Pin It My neighbor showed up at my door one afternoon with a bag of cinnamon sugar and an air fryer that had just arrived. We'd been texting about kitchen gadgets, and she wanted to test it out right then. I grabbed some tortillas from the fridge, and within twenty minutes, we had these impossibly crispy, sweet chips scattered across a plate between us. It became our thing—whenever she'd visit, she'd ask if I'd made them, and I'd brush off flour and butter just to recreate that moment.
I made a batch for my kid's soccer team after a tournament, packed them in a disposable container expecting them to last through the drive home. They were gone before we hit the highway. One parent asked if they were homemade, and when I nodded, she looked genuinely amazed—as if crispy, cinnamon-dusted chips required some culinary degree. That's when I realized how forgiving and elegant this recipe actually is.
Ingredients
- Flour tortillas (6 medium, 8-inch): The base of everything—make sure they're flexible enough to cut cleanly but sturdy enough to crisp without shattering.
- Unsalted butter, melted (2 tablespoons): This carries the cinnamon sugar onto every surface; don't skimp or use cold butter or you'll have bare spots.
- Granulated sugar (1/4 cup): The sweetness is subtle and won't make these cloyingly sweet, which keeps them dangerously moreish.
- Ground cinnamon (1 1/2 teaspoons): Quality matters here—old cinnamon tastes dusty and flat, so check your spice jar's age.
- Salt (pinch): A small secret that rounds out the cinnamon and prevents the sweetness from tasting one-dimensional.
Instructions
- Warm up your air fryer:
- Set it to 350°F and let it preheat for three minutes. This matters more than you'd think—a cold basket means uneven crisping.
- Build your cinnamon sugar:
- Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. The salt dissolves slightly and binds the mixture together, so it clings better when you sprinkle it on.
- Butter each tortilla:
- Use a pastry brush or even a folded paper towel, and get both sides generously coated. The butter is what makes the cinnamon sugar stick and turns the tortilla crisp.
- Cut your chips:
- Stack the buttered tortillas and slice them into six wedges, like you're cutting a pizza. A sharp knife or pizza cutter keeps the edges clean instead of ragged.
- Season with intention:
- Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over both sides of each wedge, then go back and do it again if you see any bare spots. You want every bite to taste like the sweetness, not just the edges.
- Arrange and air fry:
- Lay the wedges flat in a single layer in your air fryer basket—don't overlap them. If they don't all fit, that's okay; you'll do a second batch and it only takes seven minutes.
- Flip halfway through:
- At about three and a half minutes, flip each chip so the other side gets golden too. They should sound crispy when you tap them, not soft or chewy.
- Cool and serve:
- Let them sit on a wire rack for a few minutes so they finish crisping. Warm chips are wonderful, but room temperature ones are even crunchier.
Pin It I once brought a batch to a book club thinking they'd be a small addition to the table. Someone bit into one while talking and just stopped mid-sentence, then looked around like they'd discovered something secret. We ended up spending ten minutes debating whether these counted as dessert or just an excuse to gather around something warm. That's when I knew I'd made something that mattered in small, genuine ways.
Why the Air Fryer Wins Here
Traditional frying would give you similar results but with a kitchen that smells like oil for hours and splatters on your stovetop that take days to clean. The air fryer does the crisping with a fraction of the mess and lets you watch through a window as they turn golden. I've fried tortilla chips the old way once, and I've never gone back—the air fryer version just feels easier and smarter.
Serving Suggestions and Pairings
Plain, these are already perfect—crunchy, sweet, and enough to satisfy without overwhelming. But if you want to get playful, chocolate sauce for dipping turns them into something almost decadent, while whipped cream makes them feel like a dessert. Fresh fruit salsa, especially one with lime and a tiny bit of heat, brings a brightness that cuts through the sweetness beautifully.
Storage and Make-Ahead Magic
These keep crispy in an airtight container for about three days, though they never last that long in my house. If they soften, a quick two-minute return to the air fryer brings them right back to their original crispness. I've found that prepping everything—cutting and seasoning the tortillas—the night before means I can air fry them fresh the next day, which feels like cheating in the best way.
- Cool them completely before storing, or they'll trap steam and lose their crunch.
- Reheating works best in the air fryer rather than the microwave, which will make them rubbery.
- These are perfect for meal prep if you're looking for a sweet snack that doesn't require afternoon kitchen time.
Pin It These chips have become my answer to wanting something homemade that doesn't demand much of me. They're the kind of recipe that sits quietly in your rotation until someone asks for them, and then they become the thing you're known for.
Recipe Questions & Answers
- → What type of tortillas work best here?
Medium 8-inch flour tortillas provide the ideal texture and size for crisp, evenly cooked chips.
- → Can I make these vegan-friendly?
Yes, substitute melted butter with coconut oil or plant-based butter to keep them dairy-free.
- → How do I ensure the chips become crispy?
Make sure to preheat the air fryer and cook the tortilla wedges in a single layer, flipping halfway for even crisping.
- → Are there alternative seasonings to cinnamon sugar?
While cinnamon sugar is classic, try combinations like chili powder and salt for a savory twist.
- → How should these chips be served?
They are delicious on their own or paired with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, or fruit salsa for dipping.