Best Air Fryer Donuts (Cinnamon Sugar)
Air fryer donuts made with simple ingredients! These donuts are so delicious- fluffy, yeasty and addictive!
Visual learner? Watch me make these air fryer donuts from start to finish!
Ready for some yeasty, fluffy homemade donuts that don’t require any rising time or splattering hot oil?? Keep reading!
I made a commitment to my air fryer this month to start using it more. It’s just been sitting in the pantry, wasting space, and looking sad. I pull it out every now and then to cook frozen nuggets or fries, but that’s about it.
What-had-happened-was, I tried a few recipes when I first got my air fryer, and I seriously was not impressed. I know that I’m one of few because folks are always singing the praises of their air fryer. Hey, I want to join that club too!
This week I pulled ol Bertha from the pantry and made these fantastic cinnamon sugar donuts!! I was so proud of myself because I was honestly expecting another fail. I’d tried air fryer donuts three other times, and they were more like crumbly biscuits. Boo.
But these donuts are heavenly and have got to be the EASIEST and QUICKEST homemade air fryer donuts ever!! Soft, fluffy, and yeasty! It’s like a fried donut procreated with a cake donut. I LOVE this texture so much!
Forget using canned biscuits! These homemade air fryer donuts, with their simple ingredients, taste better! Even my boys can whip up a batch of these on their own.
Tips for the BEST cinnamon sugar Air Fryer Donuts
- Be sure to grease the inside of your air fryer basket. You don’t want these little guys to stick, so a light coating of oil will prevent that. They even have perforated air fryer parchment paper in stores.
- Make a “test” donut or two. Air fryers are so different, and some may require longer or shorter cooking. Do a test donut to see what is the best temperature and cooking time for your air fryer. For me cooking the donuts at 325 F for 4 minutes and then letting them sit in the air fryer for 1-minute is the golden ticket for my air fryer!
- Coat lightly in cinnamon sugar. I always go overboard with it comes to the cinnamon sugar and make a note to go lighter next time. I never listen, but you’ll find these donuts much “neater” to eat if you go a bit easy on the coating. Not unless you don’t mind brushing cinnamon sugar from your shirt with each bite.
Want airy, lighter donuts?
Letting the dough rise for 1- hour will produce a more airy, lighter donut! Give both a try and see which texture you prefer.
Happy Air Fryer Donut Making!!
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Donuts | Cinnamon Sugar
Ingredients
Yeast Mixture
- 1 package instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup warm water, (125-130 degrees)
Donut Dough
- 1¼ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup butter-flavored shortening
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (melted, for dipping)
Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a glass measuring cup, add warm water, sugar and yeast. Stir.
- Let the yeast sit until it proofs and is puffy. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.
- Cut in the shortening until mixture is crumbly.
- Stir in the buttermilk and yeast mixture until a dough forms. (Add a bit more flour if the dough is too wet to handle.
- Flour a work surface and place the dough on the surface.
- Flour your hands and knead dough several times until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Divide dough into 20-25 pieces and roll into small balls. (can also make mini twists or mini donuts)
- Dip balls into butter and then place into the greased air fryer basket.
- Cook on 325 F. for 4 minutes. Let donuts sit in air fryer for an additional 1-2 minutes before removing.
- Remove from air fryer and immediately dip into the butter, letting excess drip off.
- Then coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Repeat until all the balls have been cooked and coated.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
Video
Want more cinnamon-sugar goodness?
Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites
Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins
I think maybe your flour amount is incorrect. 1 1/4 cups flour plus 2 tbsp. was not nearly enough. I found that even after adding flour, mine tasted more like cinnamon biscuits than donuts.
I think they tasted great! I made them with my 7 year old, for the dough, I did replace buttermilk with oat milk and shorting with real butter and sugar with Stevia all for health reasons and it still tasted amazing. For the topping, i used them with pretzel salt on a few for a pretzel taste and the others the sugar cinnamon mixture. I absolutely love your recipes. THANK YOU!