Vegan Air Fryer Spring Rolls

Frozen vegan spring rolls go straight from the freezer into the air fryer — no defrosting needed. Cook at 390°F for 10–12 minutes, shaking or flipping at the halfway point. Most frozen spring rolls have enough oil in the wrapper from manufacturing that they crisp beautifully without additional oil. Check that the frozen brand is vegan — some use egg in the wrapper. For homemade spring rolls using dried or fresh spring roll wrappers, the key difference is that the wrappers are not pre-oiled: brush a thin layer of neutral oil on the outside of each roll before cooking. Cook at 380°F (slightly lower than frozen, to allow the filling to heat through before the wrapper chars) for 12–15 minutes, flipping at 6–7 minutes. Homemade takes more time but produces a cleaner result with exactly the filling you want.

Properly sealed wrappers prevent the filling from falling out and ensure the roll keeps its shape in the air fryer's strong airflow. For traditional square spring roll wrappers (dried, rehydrated in warm water or fresh): place filling in the lower-centre of the wrapper, fold the bottom up over the filling, fold in the sides, then roll tightly upward. Seal the final flap with a dab of water (using your finger) or a thin paste of flour and water — this forms a strong glue that holds through cooking. For rice paper wrappers: these are more delicate and can tear; use only a tiny amount of water to seal and handle gently. For egg roll wrappers being used vegan-style: seal with a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water) instead of egg.

Cabbage-carrot-tofu: shred half a small cabbage and 2 carrots, add 200g pressed and cubed firm tofu, season with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for 5 minutes and cool completely before filling. Glass noodle-mushroom: soak glass noodles, drain, and combine with sautéed shiitake mushrooms, spring onion, soy sauce, and white pepper. Edamame-corn-pepper: mix shelled edamame, corn, diced red bell pepper, and rice noodles with a hoisin-soy dressing. Kimchi and tofu (vegan kimchi only): mix chopped vegan kimchi with crumbled firm tofu and sesame oil — bold, fermented flavour. Thai basil tofu: crumbled tofu sautéed with Thai basil, garlic, chilli, and soy sauce. All fillings must be cooked and cooled before rolling to prevent soggy wrappers and uneven cooking.

Sweet chilli sauce: the classic — buy a good-quality brand or make your own with rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, and chilli. Check the label: most commercial sweet chilli sauces are vegan. Hoisin-peanut: 2 tbsp hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp lime juice, a pinch of chilli — whisk together and thin with a little water. Soy-ginger: 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp sesame oil, ½ tsp sugar — ready in 2 minutes. Nuoc cham (vegan version): replace fish sauce with soy sauce and a tiny pinch of nori powder, add lime juice, garlic, sugar, and chilli. Sesame miso: white miso thinned with rice vinegar, sesame oil, and a touch of maple syrup.