Creating perfect, golden-brown donuts at home just got easier with this air fryer method. These irresistible treats deliver all the sweetness and satisfaction of traditional deep-fried donuts, but with a healthier twist. Ready in less than 30 minutes, these homemade delights feature a fluffy interior and perfectly crisp exterior that will make your kitchen smell like a premium bakery. Whether you’re hosting a weekend brunch or treating yourself to a special breakfast, these air fryer donuts promise bakery-quality results without the mess of deep frying.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Vegan Butter: ½ cup, melted – perfect for that golden coating
- Sugar & Cinnamon Mix: 1 cup sugar + 2 tbsp cinnamon – creates a delightful sweet coating
- Gluten-Free Flour: 1⅓ cup – main structure for our donuts
- Crispy GF Cereal: 1 cup – adds wonderful texture
- Sugar: 2 tbsp – for the dough
- Baking Powder: 1 tbsp – helps achieve perfect rise
- Salt: ½ tsp – balances the sweetness
- Vegetable Shortening: ¼ cup – creates tender texture
- Non-Dairy Milk: ½ cup – binds everything together
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep Coating: Melt vegan butter in a small pan and transfer to a bowl. Mix cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Combine flour, cereal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Work in shortening until mixture becomes crumbly, then stir in non-dairy milk.
- Shape: Form mixture into 1-inch balls with gentle hands.
- Air Fry: Place donut holes in air fryer basket, cook at 380°F for 6 minutes. Give them a little shake halfway through!
- Coat: While still warm, dip each donut in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Serve: Enjoy these delightful treats while they’re still warm and fresh!
Cooking Tips for Perfect Air Fryer Donuts
Hey there! Air frying these donut holes is super simple, but here’s a friendly tip: don’t overcrowd your air fryer basket. Leave some space between each donut hole so the hot air can flow freely around them. This helps them get that lovely golden-brown color all over. If your air fryer basket is small, just cook them in batches – it’s worth the extra few minutes!
Easy Substitutions
No worries if you need to switch things up! You can use regular butter and milk if you don’t need the recipe to be vegan. For the crispy cereal, any rice-based cereal works great – just make sure it’s plain and not sweetened. If you’re not following a gluten-free diet, regular all-purpose flour works perfectly too. Want less sugar? Cut the coating mixture in half – the donuts will still taste amazing!
Serving Ideas
These warm, cinnamon-sugar coated donut holes are pure joy right out of the air fryer! Try serving them with hot chocolate or coffee for breakfast, or pack them in lunch boxes for a sweet treat. Want to make them extra special? Set up a little dipping station with chocolate sauce, caramel, or vanilla glaze. Kids love helping roll them in the cinnamon sugar!
Storage Tips
These donut holes taste best fresh and warm, but you can store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. To refresh them, just pop them in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes at 350°F. The cinnamon-sugar coating might get a bit less crispy over time, but you can always give them a fresh roll in the coating mix before serving again!
Air Fryer Donuts
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Stand Mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie Cutters
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole milk warmed to 100-110F
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Add the warm milk, granulated sugar, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes, or until the yeast is foamy and fragrant.
- Next add the melted butter, egg, and vanilla. Whisk again to combine.
- Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and set the speed to low (Kitchenaid #2). Slowly add the flour and salt. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Continue mixing until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and begins to form a ball. If the dough is too wet (sticking to the sides of the bowl) add more flour one tablespoon at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Knead the dough (on low speed for 5 minutes if using a stand mixer) until the dough is smooth and just barely sticks to your hands. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and then place it in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size– about 1 hour.
- Punch the dough down slightly and then transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough until it is ½” thick. Cut out large round circles (3″) and then use a smaller (1″) round cookie cutter to cut out the center of the donuts.
- Place the donuts and donut holes on a parchment lined baking sheet and allow them to rise for an additional 30 minutes, or until they have increased in size by about 50%. Preheat your air fryer to 350ºF/176ºC for 5 minutes.
- Lightly grease your air fryer with nonstick baking spray and add a few donuts (or donut holes) to the basket. Make sure not to overcrowd the air fryer! Spray the tops of the donuts with nonstick baking spray. Cook for 5 minutes, or until light brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Continue cooking in batches. Garnish with your favorite glaze and enjoy!
