These air fryer mini egg shortbread bars are the ultimate easy Easter bake! Buttery, crumbly, and packed with crunchy chocolate mini eggs, they're made with just a handful of ingredients and ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish. You might also like my air fryer Creme Egg croissants!
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Quick Summary - Air Fryer Mini Egg Shortbread Bars
If you've got kids, this easy air fryer shortbread recipe is such a fun one to make together!
- Beth (Effortless Foodie)
🕒 Ready In: 27 minutes
👪 Serves: 16
🍽 Calories: 269 per bar
🥣 Main Ingredients: Butter, sugar, flour, chocolate chips, mini eggs
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian
👌 Difficulty: Easy
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Perfect for when you need a quick sweet treat without turning on the oven, this recipe is a lifesaver for busy families, last-minute Easter baking, or getting the kids involved in the kitchen. Everything comes together quickly, and the air fryer makes baking faster and fuss-free. Don't have an air fryer? No worries - you can easily bake it in the oven too!
If you're searching for easy air fryer Easter recipes, fun mini egg recipes, or a simple twist on classic air fryer shortbread, this recipe ticks all the boxes.
And if you're as obsessed with mini eggs as I am, you have to try my air fryer mini egg dessert pots too - a warm, cookie dough-style treat that's ready in minutes and perfect served straight from the dish!
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Jump to:
- Quick Summary - Air Fryer Mini Egg Shortbread Bars
- ✔️ Why you'll love this air fryer shortbread with mini eggs!
- 🛒 Key Ingredients
- Need to substitute an ingredient?
- 📖 Variations
- 🔪 How to make mini egg shortbread in an air fryer
- Top Tips
- 🍴 Serving suggestions
- Storage
- ❓ Air fryer shortbread FAQs
- 😋 More Easter recipes
- Recipe
- 💬 Comments
✔️ Why you'll love this air fryer shortbread with mini eggs!
- Quick and fuss-free - Baking this air fryer mini egg shortbread cuts down both prep and cooking time, so you can have it ready in under 30 minutes.
- Perfect for Easter - Studded with colourful mini eggs, it's a fun and festive bake that looks as good as it tastes.
- Easy to customise - This recipe is really forgiving, so you can tweak it to suit you - make it gluten-free, adjust the sweetness, or swap in different chocolates or Easter sweets.
🛒 Key Ingredients
A full ingredients list along with Metric and US Customary measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Butter - the star ingredient in shortbread and plays a crucial role in determining the texture and flavour of your biscuits. Use unsalted butter in this recipe.
Flour - plain flour is the best option as it has a low protein content, which makes the shortbread bars tender and crumbly. It is important to sift the flour before using it to ensure that there are no lumps.
Sugar - traditionally, granulated sugar is used in shortbread, but you can also use caster sugar (superfine sugar).
Chocolate Chips - for extra flavour, texture and sweetness. Milk chocolate chips are used in this recipe, but you could also use dark or white chocolate chips instead.
Mini Eggs - a popular Easter treat that can be found in most supermarkets during the spring season. They are small, chocolate-covered eggs with a crunchy candy shell. Adding mini eggs to your shortbread can give it a nice crunch and a burst of chocolate flavour.
Need to substitute an ingredient?
Have an allergy or dietary preference? Let AI customise the recipe for you.
📖 Variations
- Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or the zest of an orange for extra flavour.
- Once cooled, dip half of each shortbread in melted chocolate-dark, milk, or white, depending on your preference. Place them on parchment paper to set.
- Add finely chopped nuts such as almonds, pecans, or walnuts to the dough for a crunchy texture and a nutty flavour.
- Drizzle salted caramel over the baked shortbread and finish with a sprinkle of sea salt.
🔪 How to make mini egg shortbread in an air fryer
One: Place the cubed butter, flour, and sugar in a mixing bowl and rub in with your hands until you get fine breadcrumbs form.
Two: Stir in the chocolate chips and mini eggs.
Three: Firmly press the shortbread dough into a lined 20 cm square baking tin (or another similar size tin that will fit in your air fryer).
Four: Air fry for 20 minutes. Allow to cool then cut into bars or squares.
Top Tips
- Preheat your air fryer - Just like with oven baking, this helps the shortbread cook evenly and gives you the best texture.
- Keep an eye on it - Air fryers can vary, so start checking a few minutes early. The shortbread should be lightly golden and just set in the middle. It will firm up as it cools.
- Cool before slicing - Let the shortbread cool completely in the tin before cutting into bars to prevent crumbling.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the mini egg shortbread bars for an Easter-themed Afternoon tea with mini egg tiffin, simnel cake muffins, and Easter rocky road bars.
For a decadent dessert, serve them with a scoop of your favourite ice cream. Mini egg ice cream would be great, but plain vanilla or chocolate would work well too.
Storage
Store - If you plan to consume the shortbread within a few days, you can store them at room temperature in an airtight container.
Freeze - Wrap the shortbread tightly in cling film or aluminium foil and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Frozen shortbread can last up to three months. When you are ready to eat them, defrost them at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
❓ Air fryer shortbread FAQs
If you don't have mini eggs, you can substitute them with other small chocolate candies, chocolate chips, or even chopped nuts for a different texture and flavour. The recipe is versatile, so feel free to experiment with what you have on hand.
Absolutely! For a gluten-free version, use a suitable gluten-free flour blend. Ensure that your mini eggs (or alternative) are also gluten-free. For a vegan version, opt for dairy-free butter and vegan chocolate eggs. There are many plant-based alternatives available that can be used as direct substitutes in the recipe.
The shortbread should be lightly golden around the edges and set in the middle when done. Air fryer models can vary, so start checking a couple of minutes before the recipe's suggested cooking time ends. Remember, the shortbread will continue to harden as it cools, so it's better to err on the side of slightly underdone than overcooked.
Yes, these shortbread bars are perfect for making ahead of time. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container until you're ready to serve. They maintain their texture and flavour well, making them ideal for preparing in advance for events or gifts.
Yes! If you don't have an air fryer, bake it in a preheated oven at 180°C (160°C fan/ 350°F) for 25 minutes, or until lightly golden and set.
😋 More Easter recipes
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Recipe
Air Fryer Mini Egg Shortbread
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 225 g Unsalted Butter cubed
- 115 g Granulated Sugar
- 315 g Plain Flour (All-purpose)
- 100 g Chocolate Chips
- 150 g Mini Eggs halved with a sharp knife or crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 170°C (340°F) and line a 20cm shallow baking tin (or use another size tin that will fit your air fryer basket) with baking paper.
- Place the cubed butter, flour, and sugar in a mixing bowl and rub in with your hands until you get fine breadcrumbs form.225 g Unsalted Butter, 115 g Granulated Sugar, 315 g Plain Flour (All-purpose)
- Stir in the chocolate chips and mini eggs.100 g Chocolate Chips, 150 g Mini Eggs
- Firmly press the shortbread dough into the lined tin.
- Air fry for 20 minutes until lightly golden. Allow to cool then cut into bars or squares.
Notes
- Oven Method: No air fryer? Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (160°C fan / 350°F) for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden and set.
- Preheat the air fryer: This helps the shortbread cook evenly and improves the final texture.
- Check early: Air fryers vary, so start checking a few minutes before the end of cooking time to avoid over-browning.
- Texture tip: The shortbread may look slightly soft when you remove it, but it will firm up as it cools.
- Cool before slicing: Let it cool completely in the tin before cutting into bars to prevent crumbling.
- Mini egg prep: Crush or halve the mini eggs before adding - this makes them easier to slice and distributes the chocolate evenly.
- Tin size matters: Use a small tin that fits your air fryer basket to ensure even cooking and the right thickness.
Nicky says
The perfect quick and easy Easter bake! They didn't last long. Next time I'll drizzle some melted milk chocolate over the shortbread bars.