Save Pin My friend texted me a photo of her air fryer one Tuesday afternoon, and I realized I'd been overthinking dessert snacks. She'd thrown together some flour tortillas with cinnamon sugar and gotten this impossibly crispy, delicate chip in minutes—the kind you can't stop eating once you start. I tried it that weekend while my nephew was visiting, and he demolished half a batch before I could even plate them properly. Now I make these whenever I need something that tastes indulgent but requires almost no effort.
I made these for my book club last month, and something funny happened: someone asked for the recipe before even tasting them, just from the smell alone. That cinnamon-sugar aroma filling the kitchen is half the magic. My neighbor poked her head in wondering if I was baking, and the next thing I knew, she was asking if I'd make them for her daughter's slumber party. It's become the snack people request by name now.
Ingredients
- Flour tortillas (6 medium, 8-inch): These are your canvas—don't grab the thick ones meant for burritos, as they won't get crispy enough. Standard taco-size tortillas work perfectly.
- Unsalted butter (2 tablespoons, melted): The butter helps the cinnamon sugar stick and creates that shatteringly crisp texture in the air fryer. If you want to brush it on without melting, let it sit at room temperature first.
- Granulated sugar (1/4 cup): Regular white sugar gives you that classic sweet coating that caramelizes slightly under the heat.
- Ground cinnamon (1 1/2 teaspoons): Fresh cinnamon makes a real difference here—it won't taste musty or flat. If your jar's been sitting for a year, this is the recipe that'll make you want to replace it.
- Salt (pinch): Just a whisper of salt balances the sweetness and makes everything taste more intentional.
Instructions
- Get your air fryer ready:
- Set it to 350°F and let it preheat for 3 minutes while you prep everything else. A properly heated air fryer is what makes these crispy instead of chewy.
- Mix your cinnamon sugar:
- Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl, stirring so the cinnamon distributes evenly and you don't end up with clumpy pockets.
- Butter the tortillas:
- Brush both sides of each tortilla generously with melted butter—don't be shy, as this is what helps everything brown and crisp up beautifully.
- Cut into wedges:
- Stack the tortillas and cut them like a pizza into 6 wedges each, giving you about 36 chips total. A pizza cutter makes this faster, but a sharp knife works just fine.
- Coat with cinnamon sugar:
- Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of each wedge, pressing gently so it adheres. You want generous coverage here—these chips are all about that sweet exterior.
- Arrange in the basket:
- Lay the wedges in a single layer in your air fryer, working in batches if needed so they're not crowded. They need room to crisp up evenly.
- Air fry to golden:
- Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they're golden and crispy. The edges will start to darken slightly, which is exactly what you want.
- Cool and serve:
- Transfer them to a wire rack so they don't steam and lose their crispness. They'll firm up even more as they cool, and you can serve them warm or at room temperature.
Save Pin There's a moment right when they come out of the air fryer, still warm and shattering between your teeth, where something shifts. They taste less like a shortcut snack and more like something made with actual intention. My daughter now asks for these instead of regular chips, and I'm honestly fine with that.
Why These Turn Out Better Than You'd Expect
Most people assume air fryer desserts are either too dry or too greasy, but these hit a sweet spot because of how the air fryer circulates heat around the thin tortillas. The moisture escapes quickly, leaving behind this delicate, crispy structure that feels almost fragile in your hand. It's the same reason they disappear so fast—your brain registers them as light and delicate, so you keep eating without realizing you've demolished half the batch.
Serving and Pairing Ideas
Straight-up, these are perfect alone, especially while they're still warm and the cinnamon sugar is still slightly soft from the heat. But if you want to fancy them up, a simple chocolate sauce for dipping transforms them into something you'd serve at a dinner party. Whipped cream, fresh berries, or even a light caramel drizzle all work beautifully without overpowering that cinnamon flavor.
Making Them Your Own
This recipe is genuinely flexible, which is part of why I keep coming back to it. You can swap in whole wheat tortillas if you want a nuttier flavor, or play with the spice ratio depending on how much you love cinnamon. For a vegan version, coconut oil works just as well as butter and gives them a subtle, slightly sweet undertone that's honestly delicious. Keep these thoughts in mind the next time you make them:
- Brown sugar instead of white sugar will give you a deeper molasses note that pairs beautifully with chocolate dipping sauce.
- A tiny pinch of nutmeg or cardamom adds intrigue without announcing itself.
- If your air fryer runs hot, start checking at the 5-minute mark to avoid any burnt edges.
Save Pin These chips proved to me that the best recipes aren't always the complicated ones—sometimes the magic is in simplicity and knowing how to execute it well. Make them, share them, and watch people's faces light up when they realize how good something so quick can actually taste.
Recipe FAQs
- → What type of tortillas work best?
Medium 8-inch flour tortillas provide the best balance of crispness and size for this dish.
- → Can these chips be made vegan?
Yes, substitute melted butter with coconut oil or plant-based butter for a vegan version.
- → How do I ensure even crispiness?
Arrange chips in a single layer in the air fryer and flip halfway through cooking for even crisping.
- → What dipping options complement these chips?
Chocolate sauce, whipped cream, or fruit salsa add delightful contrasts to the sweet cinnamon flavor.
- → Can whole wheat tortillas be used?
Yes, whole wheat tortillas add extra fiber and a slightly nuttier taste to the chips.