Air-Fried Doughnuts: A Tasty, Quick Treat?

Air fryers have become increasingly popular over the past few years, and for good reason. They can cook a variety of foods, from vegetables to meats, quickly and with less fat. But can you cook doughnuts in an air fryer? The answer is yes! Air fryer doughnuts are made with the same dough as deep-fried doughnuts, but with less oil and mess. The result is a delicious treat that is light, spongy, and slightly chewy, with a soft and fluffy interior. While they may not get as brown as their deep-fried counterparts, air fryer doughnuts are still a tasty and healthier alternative.

Air fryer doughnut recipes

Air-fried doughnuts are a fantastic alternative to deep-fried doughnuts, with a light, spongy, and slightly chewy texture. They are also healthier, as they do not absorb as much oil. You can make these doughnuts in just a few simple steps.

Ingredients:

• Milk
• Butter
• Yeast
• Sugar
• Flour
• Salt
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract (optional)
• Cinnamon (optional)
• Oil spray

Steps:

First, whisk together the warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let the mixture stand until it becomes very bubbly, which should take around 5 to 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, and remaining sugar until smooth. Then, stir in the yeast mixture until combined.

Next, add the flour and salt to the mixer bowl. Mix on a low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Once the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium-low, and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. This should take around 5 minutes. Be careful not to overmix the dough, as this can affect the texture of your doughnuts.

Now, transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in size. This may take around 1 hour and 30 minutes, but the time will vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen. If your kitchen is cold, you can place the dough in an oven with the light on.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. The ideal thickness will vary depending on the type of doughnut you want, but it should be around 0.5 to 1.5 cm thick. Use a doughnut cutter or two circular cookie cutters to cut out your doughnuts and doughnut holes. Place them on a lined baking sheet and cover them with a clean tea towel. Let the doughnuts rise again for around 40 minutes to 1 hour, or even overnight in the fridge if you want them to hold their shape better.

When you are ready to cook the doughnuts, preheat your air fryer to 350°F for about 10 minutes. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray, and place 2 to 3 doughnuts in the basket, making sure they are not touching. Set the air fryer to 350°F and cook for around 5 to 8 minutes, flipping them halfway through, until they are golden brown.

Finally, brush the doughnuts with butter and toss them in cinnamon and sugar, or glaze them with a mixture of icing sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Enjoy your delicious, homemade doughnuts!

Tips:

• Avoid using non-stick cooking sprays, as these can damage the coating of the air fryer basket. Instead, opt for olive oil or coconut oil spray.
• If you do not have a doughnut cutter, you can use the base of a large pastry tip or the cap of a bottle to cut out the doughnut holes.
• Doughnuts are best consumed on the same day, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheat them in the air fryer or microwave.
• If you are short on time, you can also use canned biscuit dough instead of making the dough from scratch. Simply cut holes in the biscuits, spray them with oil, and air-fry for 10 minutes.

How to glaze air fryer doughnuts

Air fryers have become one of the most popular kitchen appliances in recent years. You can cook doughnuts in an air fryer and they will be light, spongy, and slightly chewy. The doughnuts will be slightly smaller than their deep-fried counterparts, but they will have less fat.

Now, for the fun part: glazing! There are several glaze options you can choose from to coat your freshly fried doughnuts.

Vanilla Glaze

In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, vanilla, and enough milk to reach a smooth, pourable consistency. Add food colouring if desired.

Maple Glaze

In another bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, maple extract, and enough milk to create a smooth, pourable consistency.

Chocolate Glaze

Add heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl and heat until bubbling, which should take about 30-40 seconds. Then, add chocolate chips and let it sit for about 2 minutes before stirring until smooth.

Once you have selected your glaze, dunk the doughnuts into the glaze or use a brush to coat them evenly. Allow the doughnuts to dry for about 10 minutes so that the glaze can set.

Your air-fried doughnuts are now ready to be devoured!

How to cut out the doughnut shape

Once you've prepared your dough, it's time to cut out the doughnut shapes. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/2 inch to 1 inch. Be careful not to roll the dough too thin, or your doughnuts will turn out flat.

To cut out the doughnut shapes, you can use a doughnut cutter or two circular cutters of different sizes. The larger cutter should be about 3 inches in diameter, while the smaller one for the centre should be about 1 inch in diameter. If you don't have a set of cutters, you can use the base of a large pastry tip for the centre hole. Cut out as many doughnuts as you can, and then gather the scraps of dough, re-roll them, and cut out more.

Place the cut-out doughnuts and doughnut holes on a lined baking sheet or some parchment paper. You can also place the doughnuts and their centres on a lined baking sheet and cover them with a clean tea towel.

The ideal temperature for the dough to rise

The temperature at which the dough rises has a direct impact on the flavour of the final product. The longer the dough rises, the more flavour it will develop. Conversely, dough that rises too quickly produces bread with a flat flavour. The ideal temperature is warm enough for the dough to rise at a good rate, yet cool enough for the flavour to develop.

The dough should be placed in a warm, draught-free location and covered with a clean tea towel. It should be left to rise for 40 minutes or overnight in the fridge (the doughnuts will hold their shape better if proved in the fridge). When the dough has doubled in size, it is ready to be punched down and shaped.

Another method to control the temperature for the dough to rise is to use a microwave. The interior temperature of a microwave will start in the mid- to low-80s°F and will drop through the 70s°F over the next hour, providing an ideal rising environment. To do this, boil a glass of water in the microwave for two minutes, then place the covered dough in the microwave.

How to store air fryer doughnuts

Air fryer doughnuts are best consumed on the same day they are made. However, if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container for up to two days at room temperature. To keep them soft, some people put their doughnuts in the microwave for five seconds, although this is not a widely tested method.

If you want to store your doughnuts for longer, you can freeze them. It is recommended that you freeze them without glaze, in an airtight container, for up to three months. When you are ready to eat them, place them in the fridge overnight to thaw, and then reheat them in the air fryer or microwave until warmed through.

If you have glazed your doughnuts, you can still freeze them, but be aware that the glaze may melt and absorb into the doughnut, resulting in a sticky mess when you come to thaw them.

Frequently asked questions