Start your day the right way with air fryer donuts for the whole family! Whip up the 3-ingredient glaze while the donuts cook for homemade pastries ready in just 15 minutes.
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Looking for a sweet way to start the day? Treat the family to these incredible homemade air fryer donuts!
The secret to whipping up easy pastries right in your own kitchen is to start with Pillsbury Grand Rolls.
Shape into donuts, air fry to crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside perfection, dunk in a simple 3-ingredient glaze, and voila. You have homemade donuts ready in just 15 minutes!
And if you love donuts, you will love our Air Fryer Jelly Donuts too!
Here’s what I’m going to teach you in this post:
- How to make delicious 4-ingredient air fryer donuts with biscuit dough
- Fun variations to try with your air fryer donuts
- How to store leftover donuts to enjoy throughout the week
Whether you’re planning a fun breakfast with the family, surprising your house guests with a little sweetness, or simply treating yourself, this air fryer donut recipe is too easy not to try.
As long as you have a can of dough in the refrigerator, you can whip them up any time the craving strikes!
How to Make Air Fryer Donuts
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F.
STEP TWO: Using a small circular cookie cutter about 1-2 inches in diameter, cut a hole into the middle of each biscuit to form a donut.
STEP THREE: Place the donuts and donut holes in the air fryer in a single layer.
STEP FOUR: Cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked thoroughly.
STEP FIVE: Meanwhile, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of milk. Add the extra tablespoon of milk if needed for better consistency.
Carefully remove the donuts from the air fryer and immediately dip them into the glaze. Place on a wire rack to cool for at least 2 minutes, then enjoy!
Can You Make Air Fryer Donuts From Biscuit Dough?
You bet! The refrigerated dough is perfect for these air fryer biscuit donuts to give you that amazing, fluffy texture without needing to make the dough from scratch.
I’ve used both homestyle and flaky Pillsbury Grand Rolls, and both turned out amazing.
And if you have another brand of refrigerated biscuit dough you prefer, you’re more than welcome to use that one!
Tips for Making the Best Air Fryer Glazed Donuts
- Leave a little space between each donut and donut hole in the air fryer so the hot air can properly circulate around each one.
- While whisking the glaze, you can add an extra tablespoon of milk if necessary to achieve the best consistency.
- I recommend dipping each donut and donut hole in the glaze as you’re taking them out of the air fryer, rather than taking them all out and then dipping them. The hotter the pastries, the better the glaze will stick.
Is It Better to Fry or Bake Donuts?
That depends on your definition of “better.” If we’re talking about taste, the deep-frying method is hard to beat.
If we’re talking health-wise, baking instead of frying is a great way to cut back on calories by ditching all that excess oil.
Want the best of both worlds? Air fryer biscuit donuts still get all the tasty benefits of traditional frying, but use way less oil!
So you can lose some of the extra calories without sacrificing texture or flavor. Win-win!
Can You Use Regular Sugar Instead of Confectioner’s Sugar?
I wouldn’t recommend it. Granulated sugar has bigger sugar crystals that won’t melt as smoothly into the glaze, which can give it a gritty texture.
Confectioner’s sugar will give you much better results. If you only have granulated sugar on hand, don’t fret!
Simply pop it in a high-speed blender and pulse until the granules have broken down into a fine powder.
Just be careful to let the mixture settle for a minute before opening the blender or you’ll end up with a cloud of sugar in your kitchen.
Fun Variations For This Air Fryer Donut Recipe
- Instead of a glaze, combine cinnamon and granulated sugar in a small dish. Roll the hot donuts and donut holes in the mixture right out of the air fryer.
- In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips. You can drizzle the chocolate over the glaze or use it in place of the glaze. If you have sprinkles on hand, throw a few on top!
- Heat up some maple syrup to dip the donut holes for a quick and tasty snack.
Can You Store Leftover Donuts?
Absolutely! If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Other Sweet Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love:
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls
- Air Fryer Cookies
- Air Fryer S’Mores
- Air Fryer Apple Crisp
- Air Fryer Churros
- Air Fryer Lava Cakes
- Air Fryer Cake
- 25 Best Air Fryer Desserts
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Air Fryer Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 package Pillsbury Grand Rolls flaky or homestyle
For the Glaze
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees.
- Using a small circular cookie cutter about 1-2 inches in diameter, cut a hole into the middle of the doughnut.
- Place doughnuts and donut holes into air fryer in one single layer and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked thoroughly.
- Meanwhile, put the easy glaze together by whisking the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons milk together. Add the extra tablespoon of milk if needed for better consistency.
- Carefully remove the donuts from the air fryer and immediately dip them into the glaze.
- Place on a wire rack to cool for at least 2 minutes, then enjoy!
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