I Air Fried Pop-Tarts, and Now I'll Never Cook Them Any Other Way

Air fryers have been on the market (and in our kitchens) for several years, and even now they still manage to impress us. It's pretty incredible when you think about it: Here's this miniature oven, equipped with the power to cook or delicately crisp up almost anything, in less time and with less mess than its progenitor.

Flipping through air fryer recipes feels revelatory, too. Did you know you can make lobster tails, Scotch eggs, and even chocolate cake in an air fryer?

Now that I've got my hands on an air fryer, I'm on a mission. Which foods can reach an unlocked potential with this trendy, tiny convection oven? What tastes better after a stint in the air fryer in comparison to anywhere else in a typical kitchen? And, above all, will a food or recipe air fry?

I decided to start simple and explore enhancing a beloved product: Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts. The breakfast pastries are usually associated with the toaster or freezer (and admittedly, I've eaten my share of them "raw"), but with my limited knowledge of air fryers I knew air-fried Pop-Tarts at least wouldn't turn out disastrous.

With some sage advice from a Google search, I set my air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and the timer to three minutes. The miniature oven got to work fast, humming and heating. Oven mitt in one hand and iPhone in the other (because come on, I needed to record these results), I gingerly removed the pastries and set them on a plate to cool. But not for long, because I really needed to eat them.

Heating up a Pop-Tart really elevates the jam inside, and with my air fryer I can have precise control over the temperature. It's not like my toaster, which is so powerful I seldom venture above the two lowest notches. In Pop-Tart terms, that makes for a warm pastry that won't burn the roof of your mouth.

The real triumph in air frying Pop-Tarts, though, is the crust. The edges become golden and firmer, like a true pastry, and don't crumble until they've reached your mouth. It's also reassuring to know there aren't any lost bits of pastry in my air fryer, because the same certainly can't be said for a toaster. (Nothing against my toaster, but gravity is a lot easier to deal with when you're using a flat surface.)

So if you're a fan of Pop-Tarts and not burning your tongue, you should give the air fried Pop-Tarts a try. Personally, I can't wait to try this method with a S'mores or Hot Fudge Sundae Pop-Tart. Of course, you can always heat up homemade Pop-Tarts or actually cook them in the air fryer, or try another grocery store pastry, like Toaster Strudel. There's no pastry that wouldn't benefit from a little extra crisp.

Get the Recipe: Pop-Tarts

Related:

• This Air Fryer Keeps Selling Out — and Now I Know Why
• Which Air Fryer Should You Buy? How to Pick Your Perfect Size and Type
• 14 Easy Fruit-Filled Puff Pastry Desserts for Beginner Bakers