Air Fryer Donuts

If only there were a way to enjoy donuts without the added oil… oh wait! There is!! Take a look at these beauties! Donuts! Real, fluffy, yeast donuts. And no frying! What? … yep! We are skipping the deep frying!

Enter: The air fryer

Air fryer donuts are awesome! I have been looking everywhere for the perfect recipe and I had the pleasure to come across several easy ones! And I am here to share what I came up with! These babies are soft, perfectly chewy, and perfect for glazing, filling and dunking! I promise you, you will not miss the added oil once you try air fryer donuts!

The perfection in these donuts is hidden in the process. Double rising the dough is so necessary to let all that beautiful chewy goodness come to light. Very few ingredients in this dough, but allowing time to do its magic will yield a perfectly fluffy dough.

The dough itself doesn't have to be sweetened much, since you will probably be glazing these air fryer donuts once they're done. But! If your sweet tooth craves more, go ahead and add more honey or sugar to the dough!

So, what makes the air fryer work so well for these, otherwise deep fried, treats? The air fryer’s magic is in the circulation of hot air. And it works with what little oil or butter it finds lingering on the surface of the dough. A very light coat of butter does the trick to mimic the deep frying process. So don’t skip the basting before placing the raw donuts in the air fryer.

Glazing the Donuts

When glazing the donuts, let them cool down completely before dipping them in the prepared glaze. Here is my ratio for an amazing glaze that will stick:

1 cup of confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp milk

Mix everything together and stir well to get Reid of any lumps.

And here comes the fun part! Flavors!

For this batch I made three separate recipes of the glaze. Then I added my favorite flavors:

Chocolate: 1/4 cup powdered cocoa, 1 tsp very strong espresso coffee
Vanilla: 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pistachio: 1 Tbsp ground pistachio, 1/2 tsp rose water, 1/2 tsp orange blossom water

Try your favorite flavors in your glaze! Coffee, cinnamon, shredded coconut, caramel, ground Oreos..

I like the glaze to be on the thick side. If you want a lighter coat of glaze on your donuts just add more milk, 1/2 tsp at a time, until you reach the thickness you want. As soon as you glaze each donut you can sprinkle all sorts of goodies on top: nuts, cake sprinkles, coconut, grated chocolate, you name it!

Once you glaze the air fryer donuts, sit them on parchment paper until the glaze dries completely.

And now.. all that is left is to eat!!! Dunk! yummyyyy!

Yield: 16 donuts + donut holes

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 4 MinInactive time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 2 H & 4 M

These Air Fryer Donuts are perfectly risen, yeast donuts. Amazingly fluffy and so worth the time!

Ingredients

1/4 cup Warm water
1/2 cup Warm milk
11 grams (1 packet) Instant yeast
1 Tbsp Sugar
2 1/2 cup All purpose flour
1/4 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Honey
1 Large egg, beaten
1/3 cup Melted butter
1/3 cup extra melted butter for basting

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the water, milk, sugar and instant yeast. Let this sit for 5 minutes to let the yeast start to blossom.
Add the rest of the ingredients, except the melted butter for basting. With the dough hook of the mixer, knead the dough, starting at slow speed and working up to a medium high speed. Knead at this final speed for 4 minutes. The dough should be smooth and soft.
Take the dough out of the mixer bow, form into a ball. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turn it twice to coat all sides of the dough with the oil. Let it sit, covered, for one hour.
Punch down dough with your fist and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half.
Roll each half into a rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the donuts with a donut cutter, or use a glass and a shot glass for the center.
Place cut donuts on a tray lined with parchment paper or silicone mat. Don't forget the donut holes! Those centers are yummy bites!
Roll remaining dough into a ball and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes before rolling again to cut more donuts.
Let the cut donuts rest for at least 30 minutes so they can rise back up.
Brush each donut with the extra melted butter for basting.
Heat the Air Fryer to 180C/350F. Open the basket and brush mesh bottom with more butter or vegetable oil.
Place 4 to 5 donuts in the basket, depending on the size you make. Remember they will plump up some more while cooking, so leave room between them to allow this. And scatter donut holes in the corners or center.
Air fry the donuts for 3-4 minute until golden.
Let the finished donuts cool down completely on a cooling rack before glazing.
Look at the ideas and ratios for an amazing glaze in the post above! Dip the donuts in the glaze on one side, or flip them in there to coat all over. Your choice!
Let the glazed donuts sit separated from each other on parchment paper until the glaze dries completely.