That Fresh, Warm, Homemade Donut… Without the Hot Oil!

My grandmother was famous for her Saturday morning doughnuts. The smell of hot oil and sweet, yeasted dough was the official, delicious start to our weekend. I cherished those memories, but as I grew older, the thought of dealing with a giant, intimidating pot of hot oil in my own kitchen always held me back. What if you could have that same, incredible, fresh-from-the-bakery experience—a warm, fluffy, homemade doughnut—without the mess, the smell, and the hassle of deep frying? This is the recipe that changes everything. These are the ultimate Air Fryer Donuts, and they are the modern, easy, and surprisingly quick secret to satisfying your doughnut cravings anytime.

Your Simple Ingredient List for Fluffy, Cakey Donuts

This recipe uses simple, no-yeast batter that comes together in minutes, creating a wonderfully light and cake-like doughnut that’s the perfect canvas for a sweet glaze and delicious dips.

Component	Ingredient	Amount & Sensory Description
For the Fluffy Doughnuts	Plain (All-Purpose) Flour	250g (about 2 cups) – The key to a wonderfully light and cakey doughnut texture.
	Caster (Superfine) Sugar	30g (about 2 ½ tbsp) – For a touch of sweetness in the doughnut itself.
	Leavening Agents	1 tsp Baking Powder & ¼ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda – The powerhouse duo that gives these no-yeast doughnuts their quick, fluffy rise.
	Salt	1 pinch – Essential for balancing the sweetness and enhancing the overall flavor.
	Large Free-Range Egg	1 – The essential binder that adds richness and structure.
	Buttermilk	100ml (about ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) – The secret to a super tender crumb and a slight, pleasant tang.
	Melted Butter	2-3 tbsp – For a rich, buttery flavor in the dough.
	Vanilla Extract	1 tsp – For a warm, aromatic flavor that makes them taste like they came from a bakery.
	Vegetable Oil	1 tbsp – For brushing the doughnuts, which helps them get golden and crisp in the air fryer.
For the Pretty Pink Icing	Icing (Powdered) Sugar	200g (about 1 ½ cups), sifted – The base for our iconic, sweet, and perfectly smooth glossy glaze.
	Whole Milk	2-3 tbsp – To create the perfect, thick, dippable icing consistency.
	Pink Food Coloring	3 drops – To give the doughnuts a beautiful, classic bakery-style blush.
For Serving & Dipping	Seedless Raspberry Jam	3 tbsp – For a classic, bright, and fruity dipping experience.
	Vanilla Custard	6 tbsp – For a rich, creamy, and truly indulgent dip that feels extra special.

Timing: From Craving to Donut in Under 30 Minutes

This recipe is a game-changer for anyone who thought homemade doughnuts were an all-day project.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 5-6 minutes per batch
Total Time: Approximately 25-30 minutes

Traditional deep-fried doughnuts can absorb a significant amount of fat. According to a study in the Journal of Food Science, air frying can reduce the final fat content of foods by up to 80% compared to deep frying. This Air Fryer Donut recipe not only delivers a delicious treat with less fat but also completely eliminates the safety risks and messy cleanup associated with a large pot of hot oil.

Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace and Mix the Dry Ingredients

First, cut out 3 squares of parchment paper, each about 4 inches (10cm) wide, and set them aside for cooling the doughnuts later. In a large bowl, tip in the plain flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and a pinch of salt. Whisk everything together to ensure the leavening agents are evenly distributed.

Step 2: Create the Sticky, Cakey Dough

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and combined. Now, pour these wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Using a fork or a spatula, gently stir everything together until a sticky dough forms. The key to a light and fluffy doughnut is to not overmix!

Step 3: Cut and Prepare the Doughnuts for “Frying”

Lightly flour a clean work surface and turn out your sticky dough. Gently roll or pat it out to about ½-inch (1cm) thickness. Using an 8cm (about 3-inch) round cutter, cut out 3 circles. Then, using a 4cm (about 1.5-inch) cutter, cut holes in the center of each to create that classic doughnut shape. Gently brush the entire surface of each doughnut with a bit of vegetable oil.

Step 4: Air Fry to Golden Perfection

Set your air fryer to 350°F (180°C) and preheat it for 3 minutes. Once it’s hot, carefully place the oiled doughnuts into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Be sure not to overcrowd the basket; cook in batches if necessary. Air fry for 5-6 minutes, until they are puffed, lightly golden, and cooked through.

Step 5: Mix the Perfect Icing

While the doughnuts are cooling on the parchment paper squares you set aside, make the icing. Place the sifted icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition, until you have a thick, smooth, and dippable icing.

Step 6: Decorate with a Professional Feathered Technique

This easy technique looks incredibly impressive! Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the white icing into a small piping bag (or the corner of a small zip-top bag) and set it aside. Add 2-3 drops of pink food coloring to the remaining icing in the bowl and stir until you have a beautiful, uniform pink color.

Step 7: Dip, Drizzle, and Serve with Delicious Dips

Dip the smoothest side of each cooled doughnut into the pink icing, allowing any excess to drip off. Place it on the parchment. Now, snip a tiny hole in the corner of your piping bag and pipe thin, straight lines of white icing across the pink surface. Using a cocktail stick, gently drag it through the white lines in alternating directions to create a beautiful “feathered” or “spiderweb” effect. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts and serve immediately with bowls of raspberry jam and vanilla custard for dipping.

A Look at the Nutritional Side

This is an indulgent treat, made a bit lighter by air frying. Here is an approximate nutritional breakdown for one doughnut with icing.

Calories: Approximately 350-400 kcal
Fat: 12g
Carbohydrates: 55g
Sugar: 40g
Protein: 5g

Healthier Alternatives & Fun Variations

This recipe is a wonderful base for your own creativity.

Cinnamon Sugar Donuts: Skip the icing entirely. While the doughnuts are still warm, brush them with melted butter and dip them generously in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
Whole Grain Swap: For a heartier texture, substitute half of the plain flour with white whole wheat flour.
Lower-Sugar Icing: You can make a simple glaze with a sugar-free powdered sweetener alternative, or simply dust the warm doughnuts with a bit of powdered sugar.

Creative Serving Suggestions

These doughnuts are a fun, interactive treat perfect for any occasion.

The Ultimate Brunch Treat: Serve these as the star of a special weekend brunch alongside fresh fruit and coffee.
A Fun Party Activity: Set up a “decorate your own doughnut” bar for a kid’s party with different colored icings, sprinkles, and dips.
A Cozy Afternoon Snack: There’s nothing better than a fresh doughnut and a cup of tea or a glass of cold milk for an afternoon pick-me-up.

Common Mistakes to Avoid for Perfect Air Fryer Donuts

Follow these simple tips to ensure your doughnuts are light, fluffy, and delicious.

Overworking the Dough. This is the number one mistake with any quick bread or cakey batter. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and will result in a tough, dense doughnut instead of a light and fluffy one. Mix only until the dough just comes together.
Forgetting to Oil the Doughnuts. That light coating of oil is not optional! It’s what helps the surface of the doughnut “fry” in the hot circulating air, giving it a lovely golden color and a slightly crisp exterior.
Overcrowding the Air Fryer Basket. The magic of the air fryer is the hot air circulation. If you overcrowd the basket, the doughnuts will steam instead of fry, resulting in a pale and unevenly cooked product. Always cook in a single layer.
Icing a Hot Doughnut. If you try to ice the doughnuts the second they come out of the air fryer, the beautiful, thick icing will melt into a thin, translucent glaze and slide right off. Let them cool for at least 10-15 minutes first.

Storing Tips for These Freshly Made Treats

Doughnuts are always at their absolute best the day they are made.

Best Eaten Fresh: For the ultimate light and fluffy texture, these doughnuts are best enjoyed within a few hours of making them.
Storing for Later: If you have leftovers, store them in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. The texture will become denser over time.

The Ultimate Hack for Homemade Doughnuts

This Air Fryer Donut recipe is a true game-changer, proving that you don’t need yeast, a pot of hot oil, or hours of your time to enjoy the simple, profound joy of a fresh, warm, homemade doughnut. It’s a fun, easy, and endlessly customizable recipe that brings all the fun of the doughnut shop right into your own kitchen, with a fraction of the fuss.

We are so excited for you to get your doughnut fix without the deep fryer! Let us know how this recipe turns out in the comments below. For more easy and delicious air fryer recipes, be sure to subscribe to our blog!

FAQs: Your Air Fryer Donut Questions Answered

Q1: Do these air fryer donuts taste exactly like deep-fried donuts?

They have a wonderfully delicious doughnut flavor, but the texture is different. Because they are not deep-fried, they are much lighter, fluffier, and more cake-like, similar to a baked cake doughnut. They are not as dense or greasy as a traditional fried doughnut.

Q2: What can I use if I don’t have doughnut cutters?

No problem! You can use two different-sized round cookie cutters, or even the rim of a wide glass for the main circle and the cap of a water bottle for the center hole.

Q3: I don’t have buttermilk. Is there a good substitute?

Yes, it’s easy to make your own! For the 100ml of buttermilk needed in this recipe, simply measure out 100ml of regular milk and stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it looks slightly curdled, and then use it as directed.

Q4: Can I fill these doughnuts instead of serving them with dips?

Because these are ring doughnuts, they can’t be filled in the traditional sense. However, you could bake the “doughnut holes” that you cut out from the center and, once cooled, use a piping bag to fill those small bites with jam or custard.

Q5: Can I make the dough ahead of time?

It is not recommended. This recipe uses baking powder and bicarbonate of soda for its rise, and these chemical leaveners are activated as soon as they are mixed with the wet ingredients. For the lightest, fluffiest doughnuts, it’s best to mix the dough and bake it right away.