Air Fryer Donuts: Canned Biscuits, Fresh Treats

Canned biscuit air fryer donuts are a quick and easy treat to make. They are healthier, cheaper, and faster to make than traditional deep-fried donuts, and they are also less messy. With just a few simple ingredients and about 15 minutes of your time, you can make delicious, crispy and fluffy donuts with a cinnamon sugar coating or a variety of sweet glazes.

Choosing the right biscuits

When making air fryer donuts with canned biscuits, the type of biscuit you choose can impact the final result. Here are some tips and recommendations for choosing the right biscuits:

Type of Biscuit Dough:

• Canned biscuit dough: Look for refrigerated biscuit dough that is either homestyle or flaky. The flaky variety will give your donuts a lighter, flakier texture. If you want taller donuts, choose a brand that offers "Grand" or "Jumbo" sized biscuits, such as Pillsbury Grands.
• Buttermilk biscuit dough: For an even more authentic donut flavour, choose canned biscuit dough made with buttermilk. The buttermilk adds a nice tang and can contribute to a fluffier texture.
• Avoid overly flaky biscuits: While you want some flakiness, avoid biscuits that are labelled as "extra flaky" or "very flaky". These biscuits may not hold their shape as well during the frying process.

Shape and Size:

• Round shape: Opt for biscuit dough that is already shaped into rounds. This will save you time and effort in cutting and shaping the dough into donut shapes.
• Jumbo or Grand size: Larger biscuits will give you more dough to work with, resulting in bigger, more substantial donuts.

Ingredients:

• Avoid pre-flavoured biscuits: Unless you specifically want flavoured donuts, choose plain biscuits. Pre-flavoured biscuits, such as those with garlic or cheese, will not work well for sweet donuts.
• Check for allergens: If you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, carefully read the ingredient list on the biscuit packaging to ensure they are safe for your consumption.

Storage:

• Freshness: Check the expiration date on the biscuit packaging to ensure you are using fresh dough. Using expired dough may affect the taste and texture of your donuts.
• Proper storage: If you don't plan to use the entire can of biscuit dough at once, make sure to properly store the remaining dough. Follow the storage instructions on the package to maintain freshness.

When choosing canned biscuits for making air fryer donuts, look for refrigerated flaky or homestyle biscuits, preferably with a "Grand" or "Jumbo" size option. Avoid overly flaky varieties and choose plain, unflavoured biscuits to ensure versatility in your final donut creations. Always check the ingredients and storage instructions to accommodate any dietary needs and ensure freshness.

Cutting the dough

To make air fryer donuts with canned biscuits, you'll need to cut holes out of the biscuits to create the classic donut shape. You can use a small circle cutter, a bottle cap, or freehand it. Place the biscuits on a cutting board or baking sheet and use your chosen tool to cut out the centers. You can also use the back of a pastry tip if you don't have a small circle cutter.

Once you've cut out the centers, set them aside. You can cook these along with your donuts or use them for another purpose. Some recipes suggest frying up the donut holes as well.

When cutting the dough, try to make the holes as evenly sized as possible. This will help ensure that your donuts cook evenly. You may also want to reroll any scraps to cut out additional donuts, depending on how much dough you have left.

After cutting the dough, you'll want to place the donuts in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure they don't touch. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook them in batches. Lightly coat the basket with olive oil or coconut oil spray to prevent sticking. Avoid using nonstick cooking spray, as this can damage the coating of the basket.

Air fryer settings

The first step in making air fryer donuts is to preheat your air fryer. Different recipes suggest different temperatures, ranging from 350°F to 400°F. Preheat your air fryer to your desired temperature, or preheat to 350°F as this is the most commonly suggested temperature.

Once preheated, you can place your donuts in the air fryer basket. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook them in batches. Place 3 to 6 donuts in the basket, ensuring they are not touching.

Close the air fryer and set the timer. Different recipes suggest different cooking times, ranging from 3 minutes to 7 minutes. For a lower temperature of 350°F, a cooking time of 5 to 6 minutes is suggested, whereas for a higher temperature of 400°F, a cooking time of 3 to 4 minutes is recommended.

Some recipes suggest flipping the donuts halfway through the cooking time, while others suggest waiting until two-thirds of the way through as they may be too soft to flip earlier.

Once the donuts are golden brown and puffed up, they are ready to be removed from the air fryer and coated in your desired topping.

Making the glaze

There are several glaze options you can make to top your air fryer donuts. A simple glaze can be made by whisking together powdered sugar and milk. You can also add a few drops of food colouring to the glaze for a different look.

For a vanilla glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and enough milk to make a smooth, pourable consistency. For a maple glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, maple syrup, maple extract, and enough milk to make a smooth, pourable consistency.

If you want a chocolate glaze, add heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl and heat until bubbling (30-40 seconds). Then, add chocolate chips and let sit for 2 minutes before stirring until smooth.

For a fruity glaze, mix powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of mashed fresh fruit and, if needed, thin the glaze with milk or water.

Storing the donuts

Storing your air fryer donuts is simple. First, let them cool completely. If you've glazed your donuts, let the glaze set for about 10 minutes. Then, place them in an airtight container. They will last for up to 3 days stored at room temperature.

If you want to save your donuts for longer, you can refrigerate or freeze them. However, note that refrigeration can cause the glaze to melt and absorb into the donut, resulting in a sticky mess. Therefore, it is recommended to reheat refrigerated donuts in the air fryer or microwave to soften them before serving. On the other hand, you can freeze the donuts unglazed for up to 3 months. When you're ready to enjoy them, thaw them overnight in the fridge and reheat them in the air fryer or microwave to warm them up. Then, glaze them before serving.

Frequently asked questions