An Easy Air Fryer Donut Recipe – From Scratch

It’s very simple to make the Air Fryer Donut Recipe from scratch at home. These donuts are crispy, fluffy, and moist. Though baked in the air fryer, they taste just as good as store-bought, baked donuts. You can top them with a simple homemade glaze. Find below the complete Air Fryer Donut recipe in the Recipe Card.

What are Air Fryer Donuts?

Air Fryer donuts make a delicious breakfast or afternoon snack. Because they are made using yeasted dough rather than canned biscuit dough, they are incredibly soft and have a handmade glaze that makes them taste like a traditional coffee shop donut. You’ll understand why they’re a family favorite after just one bite.

As air-fried donuts don’t absorb the oil from being deep fried, they are healthier and lighter, yet the hot air in the air fryer still produces a crispy outside and a moist within. When you want a delicious donut with the least amount of cleaning, this is ideal. 

Why You’ll Love the Recipe?

Air fryer donuts taste just like real baked donuts.

They are prepared with the same dough that’s used for deep-fried donuts. Even if you’ve never made yeast dough before, you can make it without any trouble according to the step-by-step instructions given below.

The frosting is the second key to getting these donuts to look and taste just like the deep-fried ones from the supermarket. It keeps the donuts soft while adding sweetness.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Donut Recipe

Milk (lukewarm) (about 100°F)

Active Dry Yeast or Instant Yeast

Granulated Sugar, plus 1 tsp

Salt

Egg

Unsalted Butter (Melted)

All-purpose Flour

Oil Spray (Coconut oil works best)

Recipe Instructions

Activate the yeast 

Mix the yeast, 1 tsp sugar, and lukewarm milk gradually in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let it sit until frothy. The process may take 10 minutes. If this doesn’t happen, your milk was either too hot or the yeast was too old; try again.

Knead the Dough 

Add the sugar, salt, egg, melted butter, and two cups of flour to the milk-yeast mixture. Mix well on low speed. Gradually add the remaining cup of flour while the mixer is still running. After 5 minutes of kneading at a medium-low speed, the dough should be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes at a warm place. Cover it with a plastic wrap.

Cut the Donuts

Transfer the dough to a floured board. Gently roll it out to a thickness of about ½ inch. Using a donut cutter, cut out 10–12 donuts. If you don’t have a donut cutter, use a 3-inch and a 1-inch round cutter. Place all the donuts on the floured parchment paper and cover them with greased plastic wrap. Let them rise for about 30 minutes.

Prepare the Air Fryer 

Set the Air Fryer’s temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Apply oil spray to the Air Fryer basket. Gently move the donuts into it in a single layer. Donuts should be sprayed with oil spray and baked at 350° for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Continue with the remaining holes and donuts.

Dip in the Glaze

Using forks to submerge, dip hot donuts and donut holes into the glaze. Transfer to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet with a rim so that any extra glaze can fall off. Allow the glaze to set, which should take ten minutes or so.

How to make a Donut Glaze?

This homemade donut recipe is elevated to a whole new level of taste with the simple addition of a sweet glaze that dries into a crackly glaze.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make a donut glaze:

• Unsalted Butter
• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla Extract
• Hot Water

Here is how you can make a donut glaze:

Mix all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until well combined. Dip in the hot donuts and donut holes and place on a wire rack. Let the glaze set for approximately five minutes. 

Recipe Tips

• Carefully measure the quantity of the flour. Do not add extra flour.
• You can mix the donut dough by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer.
• Don’t delay glazing your donuts for too long. If you want to get the traditional crackly glaze effect, the donuts should be warm. 
• If you don’t have a 1-inch cookie cutter, don’t worry. Use the base of a large pastry tip to cut out the donut hole.
• Remember to give the dough a double rise. Moreover, do not overmix it. Delicious, light, and airy donuts will come from the double rise and mixing until just incorporated.
• Take care not to spread out the dough too thinly. This way, when donuts come out of the air fryer, they will be flat.

How to Store Donuts?

Store them in an air-tight container at room temperature. Donuts with glaze can’t be kept in the refrigerator since this may cause the glaze to melt and seep into the donut, creating a sticky mess.

Although they taste best when fresh, you may freeze these donuts without the glaze. Reheat them in the air fryer and glaze them immediately.

More Air Fryer Recipes

• Air Fryer Drumsticks Recipe: Crispy and spicy chicken legs
• Air Fryer Eggplant Recipe: Simple yet delicious
• Crispy Air Fryer Okra: Kurkuri bhindi recipe