By now we all know air fryers have a reputation as the greatest thing since sliced bread, with many a home-cook singing its praises.
From whipping up a humble pav to roast chicken and everything in between, air fryers have found a firm foothold in the cut-throat world of kitchen appliances for their versatility and ease-of-use.
Air fryers have also become something of a staple on the home-cook's social media, with many amateur chefs sharing their culinary creations. The latest recipe to take TikTok by storm? The mega-viral cinnamon air-fried bagels with cream cheese, which honestly, sounds bloody delightful.
In a clip that has now been viewed more than 11.6 million times, Carman Grey, the foodie behind the popular recipe-based account @whatsmomcookin, shared how to make these creamy, crunchy slices of heaven - a concoction she declares is her latest "breakfast obsession".
In the video, Carman slathers her sliced bagel with a generous amount of cream cheese before sprinkling on a thick coating of cinnamon. She then pops the slices in the air fryer to cook for about five minutes at roughly 200 degrees Celsius - transforming the bagels into rings of crispy, golden, gooey deliciousness. For the final touch, Carman adds a drizzle of honey.
Speaking to BuzzFeed, Carman - who has now been sharing her recipes on TikTok for about 18 months - said the recipe was inspired by a random stroke of genius. Curious, she popped her bagels in the air fryer to see how they would toast - and quickly became a convert.
"I had been eating them every day for about a week when I decided to do the video," she said.
I would try this recipe out for myself but unfortunately, I have yet to hop on the air fryer bandwagon and still toast my (gluten-free) bagels in a toaster. How incredibly old-fashioned of me.
Thankfully, the writer at BuzzFeed isn't as behind the times as I am and had an air fryer on hand to test the recipe for herself - here's her verdict.
"My first impression: pretty dang yummy! The bagel was toasted on the outside but still very fluffy on the inside, and the cinnamon-honey combo was DIVINE," she wrote.
"Immediately, I noticed that the cream cheese looked raised, almost as if it had been aerated… just like the bagel, it had a fluffy texture on the inside, and almost a crisp outer shell.
"I didn't mind the texture but wasn't sure how I felt about the super-warm cream cheese. Still currently debating.
"Overall, I loved how the air fryer perfectly toasted the bagel… and the cinnamon paired with honey was super decadent and comforting."
If cream cheese bagels aren't your bag, maybe custard toast will be your cuppa. The recipe, which went viral on TikTok earlier this year, consists of an easy-to-make custard baked into bread with your choice of toppings.
And don't worry - if the fancy air fryer isn't for you, toasting your bagels, spreading on cream cheese and adding cinnamon and honey still works a treat.
