Air Fryer Biscuits
Air fryer biscuits are the American-style kind: tall, soft and buttery, a little like a plain scone but less sweet. Butter is rubbed into self-raising flour, buttermilk brings the dough together, and the biscuits bake in two batches of three at 180°C. They take under an hour from start to finish, and they are best split and eaten warm with butter, jam or honey.
- Total
- 47 min
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 27 min
- Serves
- 6 biscuits
- Per 1 biscuit
- 285kcal
Making air fryer biscuits ahead
The butter is what makes the biscuits tall and tender, so everything depends on keeping it cold. You can rub it into the flour, cover the bowl and chill it for up to a day, then stir in the buttermilk when you are ready to bake.
Buttermilk is sold in most British supermarkets, near the milk or the cream. If you cannot find it, milk soured with a little lemon juice works, as the ingredients list shows. A standard basket takes three biscuits at once.
Air fryer biscuits: the method
Tap a time to start a timer.
- Make the dough Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, with a few pea-sized pieces left. Stir in the buttermilk with a knife until a soft, slightly sticky dough just comes together.
- Shape the biscuits Tip the dough onto a floured surface and pat it out with your hands, rather than rolling it, to a round about 2cm thick. Press out rounds with a floured 7cm cutter, pushing straight down without twisting. Gently pat the offcuts together once to cut the last biscuits. You should get six.
- Preheat and line Preheat the air fryer to 180°C for . Put a perforated liner in the basket.
- Bake the first batch Place 3 biscuits in the basket with a gap of at least 2cm between them and bake for , until risen and golden brown. Lift them onto a wire rack.
- Bake the second batch Bake the other 3 biscuits in the same way for . Keep the unbaked ones in the fridge while the first batch cooks.
- Cool slightly and serve Leave the biscuits on the rack for , then split them and serve warm.
What to serve with them
Warm biscuits are good split and spread with butter and jam, or filled with bacon and a fried egg for breakfast. They also go well next to a bowl of soup. If you are after the crisp, sweet British kind, try ginger biscuits instead.
Common problems and fixes for Air Fryer Biscuits
- The biscuits are tough and dense.
- The dough was overworked or the butter had warmed up. Handle the dough only until it comes together, and keep the butter in the fridge until the moment you need it.
- The biscuits rise unevenly.
- Twisting the cutter seals the edges and stops the dough from rising. Press straight down, lift straight up, and flour the cutter between cuts.
- The bottoms are dark but the middles are doughy.
- The biscuits were too thick or too close to the element. Keep the dough to 2cm, and if your air fryer runs fierce, bake at 170°C for 14 minutes.
Frequently asked questions about Air Fryer Biscuits
How long do you cook biscuits in an air fryer?
12 minutes at 180°C, after a 3-minute preheat, three biscuits at a time. They are ready when risen, golden and springy to the touch.
Are these the same as British biscuits?
No. A British biscuit is usually crisp and sweet, like a digestive. These are soft and savoury-leaning, closer to a plain scone, and they are served split with butter, jam or bacon.
Can I use plain flour instead of self-raising?
Yes. Use 250g plain flour and add 3 level tsp of baking powder, mixing it in with the flour before you rub in the butter.
Can I freeze the biscuits?
Yes, baked biscuits freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in the air fryer at 160°C for 4–5 minutes, until warm all the way through.
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