My air fryer donuts make a wholesome and quick dessert that needs just four simple ingredients. No yeast or pre-made donut mix is required, and you can glaze it anyway you like.
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I don’t bake donuts for my family, unless they are my healthy donuts or protein donuts —aka donuts with some benefits. I leave the indulgent ones to the pastry shops and bakeries. When we do want a quick and wholesome donut fix, I turn to these air fryer donuts.
They are cakey and fluffy, serving as a blank canvas for a variety of frostings or glazes. They don’t need any yeast, which is a huge bonus. I also love how they don’t need much time in the air fryer. Now, these aren’t your classic donut shop donuts, but they satisfy the cravings and don’t leave you feeling heavy or with an intense sugar crash, which is a plus in my books!
Air fryer donuts recipe highlights
Quick and easy: A few minutes of prep time and no more than 8 minutes in the air fryer!
Made from scratch: There’s no frozen biscuit dough or pre-made dough here. Just simple, good-for-you ingredients. This is a dessert you can feel good about sharing with the family.
Customizable: The donuts themselves don’t have tons of flavor, so you can mix in fruits, candy, chocolate chips, etc. You can also glaze them or frost them any way you like.
Key Ingredients
- Self-rising flour. A combination of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. You can skip the store-bought kind and make my homemade self rising flour.
- Vanilla yogurt. I use full-fat vanilla Greek yogurt, but any flavored plain yogurt works. If you use unflavored Greek yogurt, you will need to add two tablespoons of maple syrup or sugar to compensate for its tartness.
- Glaze. I typically mix powdered sugar and milk, then add coloring or fun add-ins, like sprinkles. You can also use any chocolate or flavored frosting of your choice.
How to make air fryer donuts
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1- In a large bowl, stir the flour and yogurt until a thick dough remains.
Step 2- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a sausage shape and connect both sides to form a donut.
Step 3- Air fry the donuts for 7-8 minutes or until firm. Let them cool completely.
Step 4- Combine the powdered sugar and water to make a glaze. Dip each donut in the glaze, place them on a wire rack, and top with sprinkles.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Only have plain yogurt? Add 1/4 of sugar or maple syrup to give the dough a sweet flavor.
- Don’t add more flour to the dough. The dough is supposed to be a little sticky, so resist the temptation to add more flour. I like to grease my hands with cooking spray to make shaping the donuts easier.
- Let the donuts cool completely before adding the glaze. Otherwise, it will glide off the donuts.
- Do not overbake. These donuts may seem soft, but they will firm up slightly as they cool. Overbaking will result in them being gummy and toughening up as they cool.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover donuts can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to five days.
To freeze: Place the donuts in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to six months.
In a large mixing bowl, add your flour and yogurt and mix well, until a thick dough remains. If the dough is too thin, add more flour. If the dough is too thick, add more yogurt.
Lightly flour a kitchen surface and transfer the dough onto it. Knead it several times until smooth. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll out each portion of dough into a long, sausage shape and connect both sides to form a donut.
Line an air fryer basket with parchment paper. Place 2-4 donuts on them (depending on how big your air fryer is), ensuring the donuts are at least half an inch apart, to ensure they have room to rise and spread.
Air fry the donuts at 200C/400F for 7-8 minutes, or until firm on the outside. Repeat the process until all the donuts are cooked.
Let the donuts cool completely. While cooling, prepare the glaze. Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water (or milk) and mix until a thick and smooth glaze remains.
Dip each donut in the glaze and place them on a wire rack. If desired, top with sprinkles.
- Storage: Leftover donuts can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to five days.
- For vegan donuts. Use vanilla-flavored coconut yogurt.
- For gluten-free donuts. Use gluten-free self-rising flour.
- Make a chocolate glaze. Melt chocolate chips and fold them into the glaze mixture along with 1-2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter.
Serving: 1servingCalories: 125kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 5gFat: 2gSodium: 21mgPotassium: 94mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 14IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 16g
Frequently asked questions
You can, provided you can find one that fits in your air fryer basket (mine could only fit a 4-count donut pan). I don’t recommend using silicone pans because the donuts tend to be out of shape.
I tested this recipe multiple times to ensure the dough remains soft and fluffy. If your dough is a little dense, it means you’ve overbaked it. Remove the donuts once the edges are mostly firm and not overly browned.
I’ve tested these donuts with almond flour, and while they do work, they aren’t as fluffy or doughy in the middle.
No, not for this recipe. I purposely made the dough sans-yeast and adding some will completely change the texture and flavor.
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