Air Fryer Donut Holes

chocolate sauce dripping form donut hole

5 from 6 votes

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.

Prep Time5

Cook Time4

Total Time9

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer biscuit donut holes, air fryer donut holes, air fryer donuts from biscuits, donut holes air fryer

Servings: servings

Author: Joshua Boquist

Equipment

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