This air fryer donuts recipe might just be the easiest recipe you ever make with your air fryer! This recipe utilizes refrigerated biscuit dough to create delicious sugar and cinnamon air fryer donuts in just a few minutes.
This recipe is a favorite for my children. About once a month they say, “can we fix air fryer donuts today?” Because they are so easy, I almost always say yes! They are even easy enough for my kids to help!
You probably won’t find an easier or faster recipe for air fryer donuts, no matter how hard you look! Plus, your family will be super impressed with your skills. (Just don’t tell them how easy these actually are to make!)
You can even get fancy and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter for the middle of the donuts if you’d like, just like the ones below!
Your Air Fryer Can Make an Amazing Donut Dessert In Minutes
Even though I’m fairly new to the air fryer life, I’m already a huge fan. If for no other reason than saving me $20+ every time we go to the movies. — NOT that I actually take these donuts with us.
I no longer have to purchase the over-priced ones at the theater anymore! I just have them at home before we go. And the kids are also completely satisfied with this compromise as well because they are such a treat.
Cooking with an Air Fryer
When I first got my air fryer I must admit, I was a bit intimidated. It seemed like a complicated kitchen gadget. Then I made my first air fryer baked potato and I was hooked!
Trust me, they are very easy to use and your food will turn out great! Whether you’re making a whole chicken in the air fryer or a yummy side dish of air fryer onion rings, you’re going to love your air fryer!
One thing you should always try to do for the best results is to preheat your air fryer. It’s simple to do that, simply turn on your air fryer and run it at the desired temperature for about 5 minutes before you place the food inside of it. This helps your food to cook better.
As someone who has used an air fryer for a few years now, if you are unable to preheat the air fryer, it will be okay. I don’t always do it. Just remember that you will always get the best results when you do.
You’ll also want to be sure that you’re cleaning your air fryer regularly. Reference the booklet that likely came with your air fryer to see how to clean your particular air fryer or check out my helpful cleaning an air fryer post for tips on how I keep mine clean.
An Awesome 4-Minute Cinnamon & Sugar Air Fryer Donut Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Can Large Pillsbury Biscuits
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon Cinnamon
- 5 Tablespoons Butter
Directions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
- Open the can of biscuits and cut the center out of each one. (I use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter as my donut cutter is too small.)
- Place the larger, outside portion in your air fryer.
- Run for 4-5 minutes at 330 degrees. It’s important to note that some air fryers cook faster and hotter than others. After making this recipe in 3 different air fryers, I’ve learned it can take anywhere from 4-7 minutes to fully cook the doughnuts. My first air fryer cooked them much faster than my newest air fryer. The first time you make the recipe, you’ll need to be sure to check to make sure they are fully cooked in the middle.
- As the doughnuts are cooking, melt the butter.
- Using a silicone pastry brush, coat the doughnuts with melted butter. Then lay in the bowl of cinnamon-sugar mixture and use a spoon to coat the top too.
- Gently shake off excess cinnamon sugar.
- Serve doughnuts hot.
- ***When you air fry the “holes”, set your timer for just 2 minutes and top those with the butter and cinnamon/sugar too.
Truly, you could almost call this air fryer donut recipe effortless. It is THAT easy!
It seriously can’t get much easier than that! Let me know what you think when you give these a try! I’ve gotten rave reviews from everyone I’ve served these air fryer donuts to so far.
Optional Donut Toppings
If you’d like to branch out from the cinnamon sugar coating, there are other great options to try.
Chocolate Drizzle
Once cooked, drizzle with a chocolate glaze. To make your own chocolate glaze at home, you’ll only need the following 4 ingredients:
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoonvanilla extract
Melt the ingredients together over low heat, stirring often. Add extra corn syrup if needed to make a smoother, shinier glaze. This recipe will yield about a 1/2 cup of glaze. Dip donut or spread with a knife to coat the top.
***Special note: For a reliably shiny finish, choose chocolate whose main ingredient isn’t sugar.
Frost
For a simple twist, grab a can of pre-made frosting from the grocery store and spread a thin layer over the top. So quick and simple!
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 1/4 cups powder sugar, sifted to remove any lumps
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- milk or water (typically 1-2 tablespoons)
- Stir the ingredients together, adding extra liquid or confectioners’ sugar to adjust the consistency as needed. Yield: about 1/2 cup glaze.
- 1/2 teaspoonvanilla extract
Stir the ingredients together, adding extra liquid or powder sugar to adjust the consistency as needed. This recipe will yield about 1/2 cup glaze. Just dip the air fryer donut tops in to coat with a layer of glaze or spread with a knife.
5-Minute Air Fryer Donut Recipe (With Cinnamon and Sugar Topping)
Yield: 8 Donuts (plus 8 bonus donut holes!)
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 9 minutes
An easy and delicious 5-minute air fryer doughnut recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 Can Large Pillsbury Biscuits
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon Cinnamon
- 5 Tablespoons Butter
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 330 degrees. To do this, simply turn your air fryer on at 330 degrees and let it run for about 3-5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
- Open the can of biscuits and cut the center out of each one. (I use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter as my donuts cutter is too small.)
- Place the larger, outside portion in your air fryer.
- Run for 4-7 minutes at 330 degrees. You may need to adjust this slightly depending on your particular air fryer model. After making this recipe in 3 different air fryers, I've learned it can take anywhere from 4-7 minutes to fully cook the donuts. The first time you make the recipe, you'll need to be sure to check to make sure they are fully cooked in the middle.
- As the donuts are cooking, melt the butter. You can use the microwave or stovetop.
- Using a silicone pastry brush, coat the donuts with melted butter. Then lay in the bowl of cinnamon-sugar mixture and use a spoon to coat the top too.
- Gently shake off excess cinnamon sugar.
- Serve the donuts hot. They are best that way, although you can still enjoy them cool later.
- ***When you air fry the “holes”, set your timer for just 2-4 minutes and top those with the butter and cinnamon/sugar too.
Notes
Every air fryer cooks differently, therefore some will cook these donuts faster or slower than other machines. You may need to adjust the cooking time for your particular machine. If they aren't cooked through after 4 minutes, put them back in the air fryer and cook longer. You definitely don't want to undercook them.
It's always a good idea to preheat your air fryer too. To do that, simply run the air fryer at the desired temperature for a few minutes before you're ready to put food into it.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8Serving Size: 1 doughtnut
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 135Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 128mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is only an estimate and may not always be accurate.
Did you make this recipe?
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This is one of our favorite air fryer recipes. With all of the different ways you can fix these air fryer donuts, you’ll make them over and over and over again!Which way is your favorite?
