Nowadays, people have a misconception when we talk about snacks. It has been inculcated in everyone’s mind that this involves unhealthy food such as junk foods, frozen snacks, crackers, and other items that are not beneficial to your overall health. Snacks usually come in between meals, that’s why people think that it can be anything that they want to eat. When in fact, snacking can be healthy as long as you feed yourself with the right foods with less oil and additives that won’t harm your diet.
Why Are Snacks Important?
Snacks are important to save you from any hunger right before every meal. In this way, your energy cap will be revitalized, so you won’t end up feeling tired after doing some activities. If you are on a diet, this can help you avoid overeating too because the food that you eat during snack time will make you feel full already.
There is nothing to be afraid of when snacks are taken because it actually gives a boost to your health, and they are easy to make too with the use of air fryers. Probably the most delicious food you can eat are the ones that need to be fried and while this may sound alluring to you, deep frying with the use of oil is very unhealthy too.
Good thing that the use of an air fryer will let you enjoy your favorite snacks with less or no added oil at all. Air fryer snacks are perfect not just for you but also for everyone you’re with at home or at any given place. Here are the all-time air fryer snacks you can easily make today!
What Snacks Can You Make in an Air Fryer?
1. Air Fryer Popcorn
One of the best air fryer snacks you can try now is popcorn. Popcorn is the favorite snack of everyone since it is on the top list of food when watching movies. Since it is easy to make, its preparation time is shortened with the use of an air fryer. The hot air generated in an air fryer will ensure that the popcorn is well-cooked and ready to be served with just a small amount of oil.
- Put 1-2 tablespoons of oil.
- Prepare an aluminum foil and place it inside the basket of the air fryer. The foil used will help you avoid mess during the process.
- Place the popcorn inside the basket with the foil below.
- Set the air fryer temperature to 390°F and the timer must be 8 minutes.
- When the air fryer automatically turns off, it’s ready for serving.
2. Air Fryer French Fries
There is no single person on earth that doesn’t like french fries. It has been the most sought snack wherever we go, simply because it is very delicious. And yes, you can make air fryer french fries easily than deep-frying them.
No matter how tasty french fries are, they also contain fats that are not beneficial for your health because too many fats may lead to heart diseases. But with air fryer french fries wherein you will not need much oil, you will be able to enjoy the snack with less cholesterol. Some people who have tried air fryer french fries before concluded that the taste is the same as deep-frying but it is less greasy.
Directions
- Peel the potato and cut them into pieces.
- Toss 2-3 tablespoons of oil in the basket of the air fryer.
- Put the french fries inside the air fryer basket. Make sure that all french fries are in the bottom part of the basket so that every piece will get access to the hot air.
- Set the temperature to 390°F for about 13 minutes.
- Once the air fryer creates a notification sound or when it turns off, that’s the time that your air fryer french fries are ready for serving.
3. Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
Pizza has always been a special snack that no one can say no to. It’s not just because of how delicious it looks but also the different flavors that cling to your mouth. The cheese in your pizza gives you a fatty flavor as well as the meat, while the sauce can be sweet or spicy sometimes, depending on your choice. And these things will be more delicious for your taste buds if you are making air fryer pizza rolls. The air fryer will make the pizza tastier because the hot air of the air fryer is always located on the top, which means that toppings such as cheese will surely meltdown, something that you will surely drool over.
Directions
- Place the pizza rolls inside the air fryer basket.
- Set the temperature to 390°F for about 8 minutes.
- You can just wait for the pizza roll to be cooked or you could also shake the basket so that all sides of the pizza are heated.
- Once the air fryer creates a notification sound or when it turns off, that’s the time that your air fryer pizza rolls are ready for serving.
4. Air Fryer Roasted Peanuts
Aside from popcorn, roasted peanuts are always on the hit list when we talk about snacks. This is simply because it’s easy to make and can be eaten with just a minimal amount if you’re on a diet. It doesn’t matter if you are going to fry it or not because the nutrients remain even when it’s raw or roasted. However, it makes a huge difference when it is deep fry using oil because oil contains bad cholesterol which triggers risk for any diseases.
Good thing the use of air fryer roasted peanuts will cut down your usage of oil, making you free from any health problems. When nuts are cooked in an air fryer, you can expect them to have a better taste, aroma, and the texture is very crunchy.
Directions
- Put a cup of peanuts inside the air fryer basket. Make sure to spread them thoroughly.
- Set the temperature to 350°F for about 8 minutes.
- You can just wait for the nuts to be roasted or you could also shake the basket so that all nuts you put inside are heated.
- Once the air fryer creates a notification sound or when it turns off, that’s the time that your air fryer roasted peanuts are ready for serving.
5. Air Fryer Kale Chips
If you are into chips as a snack, there is a kale chip that is very healthy for your mind and body. If you are also aiming to lose some weight, there is no need to avoid kale chips because they are a low energy density food, meaning the added calories is not too much.
Kale chips are even more nutritious than other air fryer snacks because they are high in fiber, vitamin A, B, C, as well as calcium and potassium. So, it’s like eating a snack that has all the nutrients that your body needs. Additionally, when it is processed as air fryer kale chips, the more nutrients you will get because less oil means less consumption of cholesterol too.
Directions
- Spray some oil directly on the kale. Once it is coated completely, add a little amount of salt, onion, garlic, and pepper powder.
- Transfer the kale leaves into the air fryer basket.
- Set the temperature to 360°F for about 8 minutes.
- You can just wait for the kale to be cooked or you could also shake the basket so that all sides of the kale are heated.
- Once the air fryer creates a notification sound or when it turns off, that’s the time that your air fryer kale chips are ready for serving.
6. Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
Mozzarella sticks are the type of food that will leave you asking for more when served as a snack. It is usually served as an appetizer in some places because it tastes so good to stimulate the appetite of people. Some people would call this cheese sticks because it is pure cheese wrapped in breadcrumbs. It’s just called Mozzarella because the type of cheese used is from Italy. Its taste will even improve once it’s made in an air fryer, turning it into an air fryer mozzarella sticks with less oil and cholesterol.
Directions
- Use a spray bottle to spray cooking oil in the air fryer basket. You can also opt to spray the oil directly to the mozzarella sticks.
- Put the mozzarella sticks into the air fryer basket. Make sure to spread them thoroughly.
- Set the temperature to 390°F for about 8 minutes.
- You can just wait for the sticks to be cooked or you could also shake the basket so that all sides of the mozzarella sticks are heated.
- Once the air fryer creates a notification sound or when it turns off, that’s the time that your air fryer mozzarella sticks are ready for serving.
7. Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips
Potato chips are a great snack even if you are in an indoor or outdoor type of setting. Most especially when sweet potato chips are cooked with the use of an air fryer. You can either make your own or buy them in a grocery store. But the risk in buying ready-made sweet potato chips is that they undergo different processes already, with additives that are not beneficial for your health.
Unlike when you are making it on your own, you can be sure that it is made purely from potato chips and nothing more. Moreover, air fryer sweet potato chips will give the crisp and freshness that you need the most. It also hinders the increase of cholesterol level in your body, knowing you will just need a little amount of oil to have them cook perfectly.
Directions
- Put the sweet potato in a clean bowl and mix with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
- Spray the cooking oil directly into the air fryer basket.
- Add the potatoes inside the basket. Make sure to spread them thoroughly.
- Set the temperature to 350°F for about 15 minutes.
- You can just wait for the chips to be cooked or you could also shake the basket so that all sides of the sweet potato chips are heated.
- Once the air fryer creates a notification sound or when it turns off, that’s the time that your air fryer sweet potato chips are ready for serving.
8. Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Did you know that you could also make an air fryer chicken wings snack easily? With the most delicious taste chicken wings could give to you, we are sure that you will keep coming back for more snack time. You can just buy frozen chicken wings from different grocery stores and cook with the use of an air fryer. Although the skin of the chicken wings contains fat, with moderate consumption, they can still be healthy for you. When it is cooked properly and with less oil, it can help you avoid certain diseases such as hypertension, stroke, and heart problems.
The use of an air fryer will also give your chicken wings a less greasy feeling knowing that it is cooked with less or no oil at all. You can also expect the flavors to cling to the chicken wings perfectly as well as crispy texture worth drooling over.
Directions
- Make sure to mix the ingredients (pepper, salt, garlic powder) well with the chicken wings.
- Spray oil inside the air fryer basket, followed by the chicken wings. Make sure to spread them thoroughly.
- Set the temperature to 360°F for about 15 minutes.
- You can just wait for the chicken wings to be cooked or you could also shake the basket so that all sides of the chicken are heated.
- Once the air fryer creates a notification sound or when it turns off, that’s the time that your air fryer chicken wings are ready for serving.
9. Air Fryer Empanadas
Traditionally, empanadas are the snacks that have been here ever since the rise of other snacks. It may look like a simple dough but the insides are heavenly knowing that it is filled with delicious ingredients such as beef, chicken, pork, cheese, and vegetables. So, you have the say as to how you want its taste depending on the included filling. What gives it a perfect twist is the use of an air fryer to make the empanada even more healthy.
With less oil usage, the empanada will be served with less cholesterol and fats, ideal for a healthy snack time. And since it is generated through hot air alone, the crispy texture of empanada is very evident.
Directions
- Make a circular dough and put the ingredients inside. It’s your choice if you want the filling to be meat, cheese, or vegetables.
- Secure the fillings by pressing all the sides of the dough together using your fingers.
- Spray oil inside the air fryer basket, followed by the empanada. Make sure to spread them thoroughly.
- Set the temperature to 350°F for about 8 minutes.
- You can just wait for the empanada to be cooked or you could also shake the basket so that all sides of the empanada are heated.
- Once the air fryer creates a notification sound or when it turns off, that’s the time that your air fryer empanadas are ready for serving.
All these snacks mentioned above are the type of snacks that won't ruin your diet. And this can only be made possible with the use of an air fryer. Without it, you will not be able to save yourself from too much fat and cholesterol.
If you still don’t have an air fryer, we will help you get the best one through BWEISS air fryer on Amazon. It comes with different accessories such as a toaster rack, and cooking divider, and a cookbook, so aside from the given air fryer snacks above, there are still more to try with this air fryer!
Aside from snacks, are you also interested in cooking healthy breakfast foods for the whole family? It’s easy if you read our guide here.