Shortbread in the air fryer is the best proof that good baking doesn’t have to be complicated. The Scottish classic is built on one part sugar, two parts butter and three parts flour – with no raising agent and no eggs at all. It is the butter that carries the flavour, and the low temperature that gives the pale colour and the sandy, tender crumb that crumbles softly in your mouth.
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The dough is kneaded only until it just comes together, pressed into a tin that fits in the basket, pricked with a fork and baked pale. As soon as the shortbread comes out, you sprinkle sugar over it and cut it into triangles or fingers while it is still warm. The cooling does the rest, because that is when shortbread becomes properly crisp.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love shortbread in the air fryer
I like recipes where there is nothing to hide behind. The dough consists of 50 g sugar, 100 g butter and 150 g plain flour plus a pinch of salt, so you can taste every single ingredient. That is why it pays to use real butter and weigh everything out on a kitchen scale. The butter must be cold and cut into small cubes, so it can be rubbed into the flour with your fingertips.
The air fryer is surprisingly well suited to the job. A round baking tin of about 18 cm makes 8 triangles, and I don’t have to heat up a big oven for a single small bake. The tin simply needs to fit in the basket with a little air space around the edge.
The difference between an air fryer and an oven
In an air fryer, the heating element sits close to the shortbread and the fan sends the air around quickly, so the surface takes on colour sooner than in a conventional oven. That is why I keep the temperature down at 150 °C and turn the tin half a turn halfway through, so the edge stays evenly pale all the way round.
My shortbread test in the kitchen
I have tested the recipe in my Cosori Dual Blaze, which has a single basket with heating elements both above and below. That is an advantage here, because the dough sits in a tin: the base gets heat from underneath and bakes through, without the surface having time to brown. I preheated to 150 °C, baked for 25 minutes and turned the tin half a turn halfway through. The shortbread came out pale with a slightly golden edge, dry and firm on the surface but still soft enough to be cut.
After 20 minutes of cooling in the tin, the pieces were firm and crisp and could be snapped cleanly apart along the cuts. Allow about an hour in total: 15 minutes of preparation, 25 minutes in the air fryer and 20 minutes of cooling. In a larger model such as the Philips XXL there is plenty of room for the tin, and if you have a smaller air fryer, you can use a smaller tin and bake the dough in two batches.
Lightly score the cutting lines in the dough before the tin goes into the air fryer. That makes them easy to follow with the knife when you cut out the shortbread while it is still warm and soft.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is kneading for too long. The dough should only just come together, because if it is kneaded further, the shortbread turns hard instead of tender. The second mistake is baking it too dark. Shortbread should be sand-coloured, not brown, and if the surface gets too dark in your air fryer, you can lower the temperature to 140 °C for the last part of the baking time. The third mistake is waiting to use the knife. The shortbread is soft when it comes out and only becomes crisp as it cools, so cut all the way down to the base straight away. Then let the pieces cool in the tin before you lift them out – otherwise they will crumble.
How to serve shortbread
Shortbread doesn’t need much company. The recipe makes 8 triangles, so 2 pieces per portion, and here are my favourite ways to serve them:
- With a cup of tea or coffee – the classic way to serve it
- With fresh berries and whipped cream as a simple dessert
- As a crisp accompaniment to vanilla ice cream or fruit compote
- On the cake table alongside other biscuits
Storage and reheating
Store shortbread in an airtight biscuit tin at room temperature, where it keeps for up to 2 weeks. It is served at room temperature, but if the pieces have gone soft, you can freshen them up in the air fryer at 150 °C for 2-3 minutes. You can also freeze the pieces in an airtight container for up to 3 months and thaw them at room temperature.
Shortbread in the air fryer is one of the recipes I keep coming back to, because it is so simple and yet feels like something special. Weigh the ingredients, knead briefly, bake it pale, and cut while the shortbread is still warm. You will find the recipe with all the quantities below.
FAQ
The holes let the steam escape during baking, so the base bakes evenly. Prick the dough all the way through in a close pattern before the tin goes into the air fryer.
Cut the shortbread as soon as it comes out of the air fryer, while it is still warm and soft. Cut all the way down to the base, and let the pieces cool in the tin for 20 minutes before you lift them out.
Recipe
Shortbread in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Cost of the dish
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Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Round pan - Approx. 18 cm – must fit in the air fryer basket
- 1 Parchment paper - For lining the tin
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Cooling rack
Shopping list
Ingredients
How to make it
Preparation
- Check that a round baking tin of about 18 cm fits in the air fryer basket with a little air space around the edge.
- Add 100 g butter to the bowl in small, cold cubes, and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Knead the dough very briefly with your hands, only until it just comes together. If you knead it for too long, the shortbread becomes tough instead of tender.
- Press the dough into the tin in an even layer of about 1 cm, and smooth the surface with your fingertips.
- Prick the dough all the way through with a fork in a close pattern, so the steam can escape and the base bakes evenly.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 150 °C fan.
- Place the tin in the basket and bake the dough at 150 °C for 12 minutes.
- Turn the tin half a turn and continue baking at 150 °C for 13 minutes, until the shortbread is pale with a slightly golden edge and feels dry and firm on the surface.
Serving
- Take the tin out and immediately sprinkle 1 tbsp sugar over the warm shortbread.
- Cut the shortbread into 8 triangles with a sharp knife while it is still warm and soft – cut all the way down to the base. If you are using a square tin, cut it into fingers instead.
- Place the tin on a wire rack and let the pieces cool in the tin for 20 minutes, until they are firm and crisp.
Our notes for the recipe
Weigh the ingredients – the ratio of one part sugar, two parts butter and three parts flour is the whole secret, and the dough needs neither a raising agent nor eggs. Knead only until the dough just comes together, and bake it pale: the shortbread should be sand-coloured, not brown. If the surface gets too dark in your air fryer, lower the temperature to 140 °C for the last part of the baking time. Cut while the shortbread is warm:
The shortbread is soft when it comes out of the air fryer and only becomes crisp as it cools. So cut the pieces out straight away, and let them cool in the tin before you lift them out – otherwise they will crumble. If you like, lightly score the cutting lines in the dough before baking, so they are easy to follow afterwards. Variation:
Replace 25 g of the plain flour with rice flour or cornflour for an extra sandy and crisp crumb. You can also flavour the dough with finely grated lemon zest, vanilla sugar or a little dried lavender. Serving:
Serve with a cup of tea or coffee, or as a crisp accompaniment to fresh berries and whipped cream. The recipe makes 8 triangles, so 2 pieces per portion. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can use a smaller tin and bake the dough in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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