Tasty Tips with Tay: Air Fryer Fried Oreos

By: Taylor Waldron

Co-Editor-in-Chief/Columnist

 The past week has been stressful and filled with major assignments, exams and projects. I found myself uninspired in the kitchen and just going for whatever was quick and easy. When trying to think of what to make this week for Tasty Tips, I had a total mental block. 

I didn’t have the mental energy to try out a new meal recipe or test an old favorite. I wanted to bring you all something new and exciting, but as for what I wanted to make I did not know. 

Thanks to my lovely roommate, we came up with a classic junk food treat that I haven’t made in years: fried Oreos. 

I first remember having fried Oreos at the county fair in middle school, but I never actually tried making them until sophomore year of college. The first time I made them was with friends in our IU South Bend campus apartment. We had never actually deep friend anything before, so it was intimidating to deal with hot oil for the first time, but the final product was delicious.

This time around, I went with a super quick and easy, less greasy option by using an air fryer. These contraptions are all the rage right now so if you don’t have one, I’d highly recommend making the investment because you can do so much with them. 

The final air fried Oreos were warm, soft, chocolatey dreams sprinkled with powdered sugar. This was the perfect treat to reward a stressful week. This recipe comes from Food Network Kitchen and is completely fool proof. The ingredients are simple and cost effective to ensure a fully satisfying dessert. 

As an added bonus, this recipe can be completely vegan! Some people may not realize that Oreos are vegan and with a few ingredient swaps, the recipe is friendly for all types of eaters. 

Air Fryer Fried Oreos 

Ingredients:

1 large egg (or vegan egg replacement)

¼ cup milk (or nondairy milk of your choice)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or imitation vanilla

1 cup packaged pancake mix 

2 tablespoons sugar

Nonstick cooking spray

12 Oreos

Confectioners sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Cut 2 sheets of parchment to fit the basket of a 3.5-quart air fryer without hanging over the edges and set aside. 
2. Whisk together the egg, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add the pancake mix and sugar and whisk until smooth. The batter should be the consistency of thick cake batter to allow it to coat the cookie and hold its shape. If necessary, adjust the consistency by adding more pancake mix one tablespoon at a time.
3. Line the basket of the air fryer with a parchment piece and spray lightly with cooking spray. Dip six cookies in the batter, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Arrange the cookies on the parchment in a single layer without touching. (Make sure to place a cookie on each of the four corners so the parchment doesn’t fly up during cooking.) Air fry at 350 degrees until the battered coating is golden brown and puffed, about seven minutes. Remove and repeat with the remaining sheet of parchment and cookies.   
4. Dust the fried Oreos with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.