Fluffy Air Fryer Donut Bites

Craving warm, delicious donuts but don’t want the mess and calories of deep frying? Look no further! These incredibly easy air fryer donut balls are your perfect solution. Whether you choose the super-quick method using refrigerated cinnamon rolls or biscuits, or opt for a delightful homemade dough, you’ll achieve perfectly soft interiors and wonderfully crispy exteriors. Get ready to make these irresistible treats in your Ninja Foodi or any air fryer tonight!

We’re thrilled to share one of the best air fryer donut recipes you’ll ever encounter. These delicious bites vanish almost as quickly as they’re made in our kitchen! If you’re yearning for a comforting treat that’s both simple and satisfying, this easy air fryer recipe is an absolute game-changer. It’s perfect for a quick snack, a fun breakfast, or a delightful dessert, offering a fantastic alternative to traditional deep-fried donuts.

Effortless Air Fryer Donut Balls: Your Quick Treat Solution

While we love a good homemade challenge, sometimes speed and simplicity are key. That’s where our shortcuts for air fryer donut balls truly shine. Forget about dealing with yeast or lengthy proofing times; these recipes leverage convenience ingredients to bring you warm, fresh donuts in minutes. These innovative approaches to making donuts are perfect for busy weeknights or impromptu gatherings when a sweet craving strikes.

Cinnamon Roll Air Fryer Donuts: A Sweet Shortcut

Our top pick for ultimate ease involves using refrigerated cinnamon rolls. This method is incredibly straightforward and yields wonderfully sweet donut balls with minimal effort. Simply open a can, make a few cuts, roll the dough, and you’re ready to air fry! The pre-made dough means less prep and more time enjoying your delicious creation. These cinnamon roll donut balls transform a breakfast staple into an irresistible dessert or snack.

Another fantastic option with the same concept is to use refrigerated biscuit dough. While biscuit dough provides a less sweet base, it can be easily customized with extra sugar and glazes. For those who prefer to start with a slightly more substantial dough, thawed frozen bread dough (like Rhodes rolls) also works beautifully. Just defrost them as usual, then proceed with the rolling and frying steps. This versatility allows you to adapt the recipe to whatever you have on hand, ensuring you can always whip up a batch of these delectable treats.

Creating Perfect Donut Holes in Your Air Fryer

Let’s dive into the specifics of making these quick-and-easy donut holes in the air fryer. It’s truly amazing how many delicious treats you can create with refrigerated cinnamon rolls! Our journey into these air-fried delights began with exploring air fryer sticky buns and semi-homemade sticky rolls. They were such a hit that we kept experimenting, eventually leading to the creation of these fantastic air-fried donut balls.

If you’re new to baking or frying in an air fryer, you’re in for a revelation. The beauty of air frying is that you need minimal to no oil to achieve incredibly crispy results. While a light spray of cooking oil on top can enhance crispiness, you never need to submerge anything in oil, significantly reducing fat and calories compared to traditional deep-frying methods. This makes air-fried donuts a much healthier indulgence without sacrificing taste or texture.

For those who prefer baking everything from scratch and have a go-to dough recipe, absolutely use it! The cooking times provided in our recipe card below are tailored for these convenient methods, but can be easily adjusted for homemade dough. After air frying, sprinkle your donut holes with a generous coating of cinnamon sugar, or use the pre-packaged glaze found in the Pillsbury cinnamon roll container for an extra touch of sweetness. The possibilities for customization are endless!

Air Fryer Donuts from Grands Biscuits: A Savory-Sweet Base

As mentioned, you can also create full-sized donuts or donut holes using refrigerated biscuit dough, such as Grands biscuits. If you’re aiming for full circles, you would bake them slightly longer. This allows you to enjoy both styles of donuts from a single package of dough. Unlike Instant Pot donuts, the air fryer truly delivers that ideal “fried” texture you crave, but with significantly fewer calories and less fat. It’s a guilt-free way to enjoy a classic treat!

Simple Ingredients for Air Fryer Donut Balls

You’ll be amazed at how few ingredients are needed for these delightful treats:

1. Refrigerated cinnamon rolls (our preferred quick method) or refrigerated biscuits (a less sweet alternative).
2. Melted butter (or a dairy-free substitute).
3. A mixture of cinnamon and sugar for coating.
4. A plastic baggie (a plate or shallow bowl can also work) for easy coating.

Elevate Your Air Fryer Donuts with Delicious Glazes

While cinnamon sugar is classic, don’t hesitate to get creative with glazes:

• Melt the frosting that comes with the cinnamon roll container for a quick and easy glaze.
• Whisk powdered sugar with a splash of milk or water to create a simple vanilla glaze. A pinch of cocoa powder can transform it into a chocolate version.
• Drizzle a rich chocolate glaze over the top for an extra decadent touch.
• For a homemade chocolate drizzle, melt chocolate chips in the microwave with a tiny bit of coconut oil until smooth. Here’s a guide on how to melt chocolate chips in the microwave perfectly.

We find it helpful to set up an assembly line on a flat surface while the air fryer preheats to 390 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes the process incredibly efficient and fun for the whole family – kids especially love helping with the coating step!

Can You Make Donuts from Scratch in an Air Fryer?

Absolutely, you can make donuts from scratch in an air fryer! The process begins with preparing your homemade dough, whether it’s a simple no-yeast recipe or a traditional yeast-based one. Once your dough is ready, you’ll follow similar air frying directions. The cook time for homemade donuts will depend on the thickness of your dough pieces. To start, if you’re using refrigerated cinnamon rolls, remember to set aside the vanilla icing cup that comes with the package – you’ll use it later!

• In a small bowl, gently melt your butter.
• Combine cinnamon and sugar in another small dish or, for easy coating, use a pint-sized freezer bag.
  • A good approximate ratio is 1/3 cinnamon to 2/3 sugar, but feel free to adjust to your taste. We often eyeball it until the color looks just right!

For our quick method, we’re transforming cinnamon rolls into donut balls, so there’s no need for a lightly floured surface or any yeast involved – making it a truly simple and accessible treat.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Air Fryer Donut Holes

• Begin by cutting each cinnamon roll in half. Then, roll each half into a small, tight ball between your hands.
  • Alternatively, a biscuit cutter or pizza cutter can be used to divide larger dough pieces for more uniform shapes.
• Now, it’s time to coat and cook!
• Dip each rolled dough ball into the melted butter, ensuring it’s fully coated. Next, transfer it to your cinnamon sugar mixture (preferably in a baggie for thorough coating) and shake well.
• Place the coated donut balls into your preheated air fryer basket, making sure to leave some space between each one.
  • Remember, they will expand slightly as they cook, so adequate spacing prevents them from sticking together and ensures even crispiness.
• Cook for approximately 6 minutes, flipping them halfway through the cooking process.
• For an extra layer of sweetness and crunch, put the freshly cooked donut balls into a clean baggie with a bit more cinnamon sugar mixture and toss again until thoroughly coated.

Drizzle with frosting (from the cinnamon roll package or your preferred glaze) and enjoy these warm, delightful treats immediately!

Achieving Perfection: How to Bake Donuts in an Air Fryer

Pro Tip: Always lightly grease your air fryer basket at the start of each batch to prevent sticking. Once cooked, transferring the donuts to a cooling rack can help maintain their crispy exterior, though they might not last long enough to cool!

For best results, we recommend cooking the halved cinnamon roll pieces in batches. Typically, half a package of cinnamon rolls (about 8 pieces) fits comfortably in an air fryer basket without overcrowding. This usually means two batches per package, ensuring each donut ball cooks properly and perfectly. The total cook time is generally between 5-6 minutes, adjustable based on how crispy you prefer your outsides.

• While you can certainly enjoy them straight out of the basket, we find that a second toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture, or a generous drizzle of glaze, adds that irresistible extra layer of sweetness that makes these air fryer doughnuts truly special.

Through various experiments, we’ve found that cutting the cinnamon rolls in half is crucial. If you roll the entire piece into a ball, they tend to expand too much, losing their desirable “donut hole” shape. More importantly, the outsides can become overly done before the centers have a chance to cook through. Slicing them in half ensures even cooking and that perfect soft-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside texture.

Transforming Cinnamon Rolls into Air Fryer Donuts

Yes, absolutely! As we’ve detailed, using refrigerated cinnamon rolls is one of the quickest and most delicious ways to make air fryer donut balls. When they emerge from the air fryer, they have a charming, slightly imperfect shape, much like the “donut holes” often overlooked from traditional donut-making. Yet, these are just as flavorful and, arguably, even more fun to eat because they’re the perfect bite-sized pop-in-your-mouth treat!

Of course, these little delights always benefit from a bit of extra sweetness on top, which is where the cinnamon rolls truly come in handy. Each package typically includes a small container of frosting. A quick 15-second zap in the microwave will melt it into a smooth, pourable glaze. Don’t limit yourself to the included frosting; feel free to experiment with other frosting flavors from a tub to create your signature treat.

Served alongside our popular donut muffins, these air fryer donut balls will make your brunch or dessert spread an undeniable hit. Here are answers to some common questions you might have before you start cooking.

Detailed Steps: How to Make Homemade Donuts in an Air Fryer

To begin your homemade donut journey (whether you’re making biscuit donuts or traditional yeast donuts):

For homemade yeast dough: Warm the milk in a microwave for about 60 seconds until it reaches approximately 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Transfer the warmed milk to a stand mixer. Stir in the active dry yeast until it dissolves completely, then let it rest for about 5 minutes until foamy. With the paddle attachment, beat in the eggs, melted butter, sugar, and salt, followed by 4 cups of flour. Switch to a dough hook attachment and knead at medium speed, gradually adding the remaining 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of flour until the dough is no longer sticky and forms a smooth ball.

1. Lightly grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it once to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place it in a warm, draft-free area for about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
2. Once risen, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently punch it down to release the air. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to approximately ½ inch thickness.
3. Using round cookie cutters (one large for the donut and a smaller one for the hole, if desired), cut the dough into circles. Place the cut donuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet, ensuring they are at least 1 inch apart. Knead any scrap pieces of dough together and continue cutting donuts until all the dough is used.
4. Cover the cut doughnuts and let them rest in a warm, draft-free spot for another hour, or until they have doubled in size again (this is the second proof).
5. Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray.
6. Carefully place the doughnuts in the air fryer basket in a single layer, ensuring they do not overlap. Spritz the tops of the doughnuts lightly with oil spray.
7. Air fry on each side for about 3 to 6 minutes, or until they are beautifully golden brown and cooked through.

This versatile air fryer can also be used to cook other traditionally deep-fried treats like homemade churros, offering a healthier twist.

Once your homemade air fryer donuts are cooked, you can take them to the next level. Use a piping tip and bag to insert delicious fillings like ganache or fruit curd for decadent lemon-filled donuts. For a classic finish, create your own glaze or simply pour on melted frosting. Don’t forget the sprinkles or any other toppings you love for a truly personalized touch. Enjoy your homemade masterpiece!

If you’re looking for even quicker options, remember you can always use regular refrigerated biscuit dough in your air fryer for delicious biscuit donuts. We have specific directions for those too, and they are incredibly simple to make.

We’ve also created something similar using our Instant Pot, which we call pressure cooker churros, and they consistently receive rave reviews.