Frying Chinese Doughnuts: Air Fryer Style

Chinese doughnuts are those fluffy, deep-fried balls of dough coated in sugar that get your hands all messy and taste like a carnival in your mouth. But can you make them in an air fryer? The answer is yes. While they might not be as OMG-worthy as the deep-fried ones, they certainly hold their own. You can also make yeast-raised doughnuts in an air fryer, which are every bit as delicious and soft as their deep-fried relatives.

How to make Chinese donuts in an air fryer

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 6 tbsp refined coconut oil, chilled in the freezer for 10 minutes
• 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk from a can
• Neutral-tasting oil (sunflower or refined coconut oil)
• More granulated sugar for coating

Method:

• Prepare and preheat your air fryer to 350°F.
• Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
• Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut in the chilled coconut oil. This will create a shaggy dough with little pea-sized balls of coconut oil throughout.
• Next, stir in the coconut milk until fully combined.
• Turn the dough onto a floured surface and lightly sprinkle with more flour. Knead for about 3 minutes. If the dough is still sticking to your hands, knead in a little more flour.
• Use your hands to create a 1/2-inch thick disc and use a 2-inch biscuit cutter or the top of a mason jar to cut out your donuts.
• Spray a cake pan and brush each donut with a bit of neutral-tasting oil.
• Add the donuts to your cake pan 3-4 at a time. Fry for 5 minutes, flip, and cook for another 3 minutes.
• When the donuts are done, use tongs to roll them in more granulated sugar and set them aside to cool. They taste best warm!

Tips:

• If you don't have a biscuit cutter, you can use the top of a small bottle or a shot glass to cut out the centers.
• You can also cook the donut holes. They will take about 3 minutes.
• If your kitchen is fairly warm, place the separated biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet to prevent them from sticking to the counter.
• Avoid using non-stick cooking spray as this can damage the coating of your air fryer. Instead, opt for olive or coconut oil spray.

How to make yeast dough for air fryer donuts

Ingredients:

• Milk (lukewarm)
• Active dry yeast or instant yeast
• Granulated sugar
• Salt
• Egg
• Butter (melted)
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Powdered sugar

Method:

Step 1: Proof the yeast

Start by warming your milk—this yeast donut recipe won’t work if it’s cold. Add the milk to a glass measuring cup and microwave until it reaches the ideal temperature of 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and add a little sugar, then gently stir with a fork. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes. If the yeast is active, you should see froth and smell yeast.

Step 2: Make the dough

Add the remaining dough ingredients to the yeast mixture and knead the dough in a stand mixer until it is elastic, smooth, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.

Step 3: Let the dough rise

Spray a bowl with non-stick spray and transfer the dough to it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm, draft-free spot. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about 1-2 hours. Test the dough by making an indentation with your finger; if the indentation remains, it’s ready.

Step 4: Cut out the donuts

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to about 1/2-1 inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter or drinking glass to cut out each donut, then a smaller cutter or shot glass to create the hole in the middle. Place the donuts on a lightly floured surface and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let the donuts rise again until doubled in volume, about 20-30 minutes.

Step 5: Air fry the donuts

Preheat your air fryer to 340-360 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the air fryer basket with oil and carefully transfer the donuts in a single layer. Cook the donuts for 5-8 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 6: Make the glaze

While the donuts are cooking, make the glaze by melting butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in hot water, a little at a time, until the glaze is thin but not watery.

Step 7: Glaze the donuts

Dip the hot donuts into the glaze, using two forks to submerge them. Place on a wire rack over a baking sheet to allow excess glaze to drip off and let sit until the glaze hardens, about 10 minutes.

Tips:

• Make sure the milk is not hotter than 115 degrees Fahrenheit, as this will kill the yeast.
• The butter should be melted but not overly hot, and the egg should be at room temperature.
• The rising time for the dough will depend on the temperature of your kitchen. Allow it to rise in a warm, draft-free place until it has roughly doubled in size.
• Don't overcrowd the air fryer, as this will prevent the donuts from cooking evenly.
• These donuts taste best when fresh, but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.

Enjoy your homemade air fryer donuts!

How to glaze air fryer donuts

Ingredients

To make the donuts:

• 2 cups + 3 tbsp (280g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp (40g) white granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup (120g) whole milk
• 3 tbsp (45g) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tsp (7g) dried yeast (any dried yeast will work—active or instant)

To make the glaze:

• 2 cups (250g) powdered sugar
• 5 tbsp (75g) unsalted butter
• 3–5 tbsp whole milk, depending on how thin you like your glaze
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

• In a large bowl, mix the flour, nutmeg, sugar, and salt together.
• Add the milk, egg, melted butter, and yeast.
• Combine the dry and wet ingredients.
• Knead the dough on a work surface for 10 minutes. If you're using a stand mixer, knead the dough on high for 3 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let the dough rise for 2 hours.
• Roll out the dough to about 1 inch in thickness. Do not roll the dough too thin.
• Cut out the donut shapes.
• Place the donuts onto some parchment paper, brush them with melted butter, and let them rise again for another 45 minutes.
• After 45 minutes, preheat your air fryer to 350 °F.
• Once the air fryer has preheated, gently place the donuts into the greased basket and cook for exactly 3 minutes.
• Make the glaze by mixing together melted butter, warm milk, sugar, and vanilla extract.
• Toss the donuts in the glaze and enjoy!

Tips

• If you don't want to glaze the donuts, brush them with melted butter and toss them in cinnamon sugar while they're still hot.
• Donuts are best enjoyed freshly made, but if you'd like to make them ahead of time, store the cooled donuts in a ziplock bag or airtight container. Pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds before serving.
• To freeze, place the unglazed donuts in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the air fryer and glaze immediately once out of the oven.

How to make biscuit dough for air fryer donuts

Air-fried donuts are a quick and easy way to make delicious treats without the mess and hassle of deep-frying. This guide will take you through the steps to make biscuit dough suitable for air-frying, with a focus on creating light and fluffy Chinese-style donuts.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of cheap, non-flaky biscuits (not the giant ones!)
• Butter, melted
• Sugar
• Cinnamon (optional)
• Olive oil or coconut oil spray

Method:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove the biscuits from the can and separate them. Place them on the baking sheet.
• If you want smaller donuts or donut bites, cut each biscuit into quarters or use a 1-inch biscuit cutter to cut holes out of the centre of each biscuit.
• Spray the donuts with cooking spray or olive oil.
• Place the biscuits in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Make sure they are not touching. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook them in batches.
• Set the air fryer to 350°F and cook for 3 minutes. Then flip the biscuits and cook for another 3 minutes.
• While the biscuits are cooking, melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl.
• Once the biscuits are done, transfer them to the baking sheet.
• Toss the biscuits in the melted butter.
• Move the biscuits to a bowl of sugar (and cinnamon, if desired) and toss to coat.
• Serve warm.

Tips:

• If you want to add a chocolate glaze, melt some chocolate chips with butter, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over low heat. Dip the donuts in the chocolate glaze or spread it on top.
• You can also top the donuts with sprinkles, shaved almonds, or mini chocolate chips.
• For donut holes, use the same process but air fry them for 3 minutes.

How to make vegan Chinese donuts in an air fryer

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 6 tbsp refined coconut oil, chilled in the freezer for 10 minutes
• 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk from a can
• Neutral-tasting oil (sunflower or refined coconut)
• Granulated sugar, for coating

Method:

First, prepare your fryer by preheating it to 350°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut in the chilled coconut oil until the mixture resembles a shaggy dough with pea-sized balls of coconut oil throughout.

Next, stir in the coconut milk until fully combined.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and sprinkle with a little more flour. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. If it's still sticking to your hands, add a little more flour.

Use your hands to shape the dough into a 1/2-inch thick disc. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter or the top of a mason jar to cut out your donuts.

To cook the donuts in your air fryer, first, spray a cake pan with oil and brush each donut with a bit of neutral-tasting oil. Place 3-4 donuts in the pan at a time. Fry for 5 minutes, flip, and cook for another 3 minutes.

When the donuts are done, use tongs to roll them in granulated sugar and set them aside to cool. They taste best when served warm!

Tips:

For gluten-free donuts, try substituting a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.

If you don't have refined coconut oil, you can use vegan butter or vegetable shortening instead.

You can also fry these donuts in a deep pan of oil on the stove. Simply heat the oil to 350°F and follow the same instructions as for the air fryer.

Enjoy your delicious, fluffy, vegan Chinese donuts!

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