Air Fryer Donut Holes

5 from 6 votes

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When my sweet tooth is screaming for attention, I ​love to pull out these easy Air Fryer Donut Holes. They’re fluffy, packed with warm spices, and topped off with a delicious sugar and cinnamon coating. And if that wasn’t enough to draw you in, you can swap out the air fryer homemade from scratch donuts version of this recipe with a ridiculously easy version made with biscuits.

chocolate sauce dripping from donut holes

Whichever method you choose, the result will be on the table in just under 10 minutes! Yep, that includes prep time. Seriously, I’ve lost count of the number of times that the whole family has asked for this delicious treat.

And if you’re planning a dinner party or tailgate sesh, you can always bring along some chocolate chip cookie bowls or chocolate cupcakes for the ride! Hey, the more, the merrier, right?

❤️ Why This Recipe Works

  • The air fryer biscuit donuts are quick and simple, but there is also a version for homemade delicious donuts.
  • Whichever prep method you choose, it’s a foolproof, simple recipe. So, it’s perfect for beginners who are still getting to grips with their air fryers.
  • The air fryer makes these donut holes perfectly soft on the inside, with a slightly crisp exterior.
  • Adding the melted butter creates a wonderful coating of cinnamon and sugar that adds tons of flavor.
  • It’s packed with pantry staples that you probably have on hand already!
  • These delicious air fryer donuts are easy, and clean-up is a breeze. No more deep frying, so put away that deep fryer!
bowl of donut holes

🗒️ Ingredients for Donut Holes

Here are the simple ingredients you will need to make this tasty treat. Many of the ingredients you may already have in your pantry. For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card and take a look at the notes if you are interested in some variations to the recipe.

For Super Simple Donut Holes

  • Biscuits: If you are making air fryer donuts from biscuits, I recommend going for Southern-style or buttermilk biscuits. You can grab pre-made biscuit dough at most grocery stores.
ingredients for air fryer donut holes from biscuits

For Easy Homemade Donut Holes

  • Whole Milk: Don’t use skim milk if you can avoid it, as you’ll want the extra fat to add moisture and flavor to the donut holes.
  • Granulated Sugar: Adds just enough sweetness to the recipe (that won’t overwhelm the cinnamon coating!).
  • Egg: Crucial for binding that dough!
  • Butter: Butter helps to loosen the glutenous structure of donut dough once it’s been kneaded. Plus, it makes the dough super tender!
  • Vanilla Extract: Just a touch for that fragrant aroma.
  • All-Purpose Flour: Don’t use self-raising flour here. You want to benefit from the moderate level of gluten in all-purpose flour that helps trap some air in your dough!
  • Baking Powder: For a gorgeous rise on your donut holes. Skip this if you’re using yeast!
  • Salt: A pinch goes a long way!
  • Cinnamon: Crucial for adding a warm spice and slight sweetness to the recipe.
  • Ground Nutmeg: For a small hint of warmth and tang!
  • Ground Cloves: For a slightly spicier dough that pairs beautifully with the cinnamon.
ingredients for homemade air fryer donut holes

For Yeasted Homemade Donut Holes

You will need everything that is listed above for the homemade version, but replace the baking powder with yeast. Read the notes in the recipe card below for the details.

  • Yeast: Gives the donut holes a fluffy, airy, and chewy texture.

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • Butter: The melted butter lets you create a wonderfully thick coating of cinnamon and sugar.
  • Granulated Sugar: The essential ingredient for giving the donut holes the sweetness they deserve.
  • Cinnamon: A cinnamon sugar mixture gives the donut holes a sweet and spicy punch.

👨‍🍳 How To Make It

​The best part about this recipe is that it is sort of like a choose-your-own-adventure situation. The easiest variation is the air fryer donuts from biscuits version that uses premade biscuit dough. If you want a homemade version that is quick, there is an option that uses baking powder. For the fluffiest and most indulgent variation, use some yeast to get that wonderfully light, airy, and chewy donut hole that we all love! Scroll down to the printable recipe card, and be sure to read the notes for the details on the variations.

Biscuit Dough Version

  1. Preheat the air fryer.
  2. Remove the biscuits from the can, divide them, and cut each biscuit into four equal pieces.
  3. Form the biscuit pieces into little dough balls.
  4. Place the donut holes in the air fryer basket and cook them for 4 minutes (flipping or shaking halfway through).
  5. Prepare the cinnamon and sugar mixture and use it to coat the air fryer donut holes.
  6. Remove the donut holes and dip them in the melted butter.
  7. Leave the donut holes on a wire rack to cool.

Homemade Version

  1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the wet ingredients.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until it forms a dough.
  4. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface before cutting it into bite-size pieces.
  5. Roll the dough into balls.
  6. Place the donut holes in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook them for around 4 minutes until golden brown (flipping halfway through).
  7. Remove the donut holes from the air fryer and dip them in the melted butter.
  8. Coat the donut holes in the cinnamon-sugar mixture before placing them on a wire rack to cool.

👨‍🍳 Tips for the Best Donut Holes

  • For the fluffiest donut holes, use yeast instead of baking powder. It’s slightly more time-consuming, but it’s just as easy! Just replace the baking soda with yeast in a 1:1 ratio. Make sure your whole milk is body-temp warm. You can then add it to the mixing bowl with the sugar and yeast. If you’re planning to use instant rise yeast, you won’t need to let it proof for as long.
  • Air fryer donut holes made with the backing powder will be dense, but they are easy, quick, and very delicious!
  • If you’re planning to use a can of biscuit dough, I suggest going with Southern-style or buttermilk biscuits. The flaky layer-type biscuits just won’t give you the same structural integrity, and you risk the biscuit donut holes falling apart.
  • Rolling the donut holes in melted butter is crucial for getting a perfectly thick layer of cinnamon sugar around the outside!
  • You will definitely want to space out your donut holes to keep them from sticking together. Give them enough space so they can cook and brown evenly. We don’t want the donut pieces to stick together!
  • Speaking of sticking, you should spray a light layer of cooking spray in your air fryer basket to avoid it! Use some spray olive oil or avocado oil. Those non-stick sprays with propellants and soy lecithin are no good.
  • Preheat the air fryer! It sounds like an easy thing to omit, but it is important for this recipe. These donut holes cook super quickly, so to make sure they cook evenly and consistently, it helps to have a hot air fryer ready to go.

🤔 Substitutions and Variations

  • The base recipe is delicious, but you can make a quick and easy glaze if you want more moisture in your donut holes. For a simple glaze, whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of whole milk and 1-½ teaspoons of vanilla. This will give you a delicious glaze to coat your donut holes with.
  • If you enjoy extremely chocolatey flavors, a chocolate glaze or dipping sauce (white or dark!) is an excellent thing to serve alongside this dessert.
  • Don’t want a glaze? Sprinkling your air fryer donut bites with powdered sugar is a great substitute for the cinnamon and sugar coating.
  • During the fall months, pumpkin spice is a glorious substitute for the cinnamon in this recipe!
close up of homemade vs biscuit dough donut holes

⏱️ Storage and Reheating

I won’t lie to you – these air fryer donut holes are best enjoyed fresh. Gobble them immediately after they cool for the best results!

But if you have any leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

If you’re in a rush, put your donut holes in the microwave for about 5 seconds to bring them back to life.

Otherwise, place them back in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes at 360°F to regain some of their freshness.

❓ FAQ

Are donut holes better in the air fryer or oil?

This is a tricky question, but I’ll say they’re different. Air frying gives the donut holes a crisper crust, while deep-fried donuts are naturally moist and delicate. The main difference is that adding oil to the mix really makes it an indulgent treat with more calories. The air fryer version is way easier and just as delicious in its own way!

My dough is too wet, what can I do?

If your dough is too wet, fix this by adding small amounts of all-purpose flour to your mix at a time. This should reduce excess moisture and help you achieve the perfect doughy consistency.

Why are my air fryer donut holes uncooked on the inside?

If your donut holes are mushy or uncooked inside, you’ve probably blasted the outside without cooking the inside. The best way to sort this out is by lowering the temperature of your air fryer and letting them cook further.

🍰 More Desserts

donut holes in bowl drizzled with chocolate sauce

🎁 Wrap Up

It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking to quash your sugar cravings or just want a crowd-pleasing dessert. These easy air fryer donut holes have more than got your back. Eat them plain, drizzle them with glaze, or dunk them in chocolate – the sky’s the limit when things are this delicious!

💬 Tell Me What You Think!

Did you try out this recipe? Please leave a comment below and let me know how you liked it. Also, snap a picture and post it to your favorite social platform. Be sure to tag me at @alicensetogrill and let me know how you liked it!

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chocolate sauce dripping form donut hole
5 from 6 votes

Air Fryer Donut Holes

By Joshua Boquist
These drool-worthy air fryer donut holes are super easy to make and will leave you wishing you had more! With two versions of the recipe, you can choose to use store-bought biscuit dough or elect to make them from scratch. Either way, the result is a delicious dessert perfect for when that sweet tooth craving hits, and you need a fix quickly!
For the homemade donut holes, the recipe calls for baking soda for an easy and quick dough. If you prefer to use yeast, read the notes below for an easy substitute.
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 4 minutes
Total: 9 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients 

For Super Easy Donut Holes

  • 1 can biscuits

For Easy Homemade Donut Holes

  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 egg, room temp
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-½ tablespoons baking powder, *see notes for yeast substitute
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

For The Sugar Coating

  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions 

For Easy Donut Holes

  • Preheat your air fryer to 360°F.
  • Remove the biscuits from the can and divide them. Cut each biscuit into four equal pieces and form each one into a ball.
  • Place the donut holes in the air fryer basket, giving plenty of space between them. Cook for 4 minutes at 360°F, tossing halfway through.
  • Remove the donut holes from the air fryer and dip them in the melted butter. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and then roll the butter-coated donut holes in the sugar mixture.
  • Place the donut holes on a wire rack to cool.

For Homemade Donut Holes

  • Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a bowl and whisk to combine.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. 
  • Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and quickly knead.
  • Cut the dough into 20-30 equal bite-size pieces and form into balls.
  • Place the donut holes in the air fryer basket and space them out. Air fry at 360°F for 4 minutes, tossing them halfway through.
  • Remove the donut holes from the air fryer and dip them in the melted butter. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and then roll the butter-coated donut holes in the sugar mixture.
  • Place the donut holes on a wire rack to cool.

Video

Notes

  • For fluffier donut holes, I prefer to use yeast. It takes a bit more time, but it is still easy! Just replace the baking powder with yeast at a 1:1 ratio. Make sure the whole milk is warm (about 100°F), and add it to a mixing bowl with the sugar and yeast. Let the yeast proof. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix. Pour the wet ingredients into a mixing bowl with all of the dry ingredients and mix to form the dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and let it rise for about two hours. Then knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface and cut it into bit size pieces before letting them rise for another 30 minutes and cooking in the air fryer.
  • If you are using canned biscuits, I prefer to use the southern style biscuits or buttermilk biscuits. The flaky layer biscuits don’t give you the same texture, and the donut holes peel apart and separate.

For a Glaze

  • Whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of milk and 1-½ teaspoons of vanilla extract. This will give you a delicious glaze you can dip the donut holes in. If you are vibing for a citrus flavor, replace the milk and vanilla with orange juice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 520kcal, Carbohydrates: 73g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 1178mg, Potassium: 205mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 409IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 204mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Tried this recipe?Mention @alicensetogrill or tag #alicensetogrill!

About Joshua Boquist

Josh is an outdoor enthusiast and food fanatic. A License To Grill is his passion project where the outdoors intersects food - grilling, smoking, and all things tasty!

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5 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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2 Comments

    1. Hi Lauren, thank you for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed them! Did you use biscuit dough or the quick homemade dough?