The mini pies cooked in an air fryer are a simple and practical way to bring a classic homemade pastry to the table. Thanks to this cooking method, you can get perfect results with a crispy and golden shortcrust pastry, without having to turn on the oven. A great idea for the children’s school snack!
The air fryer allows you to cook similar to a convection oven, but reducing energy consumption and optimizing time, especially when preparing small quantities. Whether it’s jam-filled mini pies, with Nutella, custard, or ricotta, the principle remains the same: the shortcrust pastry in the air fryer cooks evenly, preserving taste and texture. Perfect for those who love experimenting with new techniques, the recipe for mini pies in an air fryer shows how even air fryer desserts can combine practicality and tradition, with excellent results!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 504.03 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 89.24 (g) of which sugars 64.07 (g)
- Proteins 5.29 (g)
- Fat 14.78 (g) of which saturated 3.54 (g)of which unsaturated 10.15 (g)
- Fibers 2.26 (g)
- Sodium 496.35 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 185 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for 4 jam-filled mini pies cooked in air fryer
- 4 cups shortcrust pastry (for me gluten-free)
- 1 cup jam
- 1 tbsp butter (for the molds)
- as needed flour (for the molds; I used rice flour)
Tools
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Mat silicone
- 4 Molds for mini pies with a 4-inch diameter
- 1 Air Fryer
How to Cook Mini Pies in Air Fryer
To prepare the mini pies in an air fryer, you can use the shortcrust pastry recipe you prefer. I used my gluten-free shortcrust pastry with rice and corn flour and decided to fill them with strawberry jam. Prepare the shortcrust pastry and let it rest in the fridge, then roll it out with the rolling pin on a slightly floured silicone mat or a sheet of parchment paper, forming a layer that is not too thin (just under a quarter of an inch) (1).
Using one of the mini pie molds as a reference, cut out discs about half an inch larger than the molds themselves (2). Lightly butter and flour the mini pie molds (3).
Transfer the shortcrust pastry discs into the molds, making them adhere well to the bottom and edges. Prick the bottom with a fork (4). Fill them with a layer of jam (5). Re-knead the shortcrust pastry scraps and roll them out again with the rolling pin, forming another fairly thick layer. Cut it into strips about 1/4 to 1/3 inch wide (6).
Lay them over the surface of the mini pies, forming the classic lattice pattern (7). Preheat the air fryer to 302°F, then place the mini pies in the basket (8). Cook the mini pies in the air fryer for about 15 minutes. When they are golden on top, remove them from the basket (9) and let them cool completely before removing them from the molds.
You can serve the mini pies for breakfast or a snack, at home or at school.
Storage
The jam-filled mini pies can be stored at room temperature for 3 or 4 days.
Tips and Variations
If you want to prepare mini pies cooked in the air fryer with a filling other than jam, the method is similar: you can fill them with custard, chocolate custard, or ricotta and always cook them at 302°F, possibly extending the cooking time by 2-3 minutes for very moist fillings. To prepare Nutella mini pies and ensure it stays soft after baking, the trick is to let the mini pies rest in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before cooking them. In this case, the cooking time should be extended by at least 5 minutes.
