Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Recipe (2024)

By: Author Miranda

Posted on Last updated:

This air fryer donuts recipe might just be the easiest recipe you ever make with your air fryer! This recipe utilizes refrigerated biscuit dough to create delicious sugar and cinnamon air fryer donuts in just a few minutes.

This recipe is a favorite for my children. About once a month they say, “can we fix air fryer donuts today?” Because they are so easy, I almost always say yes! They are even easy enough for my kids to help!

Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Recipe (1)

You probably won’t find an easier or faster recipe for air fryer donuts, no matter how hard you look! Plus, your family will be super impressed with your skills. (Just don’t tell them how easy these actually are to make!)

You can even get fancy and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter for the middle of the donuts if you’d like, just like the ones below!

Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Recipe (2)

Your Air Fryer Can Make an Amazing Donut Dessert In Minutes

Even though I’m fairly new to the air fryer life, I’m already a huge fan. If for no other reason than saving me $20+ every time we go to the movies. — NOT that I actually take these donuts with us.

I no longer have to purchase the over-priced ones at the theater anymore! I just have them at home before we go. And the kids are also completely satisfied with this compromise as well because they are such a treat.

Cooking with an Air Fryer

When I first got my air fryer I must admit, I was a bit intimidated. It seemed like a complicated kitchen gadget. Then I made my first air fryer baked potato and I was hooked!

Trust me, they are very easy to use and your food will turn out great! Whether you’re making a whole chicken in the air fryer or a yummy side dish of air fryer onion rings, you’re going to love your air fryer!

One thing you should always try to do for the best results is to preheat your air fryer. It’s simple to do that, simply turn on your air fryer and run it at the desired temperature for about 5 minutes before you place the food inside of it. This helps your food to cook better.

As someone who has used an air fryer for a few years now, if you are unable to preheat the air fryer, it will be okay. I don’t always do it. Just remember that you will always get the best results when you do.

You’ll also want to be sure that you’re cleaning your air fryer regularly. Reference the booklet that likely came with your air fryer to see how to clean your particular air fryer or check out my helpful cleaning an air fryer post for tips on how I keep mine clean.

Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Recipe (3)

An Awesome 4-Minute Cinnamon & Sugar Air Fryer Donut Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 Can Large Pillsbury Biscuits
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Cinnamon
  • 5 Tablespoons Butter

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
  2. Open the can of biscuits and cut the center out of each one. (I use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter as my donut cutter is too small.)
  3. Place the larger, outside portion in your air fryer.
  4. Run for 4-5 minutes at 330 degrees. It’s important to note that some air fryers cook faster and hotter than others. After making this recipe in 3 different air fryers, I’ve learned it can take anywhere from 4-7 minutes to fully cook the doughnuts. My first air fryer cooked them much faster than my newest air fryer. The first time you make the recipe, you’ll need to be sure to check to make sure they are fully cooked in the middle.
  5. As the doughnuts are cooking, melt the butter.
  6. Using a silicone pastry brush, coat the doughnuts with melted butter. Then lay in the bowl of cinnamon-sugar mixture and use a spoon to coat the top too.
  7. Gently shake off excess cinnamon sugar.
  8. Serve doughnuts hot.
  9. ***When you air fry the “holes”, set your timer for just 2 minutes and top those with the butter and cinnamon/sugar too.

Truly, you could almost call this air fryer donut recipe effortless. It is THAT easy!

Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Recipe (4)

It seriously can’t get much easier than that! Let me know what you think when you give these a try! I’ve gotten rave reviews from everyone I’ve served these air fryer donuts to so far.

Optional Donut Toppings

If you’d like to branch out from the cinnamon sugar coating, there are other great options to try.

Chocolate Drizzle

Once cooked, drizzle with a chocolate glaze. To make your own chocolate glaze at home, you’ll only need the following 4 ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoonvanilla extract

Melt the ingredients together over low heat, stirring often. Add extra corn syrup if needed to make a smoother, shinier glaze. This recipe will yield about a 1/2 cup of glaze. Dip donut or spread with a knife to coat the top.

***Special note: For a reliably shiny finish, choose chocolate whose main ingredient isn’t sugar.

Frost

For a simple twist, grab a can of pre-made frosting from the grocery store and spread a thin layer over the top. So quick and simple!

Vanilla Glaze

  • 1 1/4 cups powder sugar, sifted to remove any lumps
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • milk or water (typically 1-2 tablespoons)
  • Stir the ingredients together, adding extra liquid or confectioners’ sugar to adjust the consistency as needed. Yield: about 1/2 cup glaze.
  • 1/2 teaspoonvanilla extract

Stir the ingredients together, adding extra liquid or powder sugar to adjust the consistency as needed. This recipe will yield about 1/2 cup glaze. Just dip the air fryer donut tops in to coat with a layer of glaze or spread with a knife.

Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Recipe (5)

5-Minute Air Fryer Donut Recipe (With Cinnamon and Sugar Topping)

Mirande Welle

An easy and delicious 5-minute air fryer doughnut recipe.

5 from 12 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Additional Time 1 minute min

Total Time 9 minutes mins

Course Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings 8 Donuts (plus 8 bonus donut holes!)

Calories 135 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 Can Large Pillsbury Biscuits
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Cinnamon
  • 5 Tablespoons Butter

Instructions

  • Preheat air fryer to 330 degrees. To do this, simply turn your air fryer on at 330 degrees and let it run for about 3-5 minutes.

  • In a medium bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.

  • Open the can of biscuits and cut the center out of each one. (I use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter as my donuts cutter is too small.)

  • Place the larger, outside portion in your air fryer.

  • Run for 4-7 minutes at 330 degrees. You may need to adjust this slightly depending on your particular air fryer model. After making this recipe in 3 different air fryers, I’ve learned it can take anywhere from 4-7 minutes to fully cook the donuts. The first time you make the recipe, you’ll need to be sure to check to make sure they are fully cooked in the middle.

  • As the donuts are cooking, melt the butter. You can use the microwave or stovetop.

  • Using a silicone pastry brush, coat the donuts with melted butter. Then lay in the bowl of cinnamon-sugar mixture and use a spoon to coat the top too.

  • Gently shake off excess cinnamon sugar.

  • Serve the donuts hot. They are best that way, although you can still enjoy them cool later.

  • ***When you air fry the “holes”, set your timer for just 2-4 minutes and top those with the butter and cinnamon/sugar too.

Video

Notes

Every air fryer cooks differently, therefore some will cook these donuts faster or slower than other machines. You may need to adjust the cooking time for your particular machine. If they aren’t cooked through after 4 minutes, put them back in the air fryer and cook longer. You definitely don’t want to undercook them.

It’s always a good idea to preheat your air fryer too. To do that, simply run the air fryer at the desired temperature for a few minutes before you’re ready to put food into it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1doughtnutCalories: 135kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 128mgSugar: 13g

Keyword air fryer, air fryer breakfast recipe, air fryer desserts, air fryer donut recipe, air fryer donuts, Air fryer doughnut recipe, air fryer recipe, donuts recipe

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Recipe (6)

This is one of our favorite air fryer recipes. With all of the different ways you can fix these air fryer donuts, you’ll make them over and over and over again!Which way is your favorite?

Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you air fry donuts instead of frying? ›

Air Fryer Glazed Donuts Recipe

These air fryer donuts are yeast-raised and every bit as delicious and soft as their deep-fried relatives. This really is a no compromise donut recipe - it's a great way to use your air fryer. So with these donuts, you get all the flavor and none of the oil or mess of deep frying.

Why are my fried donuts not fluffy? ›

Not enough water; under-mixing: hot frying temperature; too much frying: cutter (damaged or wom, too high over surface, too low-louching shortening).

What are the ingredients in Krispy Kreme cinnamon sugar? ›

Cinnamon Sugar (10%) {Sugar, Spices [Cinnamon (1.5%)], Wheat Starch, Gluten}, Yeast. MAY BE PRESENT: Peanut, Hazelnut, Walnut, Sesame, Milk and Egg. Order online by 5pm for next weekday delivery or next day click and collect.

Can you bake donuts instead of frying? ›

Old-fashioned cake doughnuts were deep-fried in hot fat; NEW-fashioned cake doughnuts are baked in a hot oven! Use a doughnut pan and this tasty recipe to create your choice of doughnuts.

Are donuts better in air fryer or deep fryer? ›

Hot air frying of doughnut reduced crust roughness and created a smoother surface compared to the deep fat fried samples. Decreasing the frying temperature for both methods increased the crust roughness.

Do you need flour to air fry? ›

Flour — All-purpose flour or bread flour is perfect for fried chicken as it gives the chicken a golden-brown coating after being air-fried. It is also neutral in flavor, so it doesn't compete with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika added to it.

How does Krispy Kreme make their donuts so fluffy? ›

A batch of original glazed starts with Krispy Kreme doughnut mix, water and yeast, the same single-cell fungi used to make bread rise. The yeast is what makes the original glazed so light -- it puffs the dough up with air, so it's not dense like a cake doughnut (more on this later).

What is the best oil to use for frying doughnuts? ›

What kind of oil is best for cooking donuts? The best oil is the one with the least flavour. Vegetable oil and canola oil are both very good in this respect. The most important thing is to use the same oil for the same kinds of foods, since oil readily absorbs flavours and aromas.

What makes doughnut soft and fluffy? ›

How to Make Super Soft and Fluffy Sugar Glazed Doughnuts | Fried or Baked. There's only one way to make doughnuts even softer and fluffier and that is by scalding some of the flour. Scalding is a technique used to not only make bread softer, but also to make it stay soft for longer.

What is the secret ingredient in Krispy Kreme donuts? ›

What is the secret to Krispy Kreme Donuts? The secret to Krispy Kreme doughnuts is of course the sweet glaze, and this is achieved by bathing the doughnuts in a glaze of icing sugar, vanilla extract and milk, for a thicker glaze increase the quantity of icing sugar by a few spoons.

Why are Krispy Kreme donuts so sweet? ›

Sugar Content: Krispy Kreme doughnuts contain a relatively high amount of sugar. The dough itself is made with sugar, and they are often coated or filled with sugary glazes or fillings. This high sugar content contributes to their sweet flavor. Glazing: One of Krispy Kreme's signature features is its glazed doughnuts.

Does Krispy Kreme have more sugar than Dunkin donuts? ›

We looked at the sugar content in the classic glazed donut of three leading brands: Krispy Kreme (10g), Dunkin' Donuts (12g), and Tim Hortons (23g). Here's how other popular breakfast foods compare.

Are Starbucks donuts baked or fried? ›

Starbucks is an old-fashioned doughnut (made with baking soda and baked in an oven) while Krispy Kreme uses a yeasted dough that's fried. That makes the doughnut delightfully pillowy, collapsing as soon as you take your first bite.

Why do my donuts taste like fried dough? ›

One of the most common culprits for oily donuts is oil temperature. When the oil or shortening that you are frying donuts in is too cool, the oil is more likely to get absorbed into the dough. … Then, instead of draining as it should, excess oil sticks to the donuts and makes them taste oily and heavy.

Can you use an air fryer instead of frying in oil? ›

An air fryer can cook pretty much anything that you would normally fry in oil, such as: Chicken, including chicken fingers and nuggets. Vegetables. Onion rings and french fries.

What can I use instead of deep frying donuts? ›

Yes, if you prefer not to fry, you can also bake donuts in the oven. Simply prepare the dough, shape it into donut rings, and bake them in a preheated oven at around 375°F (190°C) for approximately 12-15 minutes. This method results in a slightly different texture but can still be delicious.

Does air fried count as fried? ›

Despite the name, air fryers don't technically fry food. Think of them as mini convection ovens. These countertop appliances use a fan to blow hot air around a basket that contains your food.

What is the healthiest way to fry donuts? ›

While plant-based fats are considered more heart healthy than animal fats, canola oil is generally believed to be a healthier option because it is lower in saturated fat than vegetable oil. … If saturated fat is a concern, reach for the canola oil. Otherwise, you can fry with either oil with great results.

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