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5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Donuts

These Air Fryer Donuts are a delectable sweet treat that taste like the real deal. No deep frying needed!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Resting Time:1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 280kcal
Author: Catherine McCord

Equipment

Ingredients

For the donuts:

  • 1 cup whole milk, lukewarm (about 100 degrees)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast (see note)
  • 1/4 cup, plus 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 cups all purpose flour

For the glaze:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon natural food color, if desired
  • 1/4 cup assorted colored sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

  • Stir together the lukewarm milk, 1 tsp of sugar, and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  Allow the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes or until foamy. If the mixture doesn't bubble, the yeast is too hot or cold and you will need so start over.
  • Add 1/4 cup sugar, salt, egg, melted butter and 2 cups of flour to the milk mixture. Turn the mixer on low speed and add the remaining cup of flour slowly, until the dough is no longer sticky. Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. 
  • Place the dough into a greased bowl (you can use oil or more melted butter) and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour). The dough is ready when you press it with your finger and it leaves an indentation. 
  • Place the dough out onto a floured surface, press it down and roll out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round donut cookie cutter, stamp out donuts. Alternatively you can use a large glass and a shot glass to cut out 1 inch holes from the middle of the donut. 
  • Transfer donuts and holes to parchment paper and cover loosely with greased plastic wrap. Let donuts rise until doubled in volume, about 20-30 minutes. Spray donuts with cooking oil spray. 
  • Turn air fryer to 350 degrees. Transfer donuts to air fryer basket making sure that donuts are 1 inch apart. Spray donuts with oil spray and cook at 350 degrees until golden, about 4-5 minutes. Repeat with remaining donuts and holes.
  • While the donuts are in the Air Fryer, stir milk 1 tablespoon at a time into powdered sugar until smooth. Add food coloring as desired for desired color. Set aside.
  • Dip hot donuts and donut holes in the glaze using to forks to submerge them. Place on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to allow excess glaze to drip off. Let sit until glaze hardens, about 10 minutes.

Notes

Active Dry Yeast vs Instant Yeast: Active dry yeast and instant yeast can generally be used interchangeably, one-for-one (although active dry yeast may be slower to rise). So if a recipe calls for instant yeast and you use active dry yeast instead, you may want to consider adding an extra 10 to 15 minutes for the rise time. If a recipe calls for active dry and instant is used, reduce the rise time by 10 to 15 minutes. Other than that the recipe can stay exactly the same and there is no need to make any changes.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 0.002mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg