How to Bake with ROSETTE’S Without Heating Up Your Kitchen
It’s hot outside. You still want bagels, crackers, cookies and cake. You just don’t want to turn your kitchen into a sauna.
Summer heat can make baking feel like the last thing you want to do.
We get it.
When it’s anything more than 80° outside, the idea of turning on a full-size oven and heating up the entire kitchen isn't exactly appealing.
But that doesn't mean you have to give up the foods you love.
This is when we reach for the air fryer or convection oven.
You can make smaller batches, or even a full cake, of many of your favorite ROSETTE’S recipes in a smaller appliance, without heating the entire kitchen with a full-size oven.
And honestly? It’s one of our favorite summer baking shortcuts.
Air fryer or convection oven, which one should you use?
Both can work beautifully for smaller-batch baking, but they aren't exactly the same.
Bucket-style air fryer
A bucket-style air fryer is great when you're making smaller portions and want something quick and convenient.
Think:
- Bagels
- Bagel bites
- Crackers
- Cookies
The smaller cooking space and strong airflow can make it especially handy when you don't want to fire up your full-size oven.
Convection oven with an air-fry setting
If you have a convection oven or a countertop convection oven with an air-fry setting you have a little more room to work with.
This can be especially helpful for:
- Cakes
- Cinnamon rolls
- Larger batches
- Anything that needs a baking pan
- Recipes where you want a little more space
And if you already have one, you may not need another appliance at all.
Our summer baking trick: lower the temperature
When we're baking ROSETTE’S mixes in an air fryer or convection oven, we generally start by lowering the temperature from what the recipe calls for.
As a starting point:
- If the recipe calls for 325°F → try 315°F.
- If the recipe calls for 350°F → try 320–325°F.
But here's the important part:
Every appliance is different.
Air fryers vary in size, power and airflow, and convection ovens can behave differently from one another too. So think of these temperatures as a starting point not a hard-and-fast rule.
The first time you make a recipe in your appliance, stay nearby and start checking early.
Your bake may take a few minutes longer or it may finish sooner than you're used to.
Look for the visual and texture cues you normally use to tell when something is done.
Once you know how your particular appliance behaves, you'll have your own summer baking routine down.
ROSETTE’S mixes that are perfect for smaller appliances
Here are some of our favorites to try when you don't want to heat up the whole kitchen.
Dough Mix Bagels
Bagels don't have to be a weekend project or a reason to turn on the full-size oven.
For our Dough Mix Bagels, try baking at 315°F for at least 15 minutes, then check for doneness.
Because air fryers vary, keep an eye on them toward the end and adjust your time as needed.
Shop Dough Mix
Stuffed Bagel Bites
Our Bantam-style stuffed bagels are another great option for a smaller appliance.
Try 325°F for at least 15–20 minutes, checking as they bake.
They're especially nice when you want something warm and satisfying without making a huge batch.
Giant Cinnamon Roll
Yes, you can make a giant cinnamon roll without turning your kitchen into an oven itself.
For the Dough Mix Giant Cinnamon Roll, try 320°F for at least 30 minutes.
Because this is a larger bake, don't rely on the clock alone. Make sure the center is fully baked before you pull it out, unless you like it doughy.
Crackers
This one is especially good for a smaller air fryer or convection oven.
Make one batch at a time and try 315°F for about 12-15 minutes.
Start checking toward the end because crackers can go from perfectly crisp to overdone pretty quickly.
And because you're making smaller batches, you can have fresh, crunchy crackers without running your full-size oven.
Classic Yellow Cake Mix
Cake in the summer? Absolutely.
You don't have to wait for cooler weather.
Our Classic Yellow Cake Mix works well in a smaller convection oven. Try lowering the temperature to 315°F, then begin checking for doneness earlier than you normally would.
And don't stop at plain yellow cake.
This same approach works beautifully for some of our crumb cakes, too.
Berry Crumb Cake
A fresh berry crumb cake is basically summer in cake form.
Use your smaller convection oven, try 315°F, and start checking early.
You may need to adjust the baking time depending on your appliance and the size of your pan.
Classic Yellow Cake Mix | Berry Crumb Cake Recipe
[No] Sugar Cookie Mix Crumble Bars
Crumble bars are another great smaller-batch bake.
Try 325°F in your air fryer or convection oven and start checking early.
They're an easy way to get something homemade and sweet without committing to a full-size oven bake.
And when it's REALLY hot...
Sometimes even the air fryer feels like too much.
That's when we take the baking outside.
Our Dough Mix can be turned into grilled bread right on the barbecue.
It's an easy way to make fresh, homemade flatbread while keeping the heat outside where it belongs.
Perfect for summer dinners, grilled vegetables, burgers, dips—or just tearing off a piece while it's still warm.
You don't have to stop baking because it's hot.
You just have to change how you bake.
Use your air fryer.
Use your convection oven.
Take the Dough Mix outside and fire up the grill.
Make a smaller batch.
Lower the temperature and keep an eye on it.
Summer baking doesn't have to mean heating up your whole house.
And that's one more reason we love having ROSETTE’S mixes in the pantry.
Because when you're craving the foods you love, you shouldn't have to choose between staying cool and baking something good.