You won’t believe how easy it is to make donuts from scratch in an air fryer! This Air Fryer Donuts recipe tastes just like the real deal without having to deep fry your dough!
CourseBreakfast, Dessert
Equipment
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Stand mixer (optional)
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Mixing Bowls
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Donut cutter or cookie cutters
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Air fryer
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Baking Sheet
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Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Donuts:
- 1 cup warm whole milk (105 to 110F)(240mL)
- 1 (0.25-ounce/7g) packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- ¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar divided (62g)
- 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter (85g)
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting (360g)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- coconut or olive oil cooking spray
For the Glaze:
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (120g)
- ½ cup whole milk (120mL)
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare the Donuts:
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In a small bowl, whisk together the warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let the mixture stand until very bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, and remaining ¼ cup sugar until smooth. Stir in yeast mixture until combined. Add the flour and salt. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Increase speed to medium-low, and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (The dough will be slightly sticky.)
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Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
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Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with flour.
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Punch down the risen dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a ½-inch-thick rectangle. Using a donut cutter, cut out 12 donuts and 12 donut holes, re-rolling scraps as necessary. You can also use a 3-inch and 1-inch round cookie cutter to cut out the donuts. Place donuts and holes on the prepared baking sheet. Loosely cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place, until doubled in size, about 15 to 20 minutes.
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Preheat the air fryer to 350°F for 10 minutes. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
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Working in batches, carefully place donuts in an even layer in the air fryer basket, about 1-inch apart. Lightly spray the tops with oil.
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Cook for 6 minutes for donut holes and 8 minutes for big donuts or until golden brown. (I recommend frying the big donuts and donut holes separately since the cook times are slightly different.)
