Air fryer doughnuts come out crisp around the edges and soft in the middle, with no pot of oil to heat and one dirty pan at the end. The short version: 350°F (177°C) for 6 to 8 minutes, in a single layer with space between each one, glazed while they are still warm. Six doughnuts take about 20 minutes start to finish, and most of that is cooling.
I want to be straight with you about one thing first. Air frying is not deep frying. The doughnut will be lighter, with less of a fried shell, and nobody is going to mistake it for a fresh-from-the-fryer glazed ring. What you do get is a hot breakfast treat in the time it takes to make coffee, which is usually the trade people are happy with.
The recipe below uses a no-yeast batter, so there is no rising time and no yeast to worry about. If you would rather start from a can of refrigerated biscuits, the shortcut at the end of the method section takes about half the time and works in the same fryer at the same temperature.
Table of Contents
- What You Need
- Step-by-Step: How to Make Doughnuts in an Air Fryer
- Common Mistakes and Fixes
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need parchment paper to make doughnuts in an air fryer?
- What temperature and time should I use for air-fryer doughnuts?
- Can I make air-fryer doughnuts without yeast?
- Why are my air-fryer doughnuts raw in the center?
- Can I reheat air-fryer doughnuts?
- Can I bake the doughnut batter in a silicone mold instead?
- Conclusion
What You Need
You need an air fryer with a basket, a mixing bowl, a whisk or fork, a baking sheet or wire rack for cooling, and either a pastry brush or a spray bottle. A small scoop, two spoons, or a zip-top bag with one corner snipped handles the portioning, and a bottle cap or a shot glass handles the hole in the middle. None of that is specialized equipment.
For six doughnuts, mix 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 g), 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. In a second bowl, whisk 1 large egg, 1/2 cup milk, 2 tablespoons melted butter or neutral oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
For the coating, pick one. Cinnamon sugar is 1/2 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon. A vanilla glaze is 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, thinned with another teaspoon of milk if it sits thick.
You can double the whole batch without changing anything else, as long as you still cook in single layers. Expect three batches in a 3 to 4 quart fryer and two in a 6 to 8 quart one. Doughnut holes cook in about half the time, so the cut-out centers from one batch are a bonus snack rather than extra work.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Doughnuts in an Air Fryer
1. Mix the Doughnut Batter
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, then pour in the wet ingredients and stir until you see the last streak of dry flour disappear. Stop there. You are looking for a batter that holds its shape when you lift the spoon but still falls slowly off the edge.
Too loose and the doughnuts spread into pancakes in the basket. Too stiff and the centers stay doughy. If yours looks like wet sand, add milk a tablespoon at a time. If it clings like cement, loosen it with a splash of milk too, or just accept slightly denser doughnuts.
Give the batter 10 minutes of rest while you set up the fryer. The flour hydrates during that time, which is what stops the finished centers from tasting floury. Overmixing is the one mistake worth avoiding here, because a beaten batter bakes into a chewy, dense puck instead of something tender.
2. Prepare the Air Fryer
Set the air fryer to 350°F (177°C) and let it run for 5 minutes with the empty basket inside. Preheating is not strictly required for store-bought biscuit dough, but for a thin batter it is the difference between a golden ring and a pale one, because the dough hits hot metal instead of a basket that is still warming up.
Line the basket with a parchment circle cut to fit, with a few holes punched in the middle, or brush the basket lightly with oil. A sticky batter welds itself to bare metal, and a liner peels off cleanly. Light cooking spray also works, though it needs to be applied to the cold basket rather than a hot one so it does not turn gummy.
Keep the basket empty and the drawer out until the last second before you add the doughnuts. Every minute of exposed hot basket is a minute the first doughnut sits on a preheated surface.
3. Shape the Doughnuts
Drop rounded mounds of batter about 1 tablespoon and a half each, roughly 2 inches wide, onto the lined basket. A 1/4-cup scoop filled just past level gives you a consistent size, and consistent size means consistent cooking time.
Clear the middle with a bottle cap, a shot glass, or a small lid, dipping the cutter in flour first so it lifts out cleanly. Press straight down and straight back up, without twisting, or the batter will drag and the ring will break. You only need a 1-inch hole, and a wide center produces a doughnut that flips less easily later.
Leave a finger’s width between each one. They will spread a little as they cook, and touching doughnuts fuse together and brown only on their exposed edges. If your batter is sticky enough that your hands are covered in dough, dust them with flour, or pipe the rings from a zip-top bag instead of spooning them.
4. Air-Fry Until Golden
Air-fry at 350°F (177°C) for 6 to 8 minutes. Check at 6 with a toothpick; if the top is still pale, give it another 2 minutes. Do not open the basket in the first 4 minutes, because the rush of cool air stalls the crust that is setting.
| Air fryer size | Temperature | Time per batch | Doughnuts per batch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 quart | 350°F (177°C) | 5-7 minutes | 4 |
| 5-6 quart | 350°F (177°C) | 6-8 minutes | 5-6 |
| 7-8 quart | 345-350°F (173-177°C) | 8-10 minutes | 6-8 |
| Donut holes, any size | 350°F (177°C) | 3-5 minutes | 6-8 |
You know they are done when the edges are deep golden brown, the surface looks set rather than wet, and a doughnut pressed gently springs back instead of denting. A toothpick should come out clean. If the outsides are brown and the toothpick still picks up wet batter, the doughnuts are too big, so split the batch rather than cooking longer.
The centers puff in the first three minutes, then settle. That deflation is normal, and it is the reason the glaze goes on later rather than straight from the basket.
5. Cool and Glaze
Move the doughnuts to a wire rack and wait 3 to 5 minutes. A cooling rack, not a plate, because a plate traps steam and softens the bottoms you worked to crisp. Warm, not hot: a doughnut you can comfortably hold for a second is right.
Stir the glaze until it runs off the spoon in a slow ribbon, then dip each doughnut top-first for one second, or drizzle it in a zig-zag over the whole batch. The glaze sets within 10 minutes and goes firm in the fridge, so if you want a soft, thick shell, glaze and eat within the hour.
For cinnamon sugar, toss the still-warm doughnuts in a shallow bowl with the sugar mixture for a few seconds instead. Powdered sugar works as a finishing dust, and melted butter dipped in chopped nuts or sprinkles gives you a crunch shell with no glaze at all.
If you are short on time, skip the batter and open a can of refrigerated biscuits. Separate the dough, cut out the centers, and air-fry at 350°F for 4 to 6 minutes. The same temperature, a third less time, and a different texture: more crumbly, more biscuit-flavored, and noticeably saltier than the batter version.
Common Mistakes and Fixes
They stick to the basket. Usually no liner and no oil. Use a parchment circle with holes punched in it, or brush the cold basket with oil before it heats. Scraping cooked doughnut off a bare basket tears the crust, and no amount of glaze hides it.
The rings spread into puddles. The batter was too loose, or the fryer was too full. Thicken the batter with a spoonful of flour next time, and keep a full finger of space between doughnuts so the hot air can reach every side.
They come out pale. Either the fryer was cold when they went in or the batch was crowded on top of that. Preheat for 5 minutes at 350°F, cook fewer per batch, and give them another minute or two before you lower the temperature.
Browning is uneven, dark on one side. Air fryers have a fan behind the heating element, so the side facing that wall cooks faster. Turn the doughnuts halfway, at about the 4-minute mark, and if your model has a side that always runs hot, place that side toward the handle.
They collapse in the middle. Air fryer heat dries the surface, and if the center is undercooked or the rings were too big, the pressure from the steam pushes out through the weakest point. Smaller rings and a clean toothpick test are the fix, not more time at higher heat.
The centers are soggy or gummy. They were touching, or you flipped and stacked them in the basket. Cook them spaced out, and cool them on a rack rather than a plate, where condensation collects under them.
The glaze slides right off. It went on too hot and thinned out, or you applied too much. Drip rather than dip, wait for the 3-to-5-minute rest, and stir the glaze again if it has thickened. A tablespoon of extra powdered sugar fixes a thin glaze instantly.
They deflate as you lift them. The rings are probably still soft in the middle when you turn them out. Give them the full rest on the rack, and resist the urge to stack them. One doughnut per layer, or a single layer on the rack, keeps the shape intact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need parchment paper to make doughnuts in an air fryer?
Parchment is optional but helpful. A circle cut to fit your basket, with a few holes punched through the middle, stops a sugary batter from welding itself to the metal and catches the crumbs. If you skip it, brush the basket with a little neutral oil or cooking spray before it heats. Never use a sheet that covers the vents, and never line the drawer itself.
What temperature and time should I use for air-fryer doughnuts?
350u0026deg;F (177u0026deg;C) for 6 to 8 minutes covers most countertop fryers and doughnuts about 2 inches wide, so start checking at 6. A compact 3 to 4 quart fryer often needs only 5 to 7 minutes, while larger rings in a 7 to 8 quart basket can take 10. Deep golden edges and a clean toothpick are the real signal.
Can I make air-fryer doughnuts without yeast?
Yes, and the recipe above already is. It uses baking powder, so there is no rising time and no warm-water step. Yeast is only needed for a from-scratch dough, which produces a chewier, breadier crumb and takes a couple of hours including two proofs. Baking powder reacts as soon as it hits heat, which is why these doughnuts puff within the first three minutes of cooking.
Why are my air-fryer doughnuts raw in the center?
Most often the batch was crowded, so the outside browned before heat reached the middle. Cook four to six doughnuts at most with a finger’s width between them, and skip flipping the basket open early, since the cool air rush slows the set. Thick rings also need longer, so make them smaller rather than cooking them longer at higher heat.
Can I reheat air-fryer doughnuts?
Yes, and they come back better than they do in a microwave. Set the fryer to 300u0026deg;F (150u0026deg;C) and warm them for 3 to 4 minutes, which crisps the shell without drying out the crumb. A 350u0026deg;F reheat works too but toughens the inside faster. Reheat them unglazed if you can, then add the glaze afterwards.
Can I bake the doughnut batter in a silicone mold instead?
You can, though the result leans toward a muffin. A silicone ring mold in the air fryer gives neater, more uniform rings, but the batter spreads less and the edges crisp less than they do on an open basket. Fill each cavity about two-thirds full, add 2 to 3 minutes to the cook time, and stay at 350u0026deg;F rather than switching to bake mode.
Conclusion
Doughnuts in an air fryer are a 350°F, 6-to-8-minute job in a single layer, with a lined basket and a short rest before the glaze goes on. Mix the batter only until it comes together, keep a finger’s width between the rings, and stop at deep golden edges with a clean toothpick.
Start by preheating the basket and cooking a test batch of two or three. Every fryer runs a little hot or a little cool, and one trial batch tells you which yours is. Adjust the time on the rest, and the second batch comes out right every time.
