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These air fryer pumpkin fries are easy to make, and deliciously crispy without having to deep fry in oil thanks to help from our air fryer!

When people hear pumpkin, they usually think of pie. But have you ever tried pumpkin fries?

These air fryer pumpkin fries are a fun and festive way to serve up a favorite side dish. 

Full of savory flavors like smoked paprika, and cumin, these air fryer pumpkin fries are crispy flavor bombs!

With the use of our air fryer, we’ve eliminated the mess of having to deep fry fries in all of that oil, and cut back on calories too!

These air fryer pumpkin fries deserve a spot at the table at your next fall dinner party! 

Also, don’t throw out those pumpkin seeds! Use them to make my delicious snack-worthy Sweet Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!

Ingredients for air fryer pumpkin fries

• Sugar pumpkin – These small, sweet pumpkins make the perfect fries.
• Spices – I’ve used a blend of cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, to enhance and bring out the flavors of the sugar pumpkin.
• Olive oil – The fat of choice to help crisp up our fries.

Squash variety

I’ve decided to use sugar pumpkins for these air fryer pumpkin fries, but this recipe would work well with any winter squash available like butternut, acorn, or kabocha squash.

Variations and adaptations

Looking to make these fries a little different?

Here are a few fun ideas to change up this recipe:

• Make them sweet – Sprinkle the fries with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. For extra sweetness, you could also glaze in a little maple syrup near the end of the cooking time.
• Get cheesy – Toss these pumpkin fries in Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese. Delicious and cheesy!
• Keep it simple – Want to keep the flavor simple? Try just a simple sprinkle of sea salt.

What is an air fryer?

An air fryer is basically a tabletop convection oven.

It mimics the outcome of a deep fat fryer but without the use of oil. Hot hair is moved around via a fan that quickly and crisply cooks up the food.

The 2 most common air fryers you’ll see are basket style (that is what I have) or convection/toaster oven style.

There are pluses to both but I personally prefer my basket style.

What is the best air fryer to buy?

I prefer the basket-style air fryer as it’s a bit smaller and takes up less room than the toaster oven-style air fryer.

My biggest tip when it comes to air fryers is to make sure you pick a style that will work the most for your family and the amount of food you will be cooking.

My large basket-style air fryer can cook up to 12 wings, 2-4 servings of french fries, etc. which works well for my household.

Storage and leftovers

Unfortunately, these air fryer pumpkin fries are best enjoyed and eaten the day of and will get soggy if stored in the refrigerator afterward. 

More air fryer recipes

• Need a great main course for dinner? Try my Air Fryer Chicken Thighs.
• Craving something sweet? Try my Air Fryer Apple Fritters.
• Want to serve wings for game day? Try my Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings.
• Love all things seafood? Try my Air Fryer Crab Cakes.