Easy Air Fryer Donuts Recipe From Scratch
Air fryer donuts are a simple way to make donuts at home without the mess. You still get that fried taste and familiar texture, but without dealing with hot oil or grease. The air fryer handles the job fast and evenly. These donuts work well for breakfast or slow mornings that call for something warm and sweet.
They’re coated with cinnamon and sugar, brushed with melted butter, or finished with a quick glaze. They remind you of bakery donuts and the pan-fried or deep-fried treats saved for special occasions. The difference is ease. No hot oil, no cleanup stress. Just soft donuts with a familiar bite.
Easy Air Fryer Donuts Recipe with Instructions
Ingredients
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Tube of refrigerated biscuit dough | 1 |
| Melted butter | ½ cup |
| Granulated sugar | ½ cup |
| Ground cinnamon | 1 tablespoon |
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.
- Cut a hole in the center of each biscuit. A donut cutter works, but a bottle cap is fine too.
- Lightly spray the donuts with avocado oil and place them in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 5 to 6 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they turn golden.
- Remove the donuts and set them aside. Add the donut holes to the basket.
- Spray them with cooking oil and cook for about 4 minutes, until browned.
- While the holes are cooking, pour the melted butter into a shallow bowl.
- In another bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon.
- Once the donuts come out, dip them into the butter, then coat them in the cinnamon sugar.
How to Prevent the Donuts from Sticking
Lightly coat the air fryer basket with oil before adding the dough. This helps the donuts release easily once they cook.
Skip nonstick sprays like Pam. They can wear down the coating on your basket over time. Use an olive oil or coconut oil spray instead. A quick, light spray is all you need.
Donut Topping Ideas
- Powdered sugar
- Nutella
- Melted Biscoff cookie spread
- Granulated Sugar
What are common mistakes when making air fryer donuts?
Here are some common mistakes that reduce texture quality and cause uneven cooking.
- Overcrowding blocks airflow, which prevents Maillard browning and creates pale donuts
- Excess oil spray causes surface frying, not air frying, which increases greasiness
- High temperatures dry the crumb, because air fryers dehydrate faster than oil
- Skipping preheating lowers heat stability, which reduces rise in yeast dough
Are air fryer donuts healthier than regular donuts?
Air fryer donuts are healthier than deep-fried donuts mainly because they use significantly less oil. Air frying reduces added fat by about 70–90%, which lowers total calories and saturated fat per donut. Carbohydrates and sugars remain similar because flour and sugar quantities do not change. Shorter high-heat exposure also reduces oil oxidation and acrylamide formation compared to deep frying, according to food chemistry research.
Can you make vegan air fryer donuts?
You can make vegan air fryer donuts without affecting structure or rise. Plant milk replaces dairy milk, and neutral oils or vegan butter replace butter. Flaxseed gel, applesauce, or aquafaba provide binding instead of eggs. Yeast fermentation functions normally in vegan dough, producing comparable crumb texture and volume when hydration levels remain stable.
How do you store and reheat air fryer donuts?
Storage
- Unfilled donuts store at room temperature for 24 hours in an airtight container
- Filled donuts require refrigeration at ≤4°C due to dairy or fruit fillings
- Freezing works for plain donuts for up to 2 months
Reheating
- Reheat at 160°C (320°F) for 2–3 minutes
- Avoid microwaves, because starch retrogradation causes rubbery texture