Super Easy Air Fryer Donuts Recipe

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These super easy to make donut holes are the perfect thing to pair with a sweet dip. In just 10 minutes you can have fresh, delicious donuts ready to enjoy, and it only takes 4 ingredients too. Shake them in some sugar and cinnamon and eat them hot for the best results.

easy air fryer donut holes being served in a bowl

Now let’s get right to the good stuff…

how to make easy air fryer donuts

INGREDIENTS:

Gather your ingredients and get ready to make this amazing dipper, amazing paired with so many of our sweet dips. This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • 1 can Pilsbury Grand biscuits
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp melted butter
  • Cooking spray

ingredient information:

  • Pilsbury Grand biscuits:
  • Melted butter: We used whatever butter we had in the fridge, which happened to be Kerigold salted butter. It was melted by placing it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
  • Granulated sugar: We used standard white sugar for this recipe. You can also opt for a sugar replacement that is granulated or brown sugar, but white sugar is highly recommended.
  • Cinnamon: This spice adds just a bit of savory flavor to balance out the sweetness of the sugar. You can swap it out for pumpkin seasoning or nutmeg if you prefer.

instructions:

Stick around to the end, and I’ll tell you how to customize these donut holes to your liking.

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees.
  2. Cut each biscuit in quarters and roll into balls.
  3. Spray the air fryer tray with cooking spray and place the dough balls in the tray, leaving space between each.
  4. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes until golden brown.
  5. Place the sugar and cinnamon into a paper lunch bag.
  6. When the donut holes are done baking, brush them with the melted butter and place them in the paper bag with the sugar mixture.
  7. Shake the bag to cover each of the donut holes.
  8. Remove from the bag and place in an air-tight storage container or serving dish if eating immediately (which you should because they’re best warm).
easy air fryer donuts being served in a bowl
  • cutting the biscuit dough to make donuts
  • rolling the biscuit dough pieces into balls for donuts
  • placing the balls of biscuit dough onto a tray to place in the air fryer
  • brushing each of the baked dough balls with melted butter
  • adding sugar to a paper lunch bag
  • adding cinnamon to a paper lunch bag
  • adding baked dough balls that have been brushed with melted butter to a paper lunch bag filled with sugar and cinnamon to coat the donuts
  • shaking the paper bag filled with donuts, sugar and cinnamon
  • taking the donuts now covered with cinnamon and sugar out of the paper lunch bag
  • easy air fryer donuts being served in a bowl and a donut hole being broken in half

my recipe tips

  • Other sweet flavors: Sugar and cinnamon is a classic flavor profile, but you can flavor these with other sweet ingredients also. First, just leave out the cinnamon and go with just granulated sugar. You can also swap it out for some powdered sugar. Give your donuts a special McCormick finishing sugar like this SALTED CARAMEL SUGAR, this ENGLISH TOFFEE SUGAR or this APPLE CIDER SUGAR.
  • Glaze it: Instead of shaking these in a sugar mix, create a simple glaze with this recipe from The First Year.
  • Make it savory: These little balls of dough can be transformed into a savory treat too. Once buttered, season them with some garlic bread seasoning like this one. Or try some unique flavors like salt & vinegar, Ranch, Mediterranean blend, cheese dust, garlic parmesan or BBQ powder. Use the same paper bag technique to apply the seasonings.
  • Batch it: To give the donuts plenty of room to expand, I left space between the dough balls. That meant that I ended up baking the donuts in 3 small batches in the air fryer.

recipe video

🍽️ serving ideas

These little sweet treats pair perfectly with so many of our delicious dips. Some of favorites for pairing include the key lime pie dip, the cannoli dip, the chocolate brownie bites dip or the waffle cone dip. Honestly, they go with anything sweet and are a great alternative to cookies or graham crackers for the ultimate party presentation.

choosing an air fryer

First off, if you don’t have an air fryer, I highly recommend one. You can make these donuts without one by simply following the cooking instructions on the biscuit container for time and temperature.

We love our air fryer that has trays and 2 tiers for cooking (though to be honest we only ever use one tier for best cooking results). It opens like an oven in the front and has several settings for various types of cooking. We literally use it every day for something. You can grab one like we have on Amazon HERE or HERE. Or try a basket type air fryer. These are especially great for quickly preparing veggies, fries and chicken nuggets. Grab this one that we love on Amazon HERE or HERE.

easy air fryer donut holes being served in a bowl

recipe notes

  • Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the best results for this super yummy dipper.
  • Storage: Keep leftovers (if you even have any) covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing.
  • Recipe prep: You can prepare these little donut holes ahead of time, but for best results, serve warm.
  • Reheating: You can warm these up in the air fryer for 1 to 2 minutes or in the oven for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Skip the microwave to avoid a change in texture.

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