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In the world of kitchenware, air fryers and silicone molds stand out most for their convenience and time-saving abilities. What about if you combine both items for one use? Read on as I discuss how silicone molds can be used in an air fryer.

Why Use Silicone Cookware

There are a lot of reasons why multiple households have silicone cookware in their kitchen. Both beginner and professional cooks swear by this baking tool for various reasons, including:

Flexibility: Silicone molds and baking dishes will return to their original shape if they’re bent or dented. Plus, you don’t have to worry about them breaking if they hit the floor.
Low Maintenance: Silicone cookware and bakeware are dishwasher-safe and don’t require any special care to keep in good condition. The material is also stain-resistant and won’t discolor from the food prepared in it.
Even Cooking: Silicone molds distribute heat evenly so food cooks thoroughly and evenly.
Cool Touch: Even though silicone bakeware and cookware will cook your food evenly, they won’t retain heat and will be cool enough to touch just minutes after coming out of the oven.
Thermal Stability and Resistance: Silicone dishes can tolerate temperatures ranging from -76℉ to 446℉. Consequently, they can go from freezer to oven without cracking or warping.
Microwave Safety: Silicone bakeware and molds are safe to use in the microwave, even straight from the freezer, as long as they don’t have a metal trim, and very few pieces do.
No Odors or Flavors: Silicone molds and cookware are separately odorless and flavorless. They also don’t retain odors or flavors from foods prepared in them.
Food Safety: Silicone is considered food-safe by the FDA. It’s inert and will not leach into food.
Storage: Silicone dishes and bakeware are easy to store since they’re lightweight, unbreakable, and scratch-resistant.
Non-Stick Finish: Silicone molds are non-stick. You don’t need to grease them with butter or oil. It also means that paper liners aren’t necessary for muffins or cupcakes.
Price: Because silicone cookware is inexpensive and relatively easy to manufacture, transport, and store, it tends to be low-priced—especially when compared with other high-quality kitchen goods.

Using an Air Fryer: What to Know

Air fryers are a must-have appliance these days. They’re incredibly convenient, particularly for those like me who don’t have enough time to bake foods from scratch.

How Do Air Fryers Work?

The kitchen tool primarily works as a convection oven. It circulates hot air around the food from the top fan.

They do an exceptional job at evenly cooking and baking your food while giving it a crisp and golden brown exterior.

Benefits of Using an Air Fryer

From time efficiency to versatile cooking, an air fryer has a lot to offer for cooks of all levels.

The kitchen tool creates a Maillard reaction where amino acids and reducing sugars react to create melanoidins. These compounds give your food a brown color and pronounced flavor.

Food prepared in an air fryer often resembles food prepared in a deep fryer. Nonetheless, air-“fried” food uses much less oil and is lighter in fat and calories than deep-fried food.

According to WebMD, the device cuts your calorie intake by 70% to 80% due to the fat reduction.

On top of producing healthy and delicious results, you also get fast preparation. The cooking time in an air fryer is usually much less than in a traditional oven.

Why? It’s because the kitchen tool has a smaller chamber and blows the hot air in a more proximate space.

Besides all that, air fryers aren’t just there for french fries and reheating your leftovers. Here’s a list of foods that can be prepared in an air fryer:

Chicken wings
Roasted butternut squash
Meatballs
Mozzarella sticks
Baked goods

Can You Bake in an Air Fryer?

It’s true – you can create delicious baked goods in an air fryer! This includes cupcakes, muffins, donuts, cinnamon rolls, cookies, cakes, pastries, and much more.

Now, you might be wondering: When is it a good idea to bake all those goodies with an air fryer?

Beat the Heat

Well, an air fryer won’t heat your whole house the way some ovens do, making it an ideal pick in the heat of summer.

It’s Quicker

You also don’t need to pre-heat the air fryer the same way as you would a conventional oven. It makes baking in the air fryer quicker and easier than using the oven.

Most of the time, the kitchen tool also uses less energy than a large oven, giving you an economical advantage.

Extra Crisp

When used for baking, air fryers produce a crispy, crunchy crust-like exterior. Many people like this on cookies and pastries such as cinnamon rolls, but it may be less desirable on cakes.

Baking Minis and Small Batches

Air fryers also work better on smaller food items. Cookies and mini-muffins tend to come out better than layer cakes.

However, this is a plus if you only want a few cookies or muffins. In addition, it’s much simpler to prepare a small batch of treats in an air fryer than in a large oven.

On-the-Go

Many cookie dough recipes can refrigerate beautifully. Subsequently, you could prepare a batch and keep it in the refrigerator so that you can have fresh-baked cookies straight from the air fryer any time you want.

Precautions When Baking with an Air Fryer

Before using your air fryer, you’ll want to consider a few points. For instance, you’ll need to convert standard recipes for use in an air fryer.

Suggested adjustments include reducing the temperature by 25℉ and reducing the baking time by 20%.

I also recommend checking your baked goods for doneness frequently since air fryers cook quickly. Most baked goods can go from done to overdone in a matter of minutes.

Once you become more accustomed to using the air fryer, you’ll be more at ease when determining the perfect baking time.

Can Silicone Molds Be Used in an Air Fryer?

Now we know why it’s great to bake in silicone molds and also how and why it’s great to bake in an air fryer. The question then is, can silicone molds be used in an air fryer?

The answer is yes! Silicone molds are highly compatible with air fryer “baking.”

Most silicone molds can tolerate temperatures above 440℉. Few air fryers exceed 400℉. The quick cooking and crispy crust come from the forced circulation of hot air, not just extreme heat.

For this reason, silicone molds are perfectly safe to be used in air fryers. They won’t leach hazardous chemicals into the food or off-gas unpleasant odors.

The fact that they cool down quickly is also useful when you’re preparing baked goods in the air fryer.

How to Safely Put Silicone Molds in an Air Fryer

Check out a few easy steps below on how to safely put silicon molds in your air fryer.

Fill your silicone molds with the batter.
Place a baking sheet or rack on the air fryer’s bottom.
Put the batter-filled silicone molds on top of the sheet or rack. It will prevent warping from the bottom of the mold.
Allow it to bake at the designated time.
Leave it to cool for a few minutes.
Take it out and enjoy!

FAQs

Is it safe to use silicone pads in an air fryer?

Whether you’re reheating leftovers or making grilled chicken, you can use a silicon pad underneath to prevent a mess. You can consistently reuse them, and they’re non-stick.

What can I line my air fryer with?

Rather than use silicon molds or parchment paper, you can opt for aluminum foil when lining your air fryer. Just be sure to spray the surface with oil since not all foils are non-stick.

Why do you need a rack in an air fryer?

Even when using silicone molds, you’ll need to use a rack to elevate the food. That way, you allow the heat to evenly distribute across the food you’re cooking or baking.

Final Thoughts

Using a silicone mold in an air fryer is a kitchenware combination that most people never think of. You can be the first of your friends and family to try it out. Enjoy creating delicious baked goods in an entirely new way!

Sarah Bridenstine

Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.