Why Your Air Fryer Is The Perfect Tool For Melting Chocolate

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The rise of the air fryer might be one of the best things to come out of the 2010s. Its popularity quickly simplified weeknight meals in households across the globe. As it becomes more of a kitchen staple, its uses go beyond just mimicking that fried food exterior. It's even a great vessel for melting chocolate, and that's just one air fryer hack you'll wish you knew sooner.

You can't put a chocolate bar directly in the air fryer and expect anything other than a mess, but if you have an air fryer-safe bowl, it's a simple process. Just heat the chocolate at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for a few minutes. Depending on how much chocolate is in the bowl, you might have to check it, stir, and put it back in. It should melt evenly after a few times of doing this. You can snag some air fryer-safe silicone bowls, such as the Bomsi air fryer silicone liners for only $8.

To make sure the chocolate melts evenly, break it into similar-sized pieces rather than putting an entire unbroken chocolate bar into a dish. Don't let the chocolate cook in the air fryer for more than three minutes before checking it, or it could burn. Additionally, a low temperature is key. To prevent the chocolate from rehardening, keep it at a warm temperature; continuous movement helps too, or add a little vegetable oil. Avoid adding coconut oil, though, which could make the chocolate harden faster.

Chocolate isn't the only sweet treat you can prep in the air fryer. As long as you have an air fryer-safe bowl, you can cook anything from chocolate chip cookies to chocolate chip pancakes. The temperature is the most important factor for cooking these chocolate treats, so adjust accordingly; cookies can be baked at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for between five and seven minutes, while pancakes should be cooked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about eight minutes.