up as they cool.
This recipe definitely needs an egg. They fall apart when cooked.
I have made these several times and they don't need an egg. When they fall apart, it's because they haven't been cooled completely before handling. They have to be cool to the touch. They are similar to a shortbread cookie which don't have eggs. That being said, you can certainly add an egg, it won't hurt it.
Can I use all Almond flour instead of both almond and coconut flours?
I haven't tried it but try using an additional cup of almond flour and then add an egg
Can you use less almond flour and more coconut flour?
Yes, but you won't have to use as much
These are great! Instead of just chilling the dough, I made it into a cookie dough log in parchment paper and put it into a split paper towel core to keep it from flattening on one side. I refrigerated them until they were really solid. It worked like a charm! I was able to slice off a few to cook for a late night snack without having to flatten them at all.This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you!
The paper towel core trick is so smart. I've done the log method but never thought to use a core for the shape. Stealing this.