Easy and Moist Air Fryer Mooncakes: 2 Delicious Ways

This Mid-Autumn Festival, if you're craving homemade mooncakes but lack an oven, worry not! Let PasGo guide you through making delectable mooncakes using an air fryer at home. Check out the simple and tasty recipes below.

Mooncakes with mung bean and mixed nuts fillings are beloved by many. In today's article, PasGo presents detailed instructions on making 2 types of air fryer mooncakes at home. Remember, before making mooncakes, you need to prepare the syrup at least 14 days in advance. The longer the syrup sits, the better the color and the softer, more flavorful the mooncakes will be. Now, let's get cooking with PasGo and make delicious air fryer mooncakes!

1. Easy Air Fryer Mixed Nuts Mooncakes Recipe

To start making mixed nuts mooncakes using an air fryer, prepare all the necessary ingredients.

1.1 Ingredients for mixed nuts mooncakes

Prepare the ingredients for mixed nuts mooncakes

• For the crust: 160g all-purpose flour, 500g sugar, 30ml vegetable oil, 100g syrup, 1/2 lemon, 2g salt, 20g egg yolks
• For the filling: 50g Chinese sausage, 50g shredded pork floss, 80g ground cashews, 70g dried winter melon, 30g white sesame seeds, chopped lime leaves, 30g maltose, 40g syrup, 10g osmanthus wine, 20g glutinous rice flour
• For the glaze: 1 egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 10g water

1.2 Making Mixed Nuts Mooncakes with an Air Fryer

Here's the detailed process of making mixed nuts mooncakes using an air fryer, which consists of 4 steps:

Step 1: Making the crust for mixed nuts mooncakes

• Prepare a large bowl and add 30ml vegetable oil, 2g salt, 1 egg yolk, and 100g syrup. Mix well.
• Add all-purpose flour into the bowl and continue mixing until it forms a smooth and non-sticky dough.
• Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 30-60 minutes.

Step 2: Making the mixed nuts filling

• Prepare another large bowl and add 30g white sesame seeds, chopped lime leaves, 30g maltose, 50g Chinese sausage diced, 50g shredded pork floss, 70g dried winter melon, 80g ground cashews. Mix well.
• Add 10g osmanthus wine and 40g syrup to add sweetness, mix well.
• Then add 20g glutinous rice flour to bind the filling, mix well again.

Step 3: Creating super easy shapes for baked mooncakes

Shape the mixed nuts filling into a ratio of 2 parts crust to 3 parts filling.

• Divide the crust and filling in a 2:3 ratio.
• Divide the filling into small 40g round balls.
• Divide the crust into small 30g round balls. Press the dough and add the mixed nuts filling inside.
• Crimp the edges of the crust together to enclose the filling.
• Place into mooncake molds and press firmly for about 2-3 seconds to create sharp edges.

Step 4: Baking mixed nuts mooncakes with an air fryer

Before baking the mixed nuts mooncakes with an air fryer, preheat the fryer at 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. Arrange the mooncakes in the fryer, mist with water, and start baking:

• Round 1: Bake for 8 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius.
• Round 2: Brush a thin layer of glaze on top of the mooncakes, mist with water, and bake for 5 minutes at 140 degrees Celsius.
• Round 3: Apply another layer of glaze, then continue baking for 5 minutes at 140 degrees Celsius.

After four steps of making baked mooncakes using an air fryer at home, you have the most delicious mixed nuts mooncake. The air-fried mooncake has a captivating golden brown color, enticing aroma, and incredibly soft and smooth crust. Truly, making mooncakes without an oven at home isn't too difficult, right?

2. Making mung bean mooncakes with an air fryer

2.1 Ingredients for mung bean mooncakes made with an air fryer

Making mung bean mooncakes with an air fryer includes the following ingredients:

• For the crust: 240g all-purpose flour, 160g syrup, 1 egg yolk, 20g peanut butter, 30ml vegetable oil
• For the filling: 100g sugar, 150g mung beans, 500ml water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon flour, tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons water
• For the glaze: 4 teaspoons unsweetened condensed milk, 1 egg yolk

2.2 Detailed steps for making mung bean mooncakes with an air fryer

Details of making mung bean mooncakes with an air fryer involve four steps as follows:

Step 1: Prepare mung bean ingredients

Cook mung beans until soft and then grind in a blender.

• Soak mung beans in cold water for 4 hours until soft (or soak in hot water for 1 hour).
• Transfer beans to a pot, cover with water, and cook until soft, then turn off heat (cook for about 20-30 minutes).
• Let mung beans cool, then grind until smooth in a blender.

Step 2: Cook mung bean filling for baked mooncakes

• Grind mung beans and mix in a non-stick pan with 100g white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook over low heat.
• Gradually add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and dissolve 1 tablespoon water, 1/2 tablespoon flour. Add to the pan and continue cooking over low heat until the mung bean filling no longer sticks to the pan, forming a smooth, cohesive mixture. (For mooncakes with fillings like taro, red bean... cook the filling similarly).
• Divide the mung bean filling into 6 equal portions and shape into balls.

Step 3: Making mung bean mooncake crust and shaping

Mix the following ingredients: 240g all-purpose flour, 160g syrup, 20g peanut butter, 30ml vegetable oil, and 1 egg yolk. Knead well to form a smooth, non-sticky dough.

• Divide into small pieces weighing 42g each.
• Roll out the crust thinly, place the filling inside, and shape into balls.
• Place the dough into mooncake molds, press and hold for 2-3 seconds to create sharp, beautiful mooncakes.

Step 4: Baking mung bean mooncakes with an air fryer

• Mix the glaze mixture evenly to brush onto the crust after each baking. Preheat the air fryer for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius, mist with a thin layer of water.
• Place the mooncakes into the air fryer, bake for the first time for 5 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius. Take the mooncakes out, brush with the mixture, mist with a thin layer of water.
• Continue baking the mooncakes for the second time for 5 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius, and it's done.

Using an air fryer to make homemade mung bean mooncakes 

The result after baking mooncakes with an air fryer is delicious mung bean mooncakes. Using an air fryer to make mooncakes will give you a shiny golden crust and a sweet, fragrant mung bean filling. This will be an ideal gift for family and friends during the reunion Tet holiday.

3. Baking temperature for mooncakes with an air fryer

Baking temperature for mooncakes with an air fryer can range from 150°C to 200°C, depending on the type and size of the air fryer you use. Some points to note about baking temperature are:

• Preheat the air fryer to a high temperature, around 180°C to 200°C, for about 10 minutes.
• Baking temperature in recipes is approximate and depends on the type of air fryer you use. Use your experience and the power of the machine to adjust accordingly to avoid burning or uneven browning of the mooncakes.

4. Notes on making mooncakes with an air fryer

To successfully make mooncakes with an air fryer using both types of fillings as well as other fillings, you should keep in mind a few small tips:

• When wrapping the filling with the dough, be careful not to make the dough too thin to avoid the filling leaking out when shaping, as well as preventing the dough from becoming dry.
• When shaping the mooncakes with molds, apply moderate pressure to prevent cracking. Brush a thin layer of oil or sprinkle some flour inside the mold to easily remove the mooncakes.
• Depending on the type of mold you use, you can divide the filling and dough in different ratios. Typically, you can use a 50:50 ratio (equal filling and dough) or adjust to have slightly more filling than dough, but not too much difference.
• During the baking process, check the mooncakes regularly and spray water on the surface to prevent the dough from browning too quickly and unevenly.
• The mooncakes can be eaten immediately after completion, but for better taste, wait for 1 - 2 days for the mooncakes to absorb oil and soften the dough and filling.

5. Storage of air fryer mooncakes

Making mooncakes with an air fryer, like using an oven, requires proper storage for longer shelf life:

• After completing the mooncakes, let them cool and place them in a plastic container. Then, wrap the mooncakes tightly with a moisture-absorbing pack to store for about a week.
• If you do not plan to consume them immediately, you can also store the mooncakes in the refrigerator. If you prefer to store them outside, make sure to keep them in a dry and cool place to avoid moisture.

In general, making mooncakes using an air fryer at home is quite simple and convenient. You just need to follow the recipe along with a few tips to create delicious and authentic mooncakes. Stay tuned to Blog PasGo for more recipes and cooking tips every day!

""""""---

Sáng Phạm - PasGo Team