Make the most important meal of the day more delicious with air-fryer breakfast recipes. From veggie-packed crustless quiche to raspberry French toast cups, it'll be easy to rouse everyone out of bed in the morning.
20 Air-Fryer Breakfast Recipes
Air-Fryer Apple Fritters
This recipe gives you all the fun and cinnamony goodness of a fritter without the frying. The hot circulated air makes them extra crispy. An easy-peasy browned butter glaze gives them a major upgrade.
Cheesy Breakfast Egg Rolls
Filled with a cheesy egg scramble and breakfast sausage, air-fried breakfast egg rolls get a deliciously crispy exterior in just four minutes. Be sure to spray them with a generous amount of high smoke point cooking spray so the egg roll wrappers get crispy. Serve with salsa, maple syrup or sweet hot sauce for dipping.
Air-Fryer French Toast Sticks
French toast gets a glow-up with this easy air-fryer breakfast treat! We take buttery Texas toast pieces, soak them in a simple vanilla-infused egg custard, and roll them in crushed cornflakes to make crispy French toast that’s just begging to be dipped in warm maple syrup or strawberry syrup. This freeze-ahead recipe makes 1-1/2 dozen sticks, so you’ll have plenty for busy mornings.
Frittata Goes to Mexico
These zesty mini frittatas are a snap to throw together and bake in the air fryer in just 15 minutes with no preheating necessary. Jalapeno cream cheese and sliced jalapenos add a kick. Adjust the amount of jalapeno slices according to the heat of the chile you purchased and your family’s tolerance. Serve with warmed corn tortillas or toast.
Air-Fryer Hash Browns
The air fryer makes these tasty hash browns delectably crispy all over and frees up the stove for making omelets or other egg dishes. They’re the perfect side dish for fluffy scrambled eggs, breakfast sausages or simple fried eggs. Be liberal with the cooking spray when greasing the air-fryer basket, and give the tops of the potatoes an extra spritz for the crispest results.
Air-Fryer Scotch Eggs
The perfect protein-rich breakfast on the go, Scotch eggs are a UK dish that consists of hard-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage and deep-fried. In this lighter version, we use the air fryer to create a crisp exterior with crushed cornflakes. Be sure to mist the eggs generously for the best crunch. You can substitute bulk turkey sausage for the pork sausage if desired.
Air-Fryer Sausage Bacon Bites
This easy three-ingredient recipe combines the best of breakfast proteins in one bite! Rolled in brown sugar and air-fried for a crispy bacon exterior with juicy sausage chunks inside, these little bites make any breakfast feel special.
Air-Fryer Eggs Lorraine
Richly flavored with sour cream and Swiss cheese, these egg gratins are an air-fryer breakfast win! Unlike the namesake quiche Lorraine, this recipe forgoes a crust, using smoky Canadian bacon as the base instead. Try an imported Gruyere cheese instead of domestic Swiss cheese for an extra-refined flavor.
Air-Fryer Cinnamon Breakfast Bites
Like homemade cinnamon doughnut holes without the mess of deep-frying, these little treats are air-fryer gold! The simple dough is a mixture of ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, and it’s as easy as stirring together a few ingredients. Try them for breakfast or as a dessert treat dipped in chocolate ganache.
Air-Fryer Sausage Patties
These juicy pork sausage rounds are a cinch to make and can be frozen, so you can pop them in the air fryer whenever they’re needed for a quick breakfast protein. Serve them with eggs or put them in homemade biscuits for a grab-and-go breakfast sandwich.
Air-Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs
Looking for the easiest-to-peel hard-boiled eggs? Make them in the Instant Pot. Serve them with toast for an easy breakfast and use the leftovers to make deviled eggs.
Air-Fryer Bacon Egg Cups
These fun breakfast gratins feature bacon-lined custard cups filled with scrambled eggs and a whole egg, cheddar and green onions. Feel free to mix up the fillings—different cheese, caramelized onions or roasted red bell pepper can all be swapped in for a different egg cup every morning.
Air-Fryer Ham and Egg Pockets
These breakfast pockets are packed with fluffy scrambled eggs, ham and cheese for a savory breakfast that can be eaten on-the-go or served alongside fruit salads for an elegant brunch. You can easily double the recipe: Use an 8-ounce can of crescent roll dough and double the remaining ingredients to make four pockets.
Air-Fryer French Toast Cups with Raspberries
Sweet-tart raspberries, dots of cream cheese and a touch of maple syrup make these pretty little French toast cups irresistible. Baking them in the air fryer ensures that the tops will become crisp, giving way to the luxurious custard layer below. Serve with the simple raspberry sauce recipe or drizzle with warm maple syrup if you’re in a hurry.
Air-Fryer Breakfast Cookies
Cookies for breakfast? Yes, please. These treats are packed with fruits, oats, whole wheat flour and zero refined sugar. They’re every bit as nourishing as a bowl of oatmeal, with the added benefit of being a grab-and-go option for busy mornings.
Air-Fryer Puff Pastry Danishes
Your favorite jam meets cream cheese in this simple but delicious homemade air-fryer Danish recipe. Be sure to defrost the frozen puff pastry at room temperature until it’s pliable before rolling out the dough, or it may crack. Here are more tips for working with puff pastry.
Air-Fryer Toad-in-the-Hole
A cousin to pigs in a blanket, this breakfast casserole incorporates your favorite breakfast sausages into a puffy batter (think popovers or Yorkshire pudding) that’s baked in an air fryer. Resting the batter for 10 to 15 minutes after whisking it will give it more lift.
Air-Fryer Bourbon Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
Marinating bacon in bourbon overnight infuses it with flavor. The next day, roll the bacon in canned cinnamon roll dough to make an epic version of everyone’s favorite breakfast treat. Since air-fryer models vary, it’s key to keep an eye on the rolls and turn them halfway through cooking so they brown and cook through evenly.
Air-Fryer Apple Danish
Just like pastries from the bakery, these apple cinnamon crescents are the perfect sweet touch for your next brunch or sit down breakfast. Each crescent dough triangle can encase 1 tablespoon of applesauce. Don’t overfill the dough, or it will run out the sides and burn on the bottom of the air fryer. If that does happen, here are some tips for cleaning your air-fryer.
Air-Fryer Pumpkin Biscuits with Spiced Apple Butter
Full of cozy fall flavors, these pumpkin biscuits bake up flaky and crispy in the forced air environment of the air fryer. Spread them with honey cinnamon butter and serve with a cup of mulled apple cider.
Air-Fryer Breakfast FAQ
Do you need to preheat the air fryer?
In most cases, no, you don’t need to preheat your air fryer. That said, it certainly doesn’t hurt to preheat if you have the time. Preheating the basket can actually help brown items, making them less likely to stick. It only takes a few minutes to preheat, so you can easily do so while prepping your ingredients.
Can you put raw eggs in an air fryer?
Yes. Unlike microwaving eggs—which can result in exploding shells—air-frying whole eggs is 100% safe. In fact, it’s one of the easiest ways to arrive at hard-boiled eggs! It’s a good way to poach eggs, too!
Can you put aluminum foil in an air fryer?
Yes. Unlike microwaves, it’s fine to use aluminum foil in the air fryer. It’s not recommended when air-frying items that contain acidic ingredients like tomato sauce because the foil will react with the acids and begin to break down. Also consider using parchment paper as a liner for your air-fryer basket; it tends to be more nonstick than foil, and it won’t react with acidic ingredients.