Air Fryer Donuts

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5 from 1242 votes
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My air fryer donuts make a wholesome and quick dessert that needs just four simple ingredients. No yeast or pre-made donut mix is required, and you can glaze it anyway you like.

air fried donuts on a wire rack.
Table of Contents
  1. Key Ingredients
  2. How to make air fryer donuts
  3. Arman’s recipe tips
  4. Storage instructions
  5. Easy Air Fryer Donuts (Recipe Card)
  6. Frequently asked questions
  7. More air fryer desserts

I don’t bake donuts for my family, unless they are my healthy donuts or protein donuts —aka donuts with some benefits. I leave the indulgent ones to the pastry shops and bakeries. When we do want a quick and wholesome donut fix, I turn to these air fryer donuts.

They are cakey and fluffy, serving as a blank canvas for a variety of frostings or glazes. They don’t need any yeast, which is a huge bonus. I also love how they don’t need much time in the air fryer. Now, these aren’t your classic donut shop donuts, but they satisfy the cravings and don’t leave you feeling heavy or with an intense sugar crash, which is a plus in my books!

Air fryer donuts recipe highlights

Arman Liew

Quick and easy: A few minutes of prep time and no more than 8 minutes in the air fryer!

Made from scratch: There’s no frozen biscuit dough or pre-made dough here. Just simple, good-for-you ingredients. This is a dessert you can feel good about sharing with the family.

Customizable: The donuts themselves don’t have tons of flavor, so you can mix in fruits, candy, chocolate chips, etc. You can also glaze them or frost them any way you like.

Key Ingredients

  • Self-rising flour. A combination of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. You can skip the store-bought kind and make my homemade self rising flour.
  • Vanilla yogurt. I use full-fat vanilla Greek yogurt, but any flavored plain yogurt works. If you use unflavored Greek yogurt, you will need to add two tablespoons of maple syrup or sugar to compensate for its tartness.
  • Glaze. I typically mix powdered sugar and milk, then add coloring or fun add-ins, like sprinkles. You can also use any chocolate or flavored frosting of your choice.

How to make air fryer donuts

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

air fryer donut batter.

Step 1- In a large bowl, stir the flour and yogurt until a thick dough remains.

dough on a kitchen surface.

Step 2- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a sausage shape and connect both sides to form a donut.

uncooked donuts in air fryer basket.

Step 3- Air fry the donuts for 7-8 minutes or until firm. Let them cool completely. 

air fryer donuts with a glaze.

Step 4- Combine the powdered sugar and water to make a glaze. Dip each donut in the glaze, place them on a wire rack, and top with sprinkles.

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Only have plain yogurt? Add 1/4 of sugar or maple syrup to give the dough a sweet flavor. 
  • Don’t add more flour to the dough. The dough is supposed to be a little sticky, so resist the temptation to add more flour. I like to grease my hands with cooking spray to make shaping the donuts easier.
  • Let the donuts cool completely before adding the glaze. Otherwise, it will glide off the donuts. 
  • Do not overbake. These donuts may seem soft, but they will firm up slightly as they cool. Overbaking will result in them being gummy and toughening up as they cool.

Storage instructions

To store: Leftover donuts can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to five days. 

To freeze: Place the donuts in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to six months.

air fryer donuts recipe.

Easy Air Fryer Donuts

5 from 1242 votes
My air fryer donuts are made from scratch and are fluffy, doughy, and perfectly glazed. Just 4 ingredients, no yeast, and ready in minutes. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 7 minutes
Total: 12 minutes

Video

Ingredients  

For the glaze

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 1-2 tablespoons water or milk

Instructions 

  • In a large mixing bowl, add your flour and yogurt and mix well, until a thick dough remains. If the dough is too thin, add more flour. If the dough is too thick, add more yogurt.
  • Lightly flour a kitchen surface and transfer the dough onto it. Knead it several times until smooth. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll out each portion of dough into a long, sausage shape and connect both sides to form a donut.
  • Line an air fryer basket with parchment paper. Place 2-4 donuts on them (depending on how big your air fryer is), ensuring the donuts are at least half an inch apart, to ensure they have room to rise and spread.
  • Air fry the donuts at 200C/400F for 7-8 minutes, or until firm on the outside. Repeat the process until all the donuts are cooked.
  • Let the donuts cool completely. While cooling, prepare the glaze. Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water (or milk) and mix until a thick and smooth glaze remains.
  • Dip each donut in the glaze and place them on a wire rack. If desired, top with sprinkles.

Notes

* You must use a plain, sweetened yogurt. If you use a sweetened Greek yogurt, add at least two tablespoons of sugar or maple syrup to compensate. If you use plain yogurt, add at least 1/4 cup of sweetener.
  • Storage: Leftover donuts can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to five days.
  • For vegan donuts. Use vanilla-flavored coconut yogurt.
  • For gluten-free donuts. Use gluten-free self-rising flour.
  • Make a chocolate glaze. Melt chocolate chips and fold them into the glaze mixture along with 1-2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 125kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 5gFat: 2gSodium: 21mgPotassium: 94mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 14IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 16g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!
stack of air fryer donuts.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a donut pan?

You can, provided you can find one that fits in your air fryer basket (mine could only fit a 4-count donut pan). I don’t recommend using silicone pans because the donuts tend to be out of shape.

How do I make the dough fluffier?

I tested this recipe multiple times to ensure the dough remains soft and fluffy. If your dough is a little dense, it means you’ve overbaked it. Remove the donuts once the edges are mostly firm and not overly browned.

Can I use another kind of flour?

I’ve tested these donuts with almond flour, and while they do work, they aren’t as fluffy or doughy in the middle.

Can I add yeast?

No, not for this recipe. I purposely made the dough sans-yeast and adding some will completely change the texture and flavor.

More air fryer desserts

If you’ve enjoyed this Air Fryer Donuts recipe, please give it a star rating. It really helps others thinking of making it. Tag me in your photos or videos on InstagramTikTok, or Facebook I love hearing from you!

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Incredibly quick and easy. Great recipe and good tips. My Airfryer cooked first batch in 6 minutes and second batch in 5 minutes. I topped mine with lemon glaze, adding zest and juice of one lemon to the powdered sugar, omitting the water. Perfect 👌

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