Can You Put Cupcake and Muffin Liners in an Air Fryer?

Reusable silicone cups and foil liners are the safest baking cups for an air fryer. Silicone is heat-safe well above air-fryer temperatures, non-stick, reusable, and heavy enough that the fan will not move it. Foil liners hold a firm shape and stay put too. Either one lets you bake muffins and cupcakes in an air fryer with no worry about liners blowing around.

Plain paper cupcake liners are fine only when filled with batter, which weighs them down. Never put empty paper liners in a running air fryer — the powerful fan can blow a light paper liner up into the top heating element, which is a genuine fire risk. Placing paper-lined cups inside a muffin tin adds stability and is the safest way to use them.

Fill each cup about two-thirds full so it has room to rise. Sturdy silicone cups can sit directly in the basket; paper liners are safer inside a muffin tin. Bake at around 320–350°F (160–175°C) and start checking a few minutes early with a skewer, since air fryers bake faster than a conventional oven. Leave space between cups for air to circulate.

A mini muffin tin holds several cups securely and bakes them evenly, which is the easiest option for more than two or three cakes. Loose silicone cups also work and need no tin, but they can tip if bumped. For a single serving, one silicone cup or a ramekin is simplest; for a batch, a tin keeps everything stable and level.

Are paper cupcake liners safe in an air fryer?

Only when filled with batter. An empty paper liner is light enough for the fan to lift into the heating element, which is a fire risk. Fill the liners with batter first to weigh them down, and for extra security place the lined cups inside a muffin tin. If you want to skip the worry, use silicone or foil cups instead.

Can you use silicone cupcake cups in an air fryer?

Yes, silicone cupcake and muffin cups are one of the best options for an air fryer. They are heat-safe well above air-fryer temperatures, non-stick, reusable, and heavy enough that the fan will not blow them around. Grease them lightly, fill two-thirds full, and they can sit directly in the basket or in a muffin tin.

Why do my cupcake liners fly around in the air fryer?

Empty or lightly filled paper liners are lifted by the air fryer's powerful fan. Prevent it by only adding liners once they are filled with batter, using heavier silicone or foil cups, or placing the liners inside a muffin tin so they cannot move. Never run the fryer with empty paper liners inside.