Air-Fried Sugar Donuts: Quick, Easy, And Delicious!

Making sugar donuts in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to satisfy your sweet tooth without the mess and hassle of deep-frying. With just a few simple ingredients and an air fryer, you can create delicious, fluffy, and crispy treats that taste just like the real deal. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to make mouth-watering sugar donuts that are perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. So, get ready to fire up your air fryer and indulge in some freshly made donuts!

Choosing the right oil spray

When making sugar donuts in an air fryer, selecting the appropriate oil spray is essential to guarantee optimal results. Here are some detailed guidelines and suggestions to help you choose the best oil spray for your air fryer sugar donuts:

Understanding the Role of Oil in Air Frying

Air fryers are renowned for reducing the amount of oil required in cooking, but using a small amount of oil is still necessary. Oil plays a crucial role in conducting heat efficiently, ensuring your donuts achieve that coveted crispy texture akin to traditional frying. A light coating of oil spray on your donuts will help you attain this desirable outcome without adding excessive calories or fat.

Smoke Point Considerations

When selecting an oil spray for your air fryer donuts, the smoke point of the oil becomes a critical factor. The smoke point refers to the temperature at which an oil starts to burn and produce smoke. For air frying, you should opt for oils with a high smoke point to withstand the high temperatures without burning, thus preserving the flavor and integrity of your donuts. Oils like avocado oil (smoke point: 520°F) and canola oil (smoke point: 400°F) are excellent choices for air frying due to their high smoke points.

Recommended Oil Sprays for Air Fryer Donuts

The best oil sprays to use when making sugar donuts in an air fryer include:

• Olive oil spray: Olive oil, particularly refined olive oil, is suitable for air frying due to its higher smoke point compared to extra virgin olive oil. It can impart a subtle olive flavor to your donuts, making it an excellent choice for recipes that benefit from a hint of olive taste.
• Coconut oil spray: Coconut oil is recommended by several sources for air frying donuts. It has a high smoke point, ensuring it can withstand the high temperatures of air frying without breaking down.
• Avocado oil spray: Avocado oil, as mentioned earlier, boasts an impressive smoke point of 520°F, making it ideal for air frying. It has a neutral flavor and is rich in monounsaturated fats, making it a heart-healthy option.
• Vegetable oil spray: While not as commonly mentioned, vegetable oil can also be used as a spray in your air fryer. It has a neutral flavor and a smoke point that typically falls within the range of 400°F to 450°F, depending on the specific type of vegetable oil.

Non-Stick Cooking Sprays to Avoid

It is important to note that you should avoid using non-stick cooking sprays like PAM in your air fryer. These sprays often contain additives that can damage the non-stick coating of your air fryer basket over time. Instead, opt for the refillable oil sprayers filled with your chosen oil, ensuring a healthier and safer cooking experience.

Amount of Oil Spray to Use

When preparing sugar donuts in your air fryer, a light coating of oil spray is usually sufficient. You can achieve this by briefly spraying the donuts themselves and the air fryer basket before cooking. This application ensures your donuts attain the desired texture without becoming greasy or overly oily.

Preparing the dough

Using Pre-made Biscuit Dough

Using pre-made biscuit dough is a convenient and time-saving option. Look for a tube of biscuits with a tender inside and a crisp outside when baked. Pillsbury Grands! Flaky Layers Buttermilk Biscuits are a popular choice.

To prepare the dough, simply separate the biscuits and cut out the centers using a 1-inch cutter. You can use a shot glass or the bottom of a pastry tip if you don't have a doughnut cutter. Place the cut-out doughnuts and holes on a parchment-lined baking sheet or tray while you prepare the other ingredients.

Making the Dough from Scratch

Making the dough from scratch requires more time and ingredients but results in donuts that taste like the "real deal." Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Activate the Yeast

• Sprinkle the yeast over lukewarm milk (around 100°F to 110°F).
• Add a little bit of sugar and gently stir with a fork.
• Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes. You'll know the yeast is active when you see it getting frothy and bubbly. It should also smell like yeast. If nothing happens after 15 minutes, your yeast may be too old or the milk was too hot.

Step 2: Mix and Knead the Dough

• To the yeast mixture, add the remaining dough ingredients: sugar, salt, egg, melted butter, and flour.
• Mix on low speed until combined, and then slowly add more flour if needed, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl.
• Increase the speed to medium-low and knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until it becomes elastic and smooth.

Step 3: Let the Dough Rise

• Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.
• Place it in a warm, draft-free spot and let it rise until doubled in size. This usually takes about an hour or more.
• To test if the dough has risen enough, make a small indentation with your finger. If the indentation remains, the dough is ready.

Step 4: Roll Out and Cut the Dough

• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently roll it out to a thickness of about 1/2 inch.
• Use a donut cutter or biscuit cutters to cut out the donuts. You'll need a larger cutter (about 3 inches) for the actual donut and a smaller one (about 1 inch) for the center hole.
• You can also use a wide drinking glass or wide-mouth canning ring for the donut and a shot glass for the hole if you don't have proper cutters.

Once the dough is prepared, you can move on to shaping and frying the donuts in the air fryer.

Shaping the donuts

To begin shaping your donuts, you will need to prepare your dough and work surface. Lightly flour a clean kitchen surface and transfer your prepared dough onto it. The dough should be soft, elastic, and slightly sticky. If you are using a yeast-based dough, make sure it has risen adequately and passed the indentation test, indicating that it is ready for shaping.

Using a rolling pin, gently roll out the dough to your desired thickness. Most donut recipes call for a thickness of around 1/2 inch. Try to maintain an even thickness throughout the dough to ensure consistent cooking and a uniform shape for your donuts.

Now it's time to cut out the donuts! You can use a donut cutter if you have one, or you can create your own makeshift cutter. Look for circular items in your kitchen that are approximately 3 inches in diameter for the donut shape and 1 inch in diameter for the inner hole. Wide drinking glasses, wide-mouth canning rings, or even a large pastry tip can work well. Gently press the cutter of your choice into the dough to cut out the donut shapes, including the holes. Be sure to re-roll the dough scraps to cut out as many donuts as possible.

Once you have cut out your donuts, it's important to handle them carefully to maintain their shape. Transfer the shaped donuts to a lightly floured surface or a piece of parchment paper. Cover them loosely with greased plastic wrap to prevent drying and let them rise again until doubled in volume. This second rise will give your donuts a lighter and fluffier texture.

After the final rise, your donuts are now ready for the air fryer! Preheat your air fryer to the recommended temperature, usually around 350°F to 375°F. Carefully transfer the donuts to the air fryer basket, making sure they are placed in a single layer and not overcrowded. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the donuts in batches. Lightly spray the tops of the donuts with oil before air frying to help achieve that golden-brown exterior.

Now you know the steps to shaping perfect sugar donuts for your air fryer! Remember to handle the dough with care, maintain consistent thickness, and allow for proper rising times. Enjoy making your delicious homemade treats!

Air-frying the donuts

Step 1: Prepare the Air Fryer and Dough

Preheat your air fryer to around 350-375°F. While it's heating up, prepare your dough by either making it from scratch or using a can of biscuit dough. If you're making the dough from scratch, you'll need to activate the yeast by mixing it with lukewarm milk and a bit of sugar. Let this sit for about 10 minutes until it becomes frothy. Then, add the remaining dough ingredients and knead the dough until it's elastic and smooth.

Step 2: Cut Out the Donuts

Use a donut cutter or biscuit cutters to cut out your donut shapes. You can also use a drinking glass or wide-mouth canning ring for the outside and a shot glass or the base of a large pastry tip for the inside hole. Place the cut-out donuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet or tray.

Step 3: First Fry

Place the donuts in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure they are not touching. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. Lightly spray the tops of the donuts with oil or cooking spray. Fry the donuts for about 5-8 minutes, keeping an eye on them to ensure they don't overcook. Donut holes will take less time, around 3-4 minutes.

Step 4: Prepare the Coating

While the donuts are frying, prepare the coating. You can make a simple cinnamon-sugar coating by mixing cinnamon and sugar in a shallow dish. You can also make a glaze by melting butter and whisking it together with powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.

Step 5: Coat the Donuts

Once the donuts are golden brown, remove them from the air fryer and brush them with melted butter. Then, either dip them in the glaze or toss them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until coated. Place the coated donuts on a wire rack to let the glaze set, or serve the cinnamon-sugar donuts warm.

Tips:

• Avoid non-stick cooking sprays like Pam, as these can damage the non-stick coating of the air fryer basket. Instead, use olive oil or coconut oil spray.
• Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket to ensure even cooking and browning.
• The ideal temperature for the dough to rise is between 75-78°F. If your kitchen is cold, you can place the dough in an oven with the light on.
• Don't skip the double-rise and be careful not to overmix the dough for light and airy donuts.
• The dough should be a little sticky, so resist the temptation to add more flour.
• For a chocolate glaze, melt chocolate chips with butter and corn syrup, then dip the donuts or spread the glaze on top.
• Donuts are best consumed fresh, but you can store them in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.

Adding the glaze

Once your donuts are cooked and still warm, dip them into the glaze. You can use two forks to submerge them fully. Then, place the glazed donuts on a wire rack and let the glaze set for about 5-10 minutes before serving. This will give the glaze that classic crackly look. If you wait too long to glaze the donuts, the glaze may not adhere properly, but if they are too hot, the glaze will slide off.

You can also experiment with different glaze flavors. For a chocolate glaze, melt some chocolate chips and fold them into the glaze along with a tablespoon or two of melted butter. Or, you can omit the glaze entirely and simply brush the donuts with melted butter, then toss them in a cinnamon-sugar mixture or dust them with powdered sugar.

Frequently asked questions