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Oh, you want an easy air fryer hack? I have the EASIEST air fryer hack! Get ready for some delicious air fryer donuts in just 5 minutes. Top with cinnamon and sugar for a sweet treat!
Baking in the Air Fryer!
Today’s addition to our growing collection of air fryer recipes is the perfect choice when you want a sweet treat but don’t have a lot of time. (Or don’t have the desire to pull out a ton of ingredients and then deal with the inevitable cleanup!) These super easy air fryer donuts are actually an awesome air fryer hack. You will make “donuts” using flaky biscuit dough!!
I have to admit – I did NOT have super high expectations for these. I figured they would taste like, well, a BISCUIT. But the addition of some butter, cinnamon and sugar took the taste from dinner roll to sweet confection. And of course, the ultimate taste test was when I let my kids try them. THEY LOVED THEM! They each scarfed down 2 air fryer donuts in minutes flat and have begging me to make more ever since!
If you scroll down, you will find the printable recipe card.
Easy Air Fryer Donuts
Once you make these air fryer donuts once, you will likely want to make them again. And again and again. We rolled our first batch in cinnamon and sugar and it was the perfect combination. Once we made those, we knew that the possibilities for toppings were endless. We will try a different topping next time – perhaps powered sugar, frosting, sprinkles, or some combination of those.
The trick to getting a donut shape is to use a round cookie or biscuit cutter. We used one that was approximately 1.25″ in diameter.
I grabbed a tub of flaky biscuit dough – you know, the kind that POPS and gives you a heart attack when you break the pressure seal!
We used the Walmart brand of biscuits. You can use any brand you prefer.
When you cut the holes in the biscuit dough, make sure you hang on to the small circle dough pieces. You can make “donut holes” out of them when you finish the donuts!
Make sure you spray your air fryer with olive oil cooking spray (I have heard of coconut oil working well for this too). The spray will grease the air fryer and prevent your donuts from sticking.
I arranged my dough in the air fryer so that the donuts were close but not touching each other.
While your donuts are cooking, use that time to melt some butter in a small dish and prepare the cinnamon and sugar. That way you will be ready to dip and top your piping hot donuts!
I found that a basting brush worked great for buttering the biscuits. I buttered the top, sides and bottom of each biscuit and then rolled it in the cinnamon sugar topping.
The result was absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS!
I recommend enjoying these air fryer donuts while they are still warm. If that’s not an option, you can certainly serve them cooled and they still taste great.
How to Make Donuts in the Air Fryer
Air Fryer Donuts (Cinnamon Sugar Topping)
Equipment
- Air fryer
- round 1.25" biscuit cutter
Ingredients
- 1 package large flaky biscuits
- 3 tbsp butter melted
- cinnamon for topping
- sugar for topping
Instructions
- Use the circle cutter to cut a hole in the center of each biscuit.
- Spray air fryer basket with olive oil cooking spray.
- Arrange biscuits in a single layer in the air fryer so that they are close but not touching.
- Cook the biscuits at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. They should be fluffed up and brown on top!
- Brush each donut with melted butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar.
- Enjoy while hot!
Check out our Heart Shaped Air Fryer Donuts topped with Nutella!
And then try these air fryer s’mores!! SO GOOD!!
More easy air fryer recipes!
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How to Cook Frozen Pierogies in Air Fryer
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PIN Easy Air Fryer Donuts to Pinterest!
They cooked great but I had to make confection sugar mix to hold the cinnamon and sugar. I sprayed wax paper with buttery spray. Cut centers (you don’t have to to make twists) turned over on paper to coat other side of biscuits.