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Air Fryer Donuts Almost Effortless

Donuts don’t get any easier than this Almost Effortless Donuts recipe you make in the air fryer using biscuit dough from a can of biscuits!

A quick spell in the air fryer, a dip in melted butter, and a tumble in sugar produce puffy, home-style donuts everyone will fawn over.

Imagine hot donuts when you want them with no hot oil to contend with!

Like all homemade donuts, variations are as easy as adding icing, chocolate glaze, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, or a hint of spice to the sugar.

Your whole family will love this simple recipe for donuts that will make your kitchen their favorite donut shop any day of the week.

These fresh donuts make a great snack and are a perfect choice for an easy breakfast treat.

Our Air Fryer Pinterest Board might also inspire you with more great air fryer recipes like these almost effortless donuts.

How Does An Air Fryer Work?

Think of an air fryer. It uses convection.

It cooks by continuously circulating hot air around the food, in this case, the delicious air fryer donuts, allowing it to get crispy, without submerging in vegetable oil.

Air frying has little clean-up.

Makes 8 Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts and 8 Donut Holes

almost effortless donuts in the airfryer from 5 ingredient air fryer recipe

How to Make This Air Fryer Donut Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 can large refrigerator biscuits
  • 1-inch biscuit or cookie cutter

Almost Effortless Donuts in the Air Fryer Directions:

  • Preheat Air Fryer to 360-degrees
  • Place sugar in a small shallow dish
  • Place butter in another small, shallow dish
  • Remove dough from packaging and separate into biscuits.
  • Flatten each biscuit slightly with your palm. Using the biscuit cutter or shot glass, cut out circles from the center of each biscuit. This will make the donut shape and doughnut holes. Place donuts and holes, in a single layer, on a piece of parchment paper, keeping them separate.
  • Working with one donut at a time, dip in butter, coating all sides, then dredge in sugar, gently shaking off excess. Place 2 to 3 donuts in air fryer basket, leaving 1-inch space in between.
  •  Air-fry for a cooking time of 9 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Use tongs to transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining donuts.
  • Dip and dredge the donut holes in butter and sugar. Place in the basket, leaving space in between.
  • Air-fry for a cooking time 3 to 6 minutes or until golden brown. 
  • Transfer to wire rack, using tongs, and let cool for at least 3 minutes. Discard any excess sugar and melted butter.

To make Cinnamon Sugar Donuts you’ll need a Cinnamon Sugar Mixture:

Cinnamon Sugar Coating: A mixture of cinnamon and sugar finishes off these donuts that satisfy the sweet tooth. Dip each donut into melted butter, then generously dunk each into the cinnamon sugar topping.

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

 Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip the donuts in the melted butter, then dunk into the cinnamon sugar mixture coating all sides.

Easy Chocolate Classic Glaze:

Remove the foil from a tub of premade chocolate frosting.

Place tub in the microwave for 30-seconds.

Stir with a spoon and drizzle over donuts and donut holes.

You can also place donut holes on a toothpick and dunk the top of the donuts in the warm frosting.

It just doesn’t get easier than these easy air fryer donuts and air fryer donut holes.

And let’s face it; warm donuts are delicious donuts.

You may also like these easy air fryer recipes:

You may also like these easy air fryer recipes:

Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

Air Fryer Ribeye Steak

Air Fryer Crispy Brussel Sprouts

almost effortless donuts in the airfryer from 5 ingredient air fryer recipe

Almost Effortless Donuts in the Air Fryer

Yield: 8 donuts and 8 donut holes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Additional Time: 4 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes

A quick spell in the air fryer, a dip in melted butter and a tumble in sugar produce puffy, home-style donuts everyone will fawn over. Variations are as easy as adding an icing or a hint of spice to the sugar.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 can large refrigerator biscuits
  • 1-inch biscuit or cookie cutter

Instructions

  1. Preheat Air Fryer to 360-degrees
  2. Place sugar in a small shallow dish
  3. Place butter in another small, shallow dish
  4. Remove dough from packaging and separate into biscuits.
  5. Flatten each biscuit slightly with your palm. Using the biscuit cutter or shot glass, cut out circles from the center of each biscuit. This will make the donut shape and doughnut holes. Place donuts and holes, in a single layer, on a piece of parchment paper, keeping them separate.
  6. Working with one donut at a time, dip in butter, coating all sides, then dredge in sugar, gently shaking off excess. Place 2 to 3 donuts in air fryer basket, leaving 1-inch space in between.
  7. Air-fry for a cooking time of 9 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Use tongs to transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining donuts.
  8. Dip and dredge the donut holes in butter and sugar. Place in the basket, leaving space in between.
  9. Air-fry for a cooking time 3 to 6 minutes or until golden brown. 
  10. Transfer to wire rack, using tongs, and let cool for at least 3 minutes. Discard any excess sugar and melted butter.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 154Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 144mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 1g

The Nutritional Information may not be accurate.

Did you make this recipe?

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Courtesy of 5-Ingredient Air Fryer Recipes by Camiila Saulsbury © 2017 www.robertrose.ca Available where books are sold.

About Julee: Julee Morrison is an experienced author with 35 years of expertise in parenting and recipes. She is the author of four cookbooks: The Instant Pot College Cookbook, The How-To Cookbook for Teens, The Complete Cookbook for Teens, and The Complete College Cookbook. Julee is passionate about baking, crystals, reading, and family. Her writing has appeared in The LA Times (Bon Jovi Obsession Goes Global), Disney's Family Fun Magazine (August 2010, July 2009, September 2008), and My Family Gave Up Television (page 92, Disney Family Fun August 2010). Her great ideas have been featured in Disney's Family Fun (Page 80, September 2008) and the Write for Charity book From the Heart (May 2010). Julee's work has also been published in Weight Watchers Magazine, All You Magazine (Jan. 2011, February 2011, June 2013), Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine (Oct. 2011), Red River Family Magazine (Jan. 2011), BonAppetit.com, and more. Notably, her article "My Toddler Stood on Elvis' Grave and Scaled Over Boulders to Get to a Dinosaur" made AP News, and "The Sly Way I Cured My Child's Lying Habit" was featured on PopSugar. When she's not writing, Julee enjoys spending time with her family and exploring new baking recipes.
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