Air Fryer Glazed Doughnuts

Name: Air Fryer Glazed Doughnuts
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 can (16.3 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Flaky Layers Original Biscuits (8 Count); 1/4 cup butter, melted; 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar; 3 tablespoons milk; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Prep time:15 min
Total time:40 min
Ingredients:5
Servings:8
Calories per serving:300

By Pillsbury Kitchens(Opens in a new tab)Updated 08/06/2024

Air Fryer Glazed Doughnuts

Prep time:15 min
Total time:40 min
Ingredients:5
Servings:8
Calories per serving:300

When you’ve got a craving, this easy Air Fryer Donuts recipe is here to bring donuts to the table quicker and easier than you thought possible. Just break out your favorite countertop appliance and get ready for your new favorite donuts!

The secret? We’re going to make these air fryer donuts from Grands!™ biscuits! Skip a few steps and get straight to the good part. With just a few simple ingredients and only 15 minutes of prep time required, this is one heck of a shortcut to delicious!

So, whether you’re entertaining, heading to a party, or just want a reason to enjoy something simple and amazing, fire up the air fryer and get ready for the best—and fastest—air fryer glazed donuts you’ve ever had!

How to Make Air Fryer Glazed Donuts

Separate your dough into 8 biscuits on a cutting board, then cut a hole in the center of each biscuit to get that perfect donut shape. Don’t throw the center away! You’ll be using them later to make bonus donut holes. Dip each donut and donut hole into melted butter, shake off any excess, and then it’s time to fry.

Set the air fryer to 370° and cook 4 donuts at a time for 5 to 6 minutes, flip and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes. You’ll be able to tell when the donuts are ready by looking for a deep golden brown color on the surface. When the donuts are done, you can fry the donut holes all at once, cooking about 2 minutes per side.

Lastly, it’s time to glaze these air fryer glazed donuts! Mix the glaze in a small bowl and dip each donut halfway into the glaze until it’s nicely covered. The best part—it’s time to eat!

Shaping Donut Holes without a Donut Cutter

No round cutter? No problem! The easiest way to get a perfect 1-inch hole in the center of your donuts is with a cookie cutter, but there are plenty of other things that can be substituted. You can use the other end of a piping tip to make the cut or, in a pinch, you can simply cut a hole with a knife, or cut a smaller hole, and stretch the donut evenly on all edges until you have a 1-inch hole in the center.

Storing Air Fryer Donuts

When you’re making air fryer donuts from Grands!™ biscuits, you can follow a lot of the same guidelines as you would for biscuits. However, the glaze requires extra attention.

These easy air fryer donuts are best stored in an airtight container. In the fridge, they’ll keep for 5 to 6 days. You can also freeze them, where they’ll last for up to 3 months. However, the glaze can lose its structure after being frozen, and glazed donuts don’t last as long in the freezer. That’s why it’s recommended that you only freeze un-glazed donuts and glaze them once thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions

For air fryer donuts, one of the main telltale signs for doneness is the color. Since these are air fryer donuts made from Grands!™ biscuits, look for the same golden brown you’d be looking for in biscuits. You can also check the shape. The dough should rise a bit and shift from flat biscuit dough to a fluffy donut shape. And if you check the surface of the donuts—carefully, they’re probably hot!—they should be firm and a little crispy.

The easiest way to prevent your air fryer donuts from sticking is to use parchment paper or cooking spray. But be careful: some of the more widely available cooking sprays contain an ingredient called soy lecithin. It’s perfectly safe, and it’s just fine when you’re using it on a skillet, but at an air fryer’s higher temperatures, it can deteriorate and potentially ruin the surface of your fryer.

The best way to prevent sticking is to simply use a neutral oil with a high smoke point like avocado oil, sunflower oil, or coconut oil. Simply apply a small amount with a brush or rub it on the interior of your fryer with a paper towel. And remember: a little will go a long way.

Traditional donuts from a diner or café—or Pillsbury’s own Easy Chocolate Sprinkle Doughnuts—are fried in oil, which does a great job at cooking the exterior and interior at different rates, so each donut is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. However, frying donuts in oil is a much more hands-on recipe.

You can also make donuts in the oven, like these Baked Sugar Donuts, for a slightly lighter texture that requires less effort—and less oil.

When you pop them in the air fryer, donuts take on the best of both worlds, the appetizing texture of fried donuts, plus the ease and lightness of baked donuts.

Air Fryer Glazed Doughnuts

Prep time:15 min
Total time:40 min
Ingredients:5
Servings:8
Calories per serving:300

Ingredient

Doughnuts

1 can (16.3 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Flaky Layers Original Biscuits (8 Count)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Glaze

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Step 1
Wipe down bottom of air fryer basket with a high smoke point oil, such as avocado oil or coconut oil.

Step 2
Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Place biscuits on cutting board. With 1-inch round cookie cutter, cut hole in center of each biscuit. Dip all sides of biscuits and centers into butter; shake off excess butter. Place 4 biscuits in air fryer basket, spacing apart.

Step 3
Set air fryer to 370°F; cook 5 to 6 minutes or until biscuit tops are deep golden brown. Using tongs or spatula, turn over each biscuit. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until deep golden brown and cooked through. Remove from air fryer; cover loosely with foil to keep warm while cooking second batch. Cook as directed above for remaining 4 biscuits. Remove from air fryer; cover loosely with foil to keep warm while cooking centers.

Step 4
Place 8 biscuit centers in bottom of air fryer basket. Set air fryer to 370°F; cook 2 minutes. Using tongs or spatula, turn over each biscuit center. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until deep golden brown and cooked through.

Step 5
In small bowl, mix Glaze ingredients. Turn each doughnut upside down, and dip halfway into glaze. Let any excess drip off, then transfer right side up to cooling rack or serving plate. Serve warm.

Recipe Tips

Air fryer temperature control settings vary according to brand and model. If your air fryer does not have the exact temperature setting called for in the recipe, consult your manual for suggested temperature settings. Our recipes do not call for preheating your air fryer. Just set the temperature, and start.
We tested this recipe in a 3.7-quart air fryer. If using a larger air fryer, such as 6-quart size, you may be able to fit more of the doughnuts into one batch for cooking. Be sure to cook them in a single layer, spacing them apart, and with enough room to turn them over.
For extra flair, sprinkle colored candy sprinkles over glazed doughnuts while glaze is still wet.

Nutrition Facts

Calories
300
Total Fat
12g
Protein
4g
Total Carbohydrate
45g
Sugars
24g

Servings: 8

Serving Size: 1 Doughnut and 1 Doughnut Hole

Amount Per Serving Calories : 300

Nutrition Facts
Food Component / Nutrient	Amount	% , Daily Value*
Total Fat	12g	18%
Saturated Fat	6g	31%
Trans Fat	0g	% Value Not Available
Monounsaturated Fat	1&½g	% Value Not Available
Polyunsaturated Fat	0g	% Value Not Available
Omega-3	0g	% Value Not Available
Cholesterol	15mg	5%
Sodium	500mg	21%
Total Carbohydrate	45g	15%
Dietary Fiber	0g	0%
Soluble Fiber	0g	% Value Not Available
Insoluble Fiber	0g	% Value Not Available
Sugars	24g	% Value Not Available
Protein	4g	% Value Not Available
Vitamin D	Value Not Available	0%
Calcium	Value Not Available	0%
Iron	Value Not Available	8%
Potassium	270mg	8%
Vitamin A	Value Not Available	4%
Vitamin C	Value Not Available	0%
Vitamin E	Value Not Available	0%
Thiamin	Value Not Available	0%
Riboflavin	Value Not Available	0%
Niacin	Value Not Available	0%
Vitamin B6	Value Not Available	0%
Folic Acid	Value Not Available	0%
Vitamin B12	Value Not Available	0%
Pantothenic Acid	Value Not Available	0%
Phosphorus	Value Not Available	0%
Magnesium	Value Not Available	0%
Zinc	Value Not Available	0%
Manganese	Value Not Available	0%
Selenium	Value Not Available	0%
Copper	Value Not Available	0%
Beta-Carotene	Value Not Available	% Value Not Available
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Exchanges

Starch 1,
Fruit 0,
Other Carbohydrate 2,
Skim Milk 0,
Low-Fat Milk 0,
Milk 0,
Vegetable 0,
Very Lean Meat 0,
Lean Meat 0,
Medium-Fat Meat 0,
High-Fat Meat 0,
Fat 2&½,
Fruits 0c,
Vegetables 0c,
Grains 0oz-eq,
Meat & Beans 0oz-eq,
Dairy 0c,
Fats & Oils 2tsp

Carbohydrate Choice

Carbohydrate Choice3

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How to Make Air Fryer Glazed Donuts

Lastly, it’s time to glaze these air fryer glazed donuts! Mix the glaze in a small bowl and dip each donut halfway into the glaze until it’s nicely covered. The best part—it’s time to eat!

Shaping Donut Holes without a Donut Cutter

Storing Air Fryer Donuts

When you’re making air fryer donuts from Grands!™ biscuits, you can follow a lot of the same guidelines as you would for biscuits. However, the glaze requires extra attention.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can also make donuts in the oven, like these Baked Sugar Donuts, for a slightly lighter texture that requires less effort—and less oil.

When you pop them in the air fryer, donuts take on the best of both worlds, the appetizing texture of fried donuts, plus the ease and lightness of baked donuts.

Recipe Tips

Air fryer temperature control settings vary according to brand and model. If your air fryer does not have the exact temperature setting called for in the recipe, consult your manual for suggested temperature settings. Our recipes do not call for preheating your air fryer. Just set the temperature, and start.

We tested this recipe in a 3.7-quart air fryer. If using a larger air fryer, such as 6-quart size, you may be able to fit more of the doughnuts into one batch for cooking. Be sure to cook them in a single layer, spacing them apart, and with enough room to turn them over.

For extra flair, sprinkle colored candy sprinkles over glazed doughnuts while glaze is still wet.

Nutrition Facts

Food Component / Nutrient

Amount

% , Daily Value*

Total Fat

12g

18%

Saturated Fat

31%

Trans Fat

% Value Not Available

Monounsaturated Fat

1&½g

% Value Not Available

Polyunsaturated Fat

% Value Not Available

Omega-3

% Value Not Available

Cholesterol

15mg

Sodium

500mg

21%

Total Carbohydrate

45g

15%

Dietary Fiber

Soluble Fiber

% Value Not Available

Insoluble Fiber

% Value Not Available

Sugars

24g

% Value Not Available

Protein

% Value Not Available

Vitamin D

Value Not Available

Calcium

Value Not Available

Iron

Value Not Available

Potassium

270mg

Vitamin A

Value Not Available

Vitamin C

Value Not Available

Vitamin E

Value Not Available

Thiamin

Value Not Available

Riboflavin

Value Not Available

Niacin

Value Not Available

Vitamin B6

Value Not Available

Folic Acid

Value Not Available

Vitamin B12

Value Not Available

Pantothenic Acid

Value Not Available

Phosphorus

Value Not Available

Magnesium

Value Not Available

Zinc

Value Not Available

Manganese

Value Not Available

Selenium

Value Not Available

Copper

Value Not Available

Beta-Carotene

Value Not Available

% Value Not Available

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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Air Fryer Glazed Doughnuts

Air Fryer Glazed Doughnuts

How to Make Air Fryer Glazed Donuts

Shaping Donut Holes without a Donut Cutter

Storing Air Fryer Donuts

Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Tell When the Donuts Are Done?

How Do I Prevent Donuts from Sticking to the Air Fryer?

What Is the Difference between Air Fryer Donuts and Regular Donuts?

Air Fryer Glazed Doughnuts