Easy Air Fryer Donuts Recipe - Ready in Just 5 Minutes (2024)

Jump to Recipe

There is nothing easier to make in the Air Fryer than these Donuts. In fact, they were the very first thing that I made when I purchased my first air fryer years ago.

Since then, I have made these donuts and air fryer cinnamon rolls at least a dozen times in my Ninja Foodi . And now I also make Breakfast Egg Rolls and Bacon in my Air Fryer.

Easy Air Fryer Donuts Recipe - Ready in Just 5 Minutes (1)

They take 5 minutes to make from start to finish. And they make for a fantastic quick and easy breakfast treat or a snack any day of the week!

Biscuit Donuts

When I was a kid, we would have these donuts on Saturday mornings. That is the day that was dedicated to having a large family breakfast.

There would be pancakes, waffles, eggs, hash browns, and bacon on the table. And there would always be biscuit donuts as well.

However, that was after we all had a chance to make our own.

Easy Air Fryer Donuts Recipe - Ready in Just 5 Minutes (2)

My mother would go to the refrigerator and pull out one or two tubes of refrigerator biscuit dough.

My siblings and I would then have the chore of cutting the hole out of the center to make each biscuit look like a donut.

I was very methodical and would use an apple corer to make the perfectly centered hole.

However, my brother would just tear a hole in the center with his hands and shape it.

Easy Air Fryer Donuts Recipe - Ready in Just 5 Minutes (3)

Either way, each one worked perfectly to make our favorite donuts.

However, back in the day, the donuts were not air fryer donuts. They were cooked in vegetable oil in the deep fryer.

After my mother would pull them out of the oil, it was our job as kids to shake them in whatever topping that we preferred.

We had brown paper bags filled with a cinnamon sugar mixture and others filled with powdered sugar.

Easy Air Fryer Donuts Recipe - Ready in Just 5 Minutes (4)

And if we felt creative, we would combine milk and powdered sugar in a bowl to make icing.

Then we would either shake the hot donuts in the bags, or drizzle the icing on top. They were absolutely delicious, and we looked forward to making them every weekend.

Easy Air Fryer Donuts – donuts made a little healthier

Although we all know that donuts are not the healthiest choice for breakfast, we have made them a little healthier by cooking them in the air fryer.

Easy Air Fryer Donuts Recipe - Ready in Just 5 Minutes (5)

However, we use the same concept as when we made them in my younger years.

We purchase refrigerator biscuit dough from the grocery store. Then when we are ready to make them, we pop them open and cut out a center hole.

Although most of the time I still use an apple corer, I have found other methods to work just as well.

A bottle cap, bottle opening, or a shot glass will work in a pinch if that is all that there is available. And of course, you can always do what my brother did and simply tear a hole in the center and shape the biscuit into a donut shape.

Cooking Air Fryer Donuts

Now comes the easy part. Spray your air fryer basket with olive oil spray and place your donuts inside in a single layer.

Easy Air Fryer Donuts Recipe - Ready in Just 5 Minutes (6)

Then cook for 5 minutes. Yes, it only takes 5 minutes!

Once the donuts are cooked, remove them from the air fryer and either dip them in butter or spritz them with olive oil.

Then it is time to add the cinnamon sugar topping. To this day, I still prefer to shake them in a brown paper bag to coat them evenly.

However, you can also just use your fingers or spoon to sprinkle the donuts by hand.

Easy Air Fryer Donuts Recipe - Ready in Just 5 Minutes (7)

Either way, you are going to fall in love with these Easy Air Fryer Donuts!

Easy Air Fryer Donuts Recipe - Ready in Just 5 Minutes (8)

To receive our3 RecipeArticles in your inbox each week, sign up for our free email list located in the middle of each recipe or email me at contact@makeyourmeals.com. You can also follow us onFacebook and Pinterest. This article may contain affiliate links where a small commission is paid if you purchase a product at no additional cost to you.

Easy Air Fryer Donuts

Easy Air Fryer Donuts Recipe - Ready in Just 5 Minutes (9)

Make these quick and easy air fryer donuts from a can of refrigerator biscuit dough. Shake in a sugar/cinnamon mixture for the perfect breakfast treat or a snack.

Ingredients

  • 16 oz refrigerated flaky jumbo biscuits
  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 4 Tbsp butter melted, optional
  • olive oil spray

Instructions

  1. Place sugar and cinnamon sugar in a brown paper bag, shake and set aside.
  2. Remove the biscuits from the can, separate them and place them on a cutting board. Use a 1-inch round biscuit cutter to cut holes out of the center of each biscuit. You can also use an apple corer or bottle opening to cut open the hole if you don’t have a small biscuit cutter.
  3. Lightly coat air fryer basket with olive oil spray.
  4. Place 4 donuts in a single layer in the air fryer basket, being sure that they do not touch.
  5. Bake at 360 degrees F for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
  6. Remove donuts from Air Fryer, dip in melted butter or spray both sides with olive oil spray, then shake in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.
  7. Serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe provided by Make Your Meals

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1 grams
Amount Per Serving:Unsaturated Fat: 0g

Easy Air Fryer Donuts Recipe - Ready in Just 5 Minutes (2024)

FAQs

Do air fryer donuts taste good? ›

In my opinion, this recipe for air fried donuts comes very close to the deep fried version. I wouldn't say they're better or worse—both are utterly delicious!

How long should donuts be fried? ›

Fry the donuts, two or three at a time, in the oil 2 to 3 minutes or until they are golden brown, turning once. Remove the donuts with the slotted spoon, allowing excess oil to drain back into the fryer or pan. Drain the donuts on paper towels to avoid a greasy end result.

How to fry donuts without a deep fryer? ›

Simply use a medium sized pot filled with one inch of oil, on your stovetop. Frying the donuts just a few at a time allows you to control the temperature of the oil according to how quickly the donuts brown.

Is it better to bake or fry Doughnuts? ›

Baked doughnuts are smaller, baking powder driven and more compact. A typical fried glazed donut will be around 269 calories, while a baked donut will have much fewer. The difference is the fact that you won't be dealing with any extra fat from the oil from frying when you bake.

What tastes good in the air fryer? ›

From a crispy cob loaf, to fluffy lemonade scones – there's really nothing the air fryer can't do!
  • 1Air fryer cob loaf dip. ...
  • 2Air fryer chicken rissoles. ...
  • 3Air fryer chicken breast with prosciutto. ...
  • 4Air fryer quiche Lorraine. ...
  • 5Air fryer Japanese chicken tenders. ...
  • 6Crispy air fryer chow mein with Mongolian chicken.

What temperature is best for frying donuts? ›

Fry at about 375° to 380° F (190.6° to 193.3° C). Donuts brown too rapidly and may have raw or doughy centers if fried in fat that is too hot. Donuts fried in colder shortening brown too slowly and absorb excessive frying shortening. When should glaze be applied to yeast-raised donuts?

How to tell when donuts are done? ›

Fry donuts approximately two minutes on each side or until a deep golden brown. If you see some cracking in the donut while frying it is perfectly normal and a good sign.

What oil is best for frying donuts? ›

What kind of oil is best for cooking donuts? The best oil is the one with the least flavour. Vegetable oil and canola oil are both very good in this respect. The most important thing is to use the same oil for the same kinds of foods, since oil readily absorbs flavours and aromas.

Why are things not getting crispy in air fryer? ›

Dry the outside of the food properly before you add oil. Do not use too much oil, as this will make the food less crispy and more fattening. Meat or poultry can be lightly brushed with oil or marinated to get the crispiest results.

How do you adjust baking times for air fryer? ›

Conventional oven to air fryer conversion

To convert an oven-cooked recipe to an air-fryer one, Mason's general rule of thumb is to reduce the suggested temperature by 25°F and then cut the cook time by about 20%.

Why are my donuts falling apart when frying? ›

If it leaves a faint impression, donut is ready; if it leaves no impression, it is not proofed yet; if donut collapses, it is overproofed. Dry donuts after proofing for at least 10 minutes, or they will absorb frying shortening while frying.

Why do my donuts crack? ›

What happens if the dough is too warm? The donuts will absorb shortening, lack volume, and may be misshapen. What happens if the dough is too cold? The donuts stand under the shortening too long; they fry too slowly and tend to either crack open or to form ball donuts; they absorb excess shortening and lose volume.

Why are my fried donuts not fluffy? ›

Underproofed – leads to stiffer (denser) donuts that don't puff up well when fried. Cracked donuts – this may have happened if you used a cutter and it wasn't sharp enough to cut through the dough cleanly. Or the dough is underproofed or too cold.

Do baked donuts taste the same as fried? ›

The texture is more compact and there isn't the distinctive taste of deep frying. The color is also much paler. The taste overall was good and if you aren't into the calories of deep frying and the extra step and clean up, these are an acceptable substitute.

Why does air fryer food taste so good? ›

It works by circulating hot air around the food to produce a crunchy, crispy exterior. This also results in a chemical reaction known as the Maillard reaction. It occurs when an amino acid and a reducing sugar react in the presence of heat and leads to alterations in the color and flavor of foods ( 1 ).

Does Airfryer make it crispy? ›

The circulating air cooks the outside of foods first, which creates a crispy brown coating and keeps the inside soft, just like deep-fried foods. As the food cooks, a container below the basket catches any grease that drops. Bottom line: Air fryers create the crispy, chewy foods people love without all the oil.

What's the best thing to fry donuts in? ›

What kind of oil is best for cooking donuts? The best oil is the one with the least flavour. Vegetable oil and canola oil are both very good in this respect. The most important thing is to use the same oil for the same kinds of foods, since oil readily absorbs flavours and aromas.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Virgilio Hermann JD

Last Updated:

Views: 5461

Rating: 4 / 5 (61 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Virgilio Hermann JD

Birthday: 1997-12-21

Address: 6946 Schoen Cove, Sipesshire, MO 55944

Phone: +3763365785260

Job: Accounting Engineer

Hobby: Web surfing, Rafting, Dowsing, Stand-up comedy, Ghost hunting, Swimming, Amateur radio

Introduction: My name is Virgilio Hermann JD, I am a fine, gifted, beautiful, encouraging, kind, talented, zealous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.