Air Fryer Snacks: 6 Fun and Flavorful Recipes to Cook When Friends Come Over

Having a gathering at your house post-Thanksgiving? Break out your air fryer. Unlike the oven or the microwave, the air fryer gets food crisp in less time. It also gives you a chance to flex your creative skills in the kitchen and try out new recipes. There are so many things that little machine can do. Don’t know what to try first? We’ve selected the five best air fryer snacks for when friends come over. These aren’t your everyday treats, and they’re tested by our team. Our picks: rosemary bagel chips, lemon curd scones, baked herb with ricotta dippers, tahini kale chips, spinach and feta twists, and cauliflower triangles.

Rosemary Bagel Chips

Crisp and thin, these bagel chips pair beautifully with hummus and cheese dip.

Prep + Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Makes: 16-20 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 plain, poppy seed, sesame seed, or everything bagels
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sea salt flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat a 5.3-quart air fryer to 340 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes. Line a tray with parchment paper.
2. Using a serrated knife, cut the bagels horizontally into slices. If using precut bagels, cut into 4 slices; if using uncut bagels, cut into 5 slices.
3. Place the bagel slices on the prepared tray. Combine the garlic, chopped rosemary, and oil in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over the bagel slices. Sprinkle with the rosemary leaves and sea salt flakes and season with pepper.
4. Taking care, lean half the bagel slices up against one another in the air-fryer basket. At 340 degrees Fahrenheit, cook for 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. Transfer to a tray to cool. Repeat with the remaining bagel slices.

Other Flavors to Try

Smoky Tomato and Chili: Whisk 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon chilli flakes, and 2 cloves crushed garlic in a small bowl. Whisk in ½ cup extra- virgin olive oil. Brush the mixture over the bagel slices. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt flakes. Continue from step 4.

Salt and Vinegar: Place 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt flakes in a small screw- top jar; shake well to dissolve the salt. Add ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil and shake well to combine. Brush the mixture over the bagel slices. Continue from step 4. Season with extra salt flakes.

Lemon Curd Scones

This buttery, flaky scone with a zing of lemon will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Prep + Cook Time: 35 minutes

Makes: 9 scones

Ingredients:

• 2 ⅓ cups self-rising flour
• ⅓ teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch fine salt
  2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, plus more to brush
• ¼ cup lemon curd
• Olive oil cooking spray
• Jam and whipped cream, to serve

Instructions:

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into a large bowl. Make
   a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk and lemon curd. Using a flat- blade knife, gently stir until the dough just comes together.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your hands, knead the mixture briefly. Pat out until the dough is 1 ¼ -inch-thick.
3. Using a floured cutter, cut 2 ¼ -inch rounds from the dough. Press the scraps of dough together until 1 ¼ -inch-thick. Repeat cutting to get a total of 9 scones. Brush the tops of the scones with extra buttermilk.
4. Preheat a 7-quart air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes.
5. Spray the air-fryer basket with cooking spray. Taking care, place the scones, side by side, in the basket. Reset the temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 17 minutes.
6. Serve the warm scones with jam and cream.

Baked Herb With Ricotta Dippers

There’s nothing quite like a gooey, cheesy dip and fresh pita to go with it.

Prep + Cook Time: 40 minutes

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 lavash bread rounds
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 16 ounces ricotta
  1 large egg, beaten lightly
• ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to serve
• ¼ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• Extra-virgin olive oil, baby rainbow carrots, radishes, baby cucumbers, and baby gem lettuce, to serve

Instructions:

1. Preheat a 7-quart air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes.
2. Brush the lavash with butter and sprinkle with the Italian seasoning.
3. Taking care, place one of the bread rounds in the air-fryer basket, then place a wire rack on top. At 350 degrees Fahrenheit, cook for 3 minutes or until golden and crisp. Transfer to a plate to cool. Repeat with the remaining bread round. Once cooled, cut the bread rounds into wedges.
4. Meanwhile, place the ricotta, egg, Parmesan, thyme, and chilli a medium bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Divide the mixture between two 10-ounce ovenproof baking dishes.
5. Taking care, place the dishes in the air-fryer basket. At 350 degrees Fahrenheit, cook for 20 minutes or until the ricotta is golden and set. Remove the dishes from the the air fryer.
6. Sprinkle the baked ricottas with extra thyme leaves and drizzle with olive oil. Serve warm with the bread wedges, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and lettuce.

Tahini Kale Chips

Light and full of flavor, kale chips are perfect in the air fryer.

Prep + Cook Time: 30 minutes

Makes: 4 servings, or 6 cups

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup tahini
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1  tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt flakes
• 1 bunch green kale, stems removed and discarded
• Chilli flakes and sea salt flakes, to serve

Instructions:

1. Combine the tahini, ground coriander, oil, sesame seeds, and salt flakes in a large bowl. Tear the kale into bite-size pieces and add to the bowl. Using your fingers, rub the tahini mixture into the kale leaves to coat.
2. Place half the kale leaves in the basket of a 5.3-quart air fryer. Set the temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 10 minutes, turning halfway through, or until the kale leaves are crisp. Transfer the kale chips to a tray to cool. Repeat with the remaining kale leaves.
3. Sprinkle the kale chips with chilli flakes and sea salt flakes to serve.

Tip: The kale chips will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Spinach and Feta Twists

It’ll be hard for each guests to gobble up just one.

Prep + Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Makes: 24 twists

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, just thawed
• ½ cup feta, crumbled
• ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
• Olive oil cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Place the spinach in a fine sieve and squeeze out excess liquid. Coarsely chop the spinach, then pat dry between sheets of paper towels.
2. Place a pastry sheet on a parchment paper–lined tray. Top with half the spinach, half the combined cheeses, and the remaining sheet of pastry. Sprinkle the remaining spinach and cheeses on top. Cut the stack in half and place one half on top of the other; press down firmly. Place the pastry stack in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up before cutting crosswise into 24 strips. Pinch one end of a strip, then twist from the pinched end to the other end until 8 inches long. Pinch the other end to seal. Repeat twisting with the remaining strips.
3. Preheat a 5.3-quart air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes.
4. Taking care, spray the air-fryer basket with oil, then place half the twists in the basket. At 400 degrees Fahrenheit, cook for 5 minutes or until the twists are golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the cooked twists to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining twists.

Tip: The twists will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Cauliflower Triangles

Stuffed with spiced cauliflower, these triangles would also work as a side to a full meal.

Prep + Cook Time + Cooling Time: 1 hour

Makes: 18 triangles

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
• 8 ounces cauliflower, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼  teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus extra to dust
• Extra-virgin olive oil cooking spray
• ⅓ cup feta, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons roasted chopped almonds
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra leaves, to serve
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 12 sheets phyllo pastry
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Instructions:

1. Preheat a 5.3-quart air fryer to 350 degrees for 3 minutes.
2. Combine the onion, cauliflower, and garlic in a medium bowl. Combine the spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle the cauliflower mixture with the spices, then spray generously with oil.
3. Taking care, line the air-fryer basket with parchment paper, then place the cauliflower mixture in the basket. At 350 degrees Fahrenheit, cook for 5 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
4. Transfer the cauliflower mixture to a bowl. Add the feta, almonds, and chopped herbs and stir to combine. Let cool. (Alternatively, spread the mixture out on a tray and place in the freezer to chill for 5 minutes.)
5. Stack 2 sheets of pastry together, spraying in between the layers with oil. Cut the stacked pastry lengthwise into three strips. Place a heaping tablespoon of cauliflower mixture in the corner of one pastry strip, leaving a ½ -inch border. Fold the opposite corner of the pastry diagonally across the filling to form a triangle; continue folding to the end of the pastry strip, retaining the triangular shape. Place the phyllo triangle, seam-side down, on a tray. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheets, more oil spray, and the cauliflower mixture to make a total of 18 phyllo triangles. Spray the triangles with oil and dust with extra cinnamon.
6. Place half the phyllo triangles in the air-fryer basket. At 350 degrees Fahrenheit, cook for 20 minutes, turning halfway through, or until the triangles are golden. Transfer the cooked triangles to wire rack. Repeat with the remaining triangles.
7. Serve the phyllo triangles with lemon wedges and cilantro leaves.

Looking for another tasty snack option? Read our story on healthy kettle-cooked chips!

This article originally appeared in our print magazine, Air Fryer Snacks.