Air Fryer Doughnuts – Low Fat Recipe
Air Fryer Doughnuts are a fun, easy, healthier way to enjoy everyone’s favorite breakfast treat. They only take about 5 minutes to cook in the air fryer.
🍽️ Recipe Name: Air Fryer Doughnuts
⏰ Ready In: 1 hour 50 minutes
⏳ Prep Time: 10 minutes
🔥 Cook Time: 4 minutes
👥 Serves: 8 doughnuts
🥕Main Ingredients: Flour, yeast, sugar, warm milk, butter, egg, salt
🍳 Special Equipment: Air fryer, stand mixer (or mixing bowl), rolling pin, dough cutters, thermometer.
⭐ Why You’ll Love It: Soft, fluffy doughnuts made at home with less oil, quick air fryer cook time, and easy glaze or frosting options for a bakery-style treat.
👇 Full measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.
Want to make your Valentine something special for Valentine’s Day that will not ruin all the work in January, trying to lose that extra holiday baggage? Here we are to the rescue. These Air Fryer Doughnuts are so good.
The Doughnuts turn out a bit less sweet and a lot less greasy than Dunkin’ Donuts’ versions of doughnuts, but super tasty, nonetheless!
Why Does This Recipe Work?
- This recipe is made with traditional doughnut dough, so the texture and flavor are so similar to traditional doughnuts that you will be amazed. You can use canned biscuit dough, but it doesn’t compare to the homemade version.
- You can make the family a special treat without all the fat and calories of a fried doughnut and with that same fried texture rather than baked.
- They have slightly less sugar, so they are better for you.
- They are not fried in oil, so they are healthier.
- The glaze or frosting adds just the right amount of sweetness.
- They are fast and easy. They only take about 1.5 hours from start to finish, including rising time. Only about 20 minutes of active time!
- They are soft on the outside, fluffy, and tender on the inside, just like a fried donut!
We’ve done several batches of these delicious Air Fryer Donuts, which turn out delicious every time.
Believe it or not, the general consensus was that everyone who has tried them prefers the plain to the chocolate flavor, even the chocoholics.
Optional Toppings for These Donuts
- Powdered sugar glaze, plain or topped with
- Toasted coconut
- Chopped peanuts
- Buttercream frosting, with any sprinkles or decorating sugars you like
- Chocolate frosting
- Cinnamon sugar
- Orange or lemon zest added to glaze or frosting
- Powdered sugar
The recipe for the chocolate doughnuts is identical; just add cocoa powder if you would like chocolate doughnuts!
Optional Flavorings for Donuts
- Chocolate powder
- Chocolate chips
- Teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cinnamon sugar mixture
- Chopped and drained fresh or frozen blueberries, well-drained.
- Chopped apples and cinnamon
- Lemon or orange zest
- Maple syrup or extract
Are Air-fried Foods Healthier?
Doughnuts are not exactly healthy food, but this version is healthier than its fried cousins. These doughnuts only contain 4 grams of fat. They still have the carbs, but it’s fun to splurge a bit for the holidays, right?
If you’re craving something more classic and indulgent, you can also try my Crispy Fried Dough recipe for that deep-fried, golden crunch and richer flavor.
Ingredients You Need
- Warm water
- Yeast
- Sugar
- Flour
- Cocoa powder (for chocolate doughnuts)
- Salt
- Warm milk
- Melted butter – always use unsalted butter in baked goods
- Large egg
For Glaze
- Powdered sugar
- Warm water
How to Make Donuts in the Air Fryer
Measure the water. Heat to between 105-115°F. Add yeast and sugar.
Add the butter to the milk in a small microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave for 30 seconds or so to melt the butter.
Whisk the eggs in a small bowl.
Measure the dry ingredients.
After resting for 5 minutes, you will notice the yeast “blooming” or bubbling.
Add the yeast mixture, milk (ensure the temperature is 105-115°F), and eggs to the dry ingredients.
Knead in a stand mixer with a bread hook, or mix by hand and knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel, and set in a warm place. Let it rise for one hour until it is doubled.
Roll out to 1/4″ thick on a lightly floured board.
Use biscuit cutters. Cut out with a 3″ cutter. Then cut a hole out of the center with a 1″ cookie cutter. (You can make donut holes with the 1-inch piece that you cut out.)
Cover. Let rise until doubled, 30 minutes or so.
Fit a piece of parchment paper into your air fryer basket.
Place the dough in the air fryer basket. Doughnuts shouldn’t touch.
Air fry for 4 to 5 minutes, at 350°F, until golden brown. The internal temperature of the doughnut should be 200°F when finished.
Cool on a rack. Dip in a powdered sugar glaze, or make a chocolate glaze for chocolate doughnuts, or frost with buttercream frosting.
Pro Tips for Your Success
These small details make a big difference in how your doughnuts turn out.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer – Leave space between each doughnut so the hot air can circulate. If they’re too close, they won’t cook evenly or brown properly.
- Preheat the air fryer – Starting with a hot air fryer helps the doughnuts cook evenly and get that nice golden finish instead of turning pale or uneven.
- Keep dough thickness even – Roll the dough to a consistent thickness so everything cooks at the same time. Uneven dough means some pieces will be underdone while others dry out.
- Lightly spray with oil – A quick mist of oil helps the doughnuts brown and keeps them from looking dry. Too much oil, though, can make them greasy.
- Let them cool slightly before coating – If you add sugar or glaze too early, it can melt and slide off. A short cooling time helps the coating stick better.
Tools That Make This Recipe Work
If you don’t already have these, this is where most people struggle.
- Air Fryer – This is what makes the recipe work without deep frying. Without it, the doughnuts won’t get that light, golden finish with less oil.
- Tongs – Makes it easy to flip and remove doughnuts safely without squishing them. Using a fork or hands can break their shape or burn you.
- Cutters – Help shape the dough evenly so all doughnuts cook at the same time. Uneven sizes can lead to some being undercooked while others overcook.
- Mixing Bowls – Give you enough space to mix and knead the dough properly. A cramped bowl makes it harder to combine ingredients evenly and work the dough smoothly.
How to Store Doughnuts
Store leftover doughnuts at room temperature in an airtight container for several days. Or in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Store them in the freezer for up to three months, and take one out whenever you’d like a sweet treat.
So whether your Valentine is a chocolate lover or not (honestly, who is not a chocolate lover? 🙂 ), make them these delicious doughnuts. For other delicious edibles for your Valentine, see here!
Thanks for stopping by to check out this Air Fryer Doughnut recipe! Happy Valentine’s Day, one and all!
More Air-Fried Recipes
Air Fryer Doughnuts
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup warm water (between 100-115°F)
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar, plus 1/2 tsp for yeast blooming
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder (optional for chocolate doughnuts)
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup warm milk
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 1 large egg, beaten
For glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3-4 tsp water
For buttercream frosting
- 1/3 cup Butter
- 4.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Bloom yeast. Heat water to 100-115°F. Add 1/2 teaspoon sugar and yeast. Let rest 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, measure dry ingredients into mixer bowl.
- Melt butter in milk, in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and continue 10 second bursts in microwave, until melted. ***Be sure to let it cool to between 100-115°F, before using.
- Whisk egg.
- When yeast is frothy, add all of the rest of the ingredients to the mixer bowl and mix, using dough hook. Mix until dough is smooth. (you can mix by hand and knead on lightly floured surface for a couple minutes, as well.)
- Cover and let rise for about an hour until doubled.
- Lightly flour board. Gently roll out dough to 1/4″ thickness. Cut out doughnuts with 3″ cookie cutter. Cut out doughnut hole with 1″ cookie cutter.
- Cover doughnuts with plastic wrap and then kitchen towel. Let rest on board 30 minutes, until about doubled.
- Place 4 doughnuts and 4 doughnut holes in the basket of air fryer. (Or however many fit in your air fryer, without touching.)
- Air fry at 300°F for about 5 minutes. Internal temperature should read 200°F. Let cool on cooling rack. SEE NOTES***
For glaze
- Mix sugar and water well, until no lumps of sugar remain. Dunk cooled doughnuts in glaze.
For buttercream frosting
- Beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating well between additions.
- Add milk and vanilla. Slowly incorporate the rest of the powdered sugar. Thin with a few drops of milk, if needed. Frost doughnuts. Freeze any unused portions for another use.
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Notes
Air Fryers vary in wattage, and therefore in cooking times. This recipe is based using my Cuisinart TOA60. If your air fryer is different, carefully watch food the first time you make it, so that it doesn’t burn.
Preheating your air fryer will give you the best, crispiest result. Check your brand of air fryer user manual to see if preheating is recommended.
Air fryers preheat in about 3-4 minutes.
Use cooking spray or a fine mist sprayer to spray food prior to cooking, with the exception of baked goods.
Don’t overcrowd foods so air can circulate all around.
Flip foods over half way through cooking.
Nutrition
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Originally published January 3, 2022. Updated March 3, 2024.
it looks soooooooo good!!!!
We really love them! And they are so easy! Thanks Reynold!
I chose to try this recipe based on an all-around 5 star review. Had I actually read the reviews I would have seen that most people who rated it had not actually tried the recipe. I made it and had to double the time in the air fryer for the inside to be cooked. My husband thought they didn’t have much flavour and would need more sugar. I didn’t make a glaze or frosting. I wouldn’t make these again. At least not without modifying the ingredients. They looked like good doughnuts though!
Air fryers differ in there wattage, and therefore, in their cooking time, as is clearly stated in the post. I gave an internal done-ness temperature, to help determine this fact. These doughnuts were also labelled as a healthier version of store bought doughnuts! Obviously to make them healthier, some of the sweetness would need to be decreased. As an air fryer recipe, my goal was healthier. We found them excellent, especially with the glaze, which did certainly add to the sweetness, but they are by no means Dunkin’ Donuts. I appreciate your review and the fact that you tried the recipe! Thanks! I will add notes to the recipe card to reflect your statements.
I got an air fryer a week ago so I was trolling the internet for recipes when I found your blog. I will try your pork tenderloin tonight, then it’s on to these donuts. I never new an air fryer could produce donuts, can’t wait to try them out.Tonia