Air Fryer Donuts {From-Scratch Recipe!} - Plated Cravings (2024)

Air Fryer Donuts made from scratch with yeast dough taste like the real deal. Better than baked and less fat than deep-fried! Learn how easy it is to make the perfect Doughnuts in the Air Fryer!

We love making savory Air Fryer Recipes like our Air Fryer Chicken Wings and Air Fryer Onion Rings but did you know that you can also make great desserts in it like this recipe or our Air Fryer Churros!

Air Fryer Donuts

Homemade Donuts made in the Air Fryer are soft on the outside and have a fluffy, tender interior. Dipped in a buttery donut glaze or in sweet cinnamon-sugar they make a great breakfast or treat and taste like from your favorite Donut place!

Many Air Fryer Donut recipes use canned biscuit dough which is easier but those donuts will taste like biscuits with sugar on top and not like real donuts. So save yourself the disappointment and make them from scratch. They do take a bit of time, but I promise it’s a lot easier than you might think and so worth the end result!

Why This Recipe Works:

The recipe that I’m sharing today is by far the best Air Fryer Donut recipe because they taste like real donuts! They are made with the same dough you would use for deep-fried donuts and my easy step-by-step instructions make it foolproof even if you haven’t made yeast dough before.
The other secret to making these donuts taste and look like the deep-fried storebought version is the glaze. It not only adds sweetness but also keeps the donuts soft.

If you’re looking for more Air Fryer Recipes while you’re here, try out our Air Fryer Chicken Tenders or our reader favorite, Air Fryer Potato Wedges.

How to make Donuts in the Air Fryer

1. Start with making the yeast dough: Activate the yeast by sprinkling it over lukewarm milk, add a little bit of sugar, and gently stir with a fork.
2. Let the mixture sit for about ten minutes. If you look closely you can see the little yeast particles popping. It should be frothy and smell like yeast if nothing happens after 15 minutes your yeast is probably no longer active because it is too old or the milk was too hot.
3. Add the remaining dough ingredients and knead the dough in a stand mixer until it is elastic, smooth, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes.
4. Spray a bowl with non-stick spray and transfer the dough to it, don’t worry if it is a little bit sticky. Gently move the dough around in the bowl so it gets coated with oil. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with oil spray and cover the bowl with it. Put it in a warm, draft-free spot and let it rise until doubled. Test the dough by making an indention with the tip of your finger, if the indentation remains it’s proofed long enough.

How to cut donuts

Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness on a lightly floured work surface. Use a 3-inch and a 1-inch biscuit cutter to cut out the donuts. I have this set of biscuit cutters that comes with lots of different sizes.

How to shape donuts without donut cutter

If you don’t have biscuit cutters you can use a wide drinking glass or wide-mouth canning ring and a shot glass. Just look around in your kitchen and pantry, you probably have something that will work.

How to make donut holes

To make donuts holes just use the dough that you cut out from the middle of the donut.

How to make Donut Glaze

Making a sweet donut glaze that dries into a crackly glaze is really easy and takes these homemade donuts to the next level of deliciousness.

For an authentic donut glaze that dries and gets crackly you need:

• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 Tbsp hot water

This makes more glaze than you actually need but it makes it easier to dip them in the glaze. I’ve learned that the hard way, it’s better to have too much glaze otherwise you will have trouble coating them.

Here are some other Donut Glaze Recipes and Toppings:

Maple Glaze: Stir together 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 5 tablespoons maple syrup.
Maple Bacon Topping: Use maple glaze on top and sprinkle with crispy bacon bits.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating: Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Spray donuts with oil spray before dipping them in the mixture.
Chocolate Glaze from Alton Brown
Sprinkles Topping: Top with sprinkles right after dipping in glaze.

How long are Air Fryer Donuts good for?

Serving: Donuts taste best fresh. Let them dry for 10 minutes after dipping them in the glaze so it sets. Because they are made with less oil than deep-fried Donuts Air Fryer Donuts dry out a bit faster.

Storing: You might wonder how to keep donuts fresh! The best way is to place them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature, they will keep for 1-2 days. Some people put their donuts in the microwave for 5 seconds to soften them but I haven’t tried that.
Don’t put glazed Donuts in the fridge because it makes the glaze melt and absorb into the donut which results in a sticky mess

Freezing: These donuts taste best fresh but you can freeze them unglazed. Reheat them in the Air Fryer and glaze thems immediately once out of the oven.

Which Air Fryer should I buy?

Air Fryers I tested and recommend:

Air Fryer & Grill Combo:I recently bought this Air Fryer and love it! The basket is big (10″x10″) and it has a lot more functions than a normal Air Fryer so it can replace other small appliances. It can grill (510 degrees F), air fry, bake, broil, and dehydrate.
Air Fryer:This is the other Air Fryer I own. I really like it and but it is quite small so I would only recommend it for smaller families.