Sweet, flaky, and ready in about 10 minutes, cinnamon sugar Air Fryer Donuts are so easy, you’ll want to make them every morning!
Are you a sweet or savory breakfast person? For me, it can’t just be one way or the other. I love a good savory sausage gravy slopped over a fresh waffle. Once I inhale that deliciousness, it’s time to swing towards the sweet side of breakfast… enter the Air Fryer Donuts!
These sweet breakfast treats couldn’t be ANY easier or any more delicious. They’re so good, you’ll be frying them up every chance you get!
AIR FRYER DONUTS
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Out here in the Pacific Northwest, we have our fair share of award-winning donuts. From the classic raised dough glazed to the specialty donuts that are piled high with extras, you can basically find a delicious donut on every corner.
But, if you’ve been following me here at Real Housemoms for a while, you know that I LOVE a good homemade recipe for my favorite takeout treats. I view creating copycat recipes as a challenge and if I do say so myself, I’ve conquered the challenge of air fryer donuts!
This air fryer donuts recipe is SO easy and so quick, so if you’ve got a craving for donuts that you need to satisfy, pull our your air fryer and get cooking! The best part is that these are air fryer BISCUIT donuts, so no need to mix up a complicated dough, give it time to let it rise and so on… just grab a can of pre-made biscuits and you’re halfway to making a delicious donut in an air fryer!
Can you make donuts in an air fryer?
If you haven’t jumped on the air fryer train yet, I highly suggest you do. SO many of your favorite recipes can be made in an air fryer – including donuts! I’m talking crispy chicken wings, a blooming onion, french fries… the possibilities are endless!!
The thing that makes an air fryer PERFECT for making donuts (and so many other recipes) is that you get the great, taste of a typical fried donut without having to worry about actually frying it!
No more scalding yourself with hot oil, no more wasting what feels like gallons of good oil. Now you’ve got this air fryer donut recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth without all the guilt of a deep-fried donut!
Air Fryer Donut Ingredients
I love these donuts because of the simple ingredients you need. Of course, you can make air fryer donuts from scratch, but that takes time and tons of ingredients. With this recipe, all you need is 5 ingredients and a little over 30 minutes!
Can of biscuits – yup… it’s that simple. A can of pre-made biscuit dough and you’re well on your way to delicious air fryer donuts! I suggest using the “flaky” version of a store-bought biscuit when making air fryer biscuit donuts. The flaky biscuits give a soft, delicious inside to your air fryer donuts!
Cinnamon Sugar – for me, the perfect donut isn’t piled high with frosting or sprinkles or fancy fillings. Instead, it’s coated in a classic (generous) dusting of cinnamon and sugar.
How to make donuts in an air fryer
While each donut in the air fryer only takes about 4 minutes to cook, you can only cook a few at a time. So allot yourself about 30 minutes of frying time for multiple batches. Believe me, it’s worth it!
- Start by preheating your air fryer to 350 degrees F.
- While the air fryer is heating up, make your cinnamon sugar. In a shallow bowl, combine the cinnamon and granulated sugar and mix until it’s evenly combined.
- Next, lay the biscuit dough out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Then you’ll use a small biscuit cutter to cut out the middle of the biscuit. Don’t throw away the centers! You can use them to make air fryer donut holes!!!
- Now it’s time to fry up the donuts! Place the biscuits in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Place the basket in the air fryer for 2 minutes and then flip the donuts and cook for another 2 minutes until they’re golden brown. Pop to cooked donuts out, put them back on the baking sheet, and repeat this process with the remaining dough.
- While the donuts are frying, melt the butter.
- Brush melted butter all over a donut and roll it around in the cinnamon sugar. Cover the entire donut with cinnamon-sugar. Be generous… a fully coated donut is breakfast perfection!!! Then just repeat butter brushing and cinnamon-sugar coating all the other donuts and donut holes.
- Serve warm and try not to eat the entire batch yourself 🙂
Make sure after you cut out the center of your biscuits to create your air fryer donuts, you save the centers to make your own air fryer donut holes! We wouldn’t want to waste any of that flaky dough and who doesn’t love popping a quick donut hole as a snack?! Just follow the same directions above for the donut holes, but only fry them for about 2-3 minutes since they are smaller.
Then, if you want to get REALLY crazy, you can serve these donuts up with some chocolate glaze for dipping or even some raspberry sauce. It’s amazing!
Is it better to bake or fry donuts?
Ok, so I love making donuts at home regardless of how they’re made. Whether they’re baked, air fried, or a typical deep-fried donut, I’m happy. They each have their own perks to recipe prep and their own delicious flavors. I really can’t pick a favorite way to make homemade donuts, so here are a few of my favorite recipes of each kind!
Baked Donuts – these are amazing because you get a delicious donut without having to use tons of boiling hot oil. These Churro Muffin donuts have a simple dough that ends up tasting just like a classic Mexican churro! I also love these Snickerdoodle Donuts. They’re like the baked version of the easy air fryer donuts!
Fried Donuts – a fried donut is a classic treat. Sure, you have to deal with the extra calories that come with frying your donuts in oil, but UGH, there is something about a fried donut that is just so good. My go-to fried donut recipes are definitely these Maple Donuts (I love a good maple glaze!) and these biscuit-based Bourbon Caramel Donuts.
Want some more breakfast recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth? Check out these other Real Housemoms favorites!
- Strawberry Pop Tarts
- Eggnog French Toast Bake
- Blueberry Muffins
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon Monkey Bread
- Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll Bake
- more BREAKFAST recipes…
Tools used to make this Air Fryer Donuts recipe
Air fryer: hard to make air fryer donuts without one of these, huh? This one is my favorite!
1-inch round cutter: get the perfect sized donut holes with this simple cookie cutter!
Ingredients
- 16 refrigerated biscuits (2 cans with 8 biscuits each)
- Olive oil spray
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees F.
- Lay our biscuit dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Use a small circle cutter to cut out the center of each biscuit and make a donut. Keep the centers to make donut holes!
- DEPENDING ON YOUR AIR FRYER MODEL: Spray air fryer basket with olive oil. For some air fryer brands, Pam and other non-stick cooking sprays will damage the basket. Check your owner's manual for more information.
- Place donuts into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Place the basket in the air fryer and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining donuts and donut holes until all the dough is cooked.
- Lay cooked donuts and donut holes back onto the baking sheet.
- In a shallow bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined.
- Brush one donut all over with melted butter, and then roll in cinnamon sugar to coat. Repeat with remaining donuts. Serve warm.
Glynis says
Can I make these donuts in a air fry oven?
Maria Franco says
What oil do you recommend and do you spray directly to donuts or spray air fryer tray.?
Real Housemoms JK says
Hey Maria! The oil is for the air fryer tray if needed. You could use vegetable or avocado oil or any spray oil you have.
Natalie S. says
I just made these the other day! They were super good! My daughter has an egg allergy, so these were literally the first “donuts” she’s ever had and she was thrilled. Food allergies can be hard because kids feel so left out. But this recipe is such a great alternative to traditional donuts. I also noticed that the air fryer seemed to take away that “prepared dough” taste. I’ve made these, years ago, in oil and they didn’t taste as good. Air fryer is the way to go!!
Real Housemoms JK says
Thanks Natalie! So glad you liked them!
Joni Wallace says
I’ve made these!! The bomb♥️♥️♥️
Made with the flakey biscuits small can cause there’s just 2 of us.