Air Fryer Donut Bites are perfect any day of the week and can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a snack or dessert. Compared to traditional donuts which require deep frying, this air fryer donut recipe is a bit healthier and uses less oil. It is also yeast-free. Homemade donuts are a delicious treat and can be prepared for children’s parties or served during festive occasions such as Thanksgiving or Christmas!
What are doughnut holes?
Doughnut holes, or donut holes are small bite sized doughnuts prepared from the dough that remains from the centre of ring doughnuts. In America, these are now sold as a sperate item on the menu of donut shop such as Munchkins from Dunkin’ Donuts. They are smaller than full-sized donuts are they are made from the leftovers created when preparing ring doughnuts. They are most often dipped into sugar or topped with a glaze.
Air fryer Biscuit Donuts
In the UK, we cannot find pre-made biscuit dough (in fact, biscuits are something totally different here compared with America!). If you are able to find refrigerated doughs like biscuit dough, then you can simply buy that, cut into small donut holes and use for this recipe. The closest equivalent in the UK is to buy packaged scone mix and go from there. Both methods yield perfect air fryer doughnuts and significantly reduces the prep time because you do not have to. One of my favourite scone recipes that can be made using the scone mix or prepared from scratch are these Eggless Lavender Scones and Air Fryer Pumpkin Scones
Why you should make this recipe:
Homemade treat perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Donut holes without eggs
Simple recipe – no specialist ingredients, in fact, these air fryer donut holes are made without yeast.
Minimal effort – if you’re looking for a quick and easy recipe, this is definitely one of them!
Family favorite – everyone can enjoy fluffy doughnut bites! You can even lay out a few different sweet dips for individual tastes
If you want to try other doughnut recipes, why not have a go at Air fryer Apple Doughnut Rings or Eggless Mandazi
Ingredients:
(UK or those unable to get hold of biscuit dough)
Scone mix – a basic mix that is easy to find in the baking aisle of most supermarkets
Milk – the milk is for the scone mix. I have used semi skimmed milk
Butter – you want melted butter which makes it easier to coat the donut pieces with as they are not deep-fried donuts
Sugar – you can use either granulated or powdered sugar
(US based)
Biscuit dough
Butter
Sugar
Optional flavours:
Cinnamon sugar coating – combine ground cinnamon and sugar.
Chocolate glaze made with cocoa powder, icing sugar and milk.
Melted white chocolate or milk chocolate. Simply melt chocolate and drizzle over the doughnuts
Brown sugar – use brown sugar instead of white.
Pumpkin spice – add pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon to your sugar
Vegan Air Fryer Donuts
Scone mix is vegan. You will need to use plant based milk and vegan butter.
Method:
For this recipe, I have used the Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer. The air fryer uses circulating hot air to cook the donuts. In a large bowl, follow the scone mix instructions to make the dough. You can do this by hand or use a stand mixer. Do not over mix or knead the dough as we do not want it to be tough. Roughly pat down the dough onto a lightly floured surface until the dough is around 1-2 inch thickness Using a small cookie cutter, cut the dough into doughnut rounds to make simple donut holes. You can also roll the dough into small equal sized balls. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray or use parchment paper. Arrange the donuts in a single layer in the basket of the air fryer. Ensure the bites are not touching each other. Air Fry for 8 minutes on 190 C or 375 degrees F. At 5 minutes, I would open the basket and see how the doughnuts are doing. Give the air fryer basket a little shake The cooking time will adjust based on the size of your doughnut holes and your air fryer Whilst the doughnuts are in the air fryer, you can prepare the topping. In a medium bowl, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon. Ensure your butter is melted and keep in a separate small bowl. Once the dough balls are done, dip them immediately in the melted butter. This helps the sugar to stick to the cooked donut holes. Allow the excess to drain off and dunk into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Remove and place on a baking sheet or wire rack.
Serving Suggestions
These doughnuts are perfect as they are! I like mine with a cup of tea or coffee. You can dip these into a caramel or chocolate sauce for extra sweetness.
Storage
These doughnuts are best eaten immediately after cooking but can be stored away for later. They are best kept at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 days. They will harden a little as they are not deep fried but you can warm them slightly in a microwave before eating. You can freeze the doughnut bites for later, simply place in a freezer safe bag. Reheat in the air fryer until thawed in the centre.
Other Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Chestnuts Indian Potatoes in Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Halloumi Fries Air Fryer Sheet Pan Focaccia Pizza Avocado Fries Air Fryer Baklava Frozen Samosas in Air Fryer Air Fryer Breaded Mushrooms As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations! Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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