Did you know you can make donuts out of flaky refrigerator biscuits? You sure can, but be careful: they're so tasty that once you do, you'll want to make them all of the time! Our Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts recipe is simple to follow and ready to enjoy in under 15 minutes. It doesn't get much simpler than that!
Jump to:
- Canned Biscuit Donuts
- Why air fry biscuit donuts?
- Watch the Video
- Ingredients for Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts
- How to Make Donuts out of Biscuits
- Air Frying Biscuit Donuts
- How to Air Fry Donut Holes
- Glaze for Donuts Ingredients
- How to Make Donut Glaze
- Recipe Tips
- Air Fryer Desserts
- Storage Instructions
- Air Fryer Donuts FAQ
- Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts
- Feedback
Canned Biscuit Donuts
If you've never tried making them before, you might have heard about donuts made from canned biscuits and thought, "no way. That's not possible." We were skeptical too, before we tried making our own air fryer biscuit donut recipe. Now, we can confidently say that not only is it possible, but the results are way, way delicious!
Just a handful of simple ingredients are used to make these easy air fryer donuts. They're similar to cronuts, with all the flaky layers, and they're fluffy, too!
Why air fry biscuit donuts?
- You don't need a donut pan or a fryer to make them. Other donut recipes require either a special pan or a fryer, but this biscuit donut recipe is made entirely in the air fryer without any special tools.
- They're not as messy as traditional fried donuts. Because you're not making your own dough or using a fryer, there's hardly any mess when air frying donuts made from canned biscuits.
- They're lighter than a traditional donut, because they're air fried instead of fried in oil. You'll feel better about eating these light, flaky donuts!
- You can control the sweetness. Sometimes, normal fried donuts can be a little overly sweet for our palates. If you're the same way, you'll love these air fryer donuts, because you can adjust the sweetness to your personal taste!
- Light, fluffy, and flaky! Similar to a cronut, these donuts are super flaky and fluffy. The texture is really unique and so tasty. We think they're best enjoyed warm.
- Quick and easy to make. Finally: these air fryer donuts are beyond simple to make, so they're great for an after-school snack or a quick breakfast pastry. They can air fry for as little as six minutes, so they'll take less than 15 minutes total to enjoy.
Did we mention you can make biscuit donut holes too? Since you're punching out the donut holes yourself, you can air fry those, as well. Everyone loves little donut bites!
Watch the Video
Ingredients for Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts
- Canned Biscuits: We're using Pillsbury Grands biscuits, the 16.3 ounce package with eight buttermilk biscuits. You can use your favorite brand of canned biscuit dough, but keep in mind that size differences will make a difference in cooking time, too.
- Oil Spray: We recommend using a light, neutral oil spray. Avoid flavored oils that can impact the taste of the donuts. Make sure not to use a cooking spray with additives, as this can damage the non-stick coating of your air fryer. See our guide to air frying oils for more info.
- Melted Butter: You'll need melted unsalted butter for this recipe. Avoid salted butter, as that will completely change the taste of the donuts.
- Granulated Sugar: Simple white granulated sugar is used to sweeten up the flavor of these donuts. You can adjust it according to how sweet you want them. We're using half a cup for fairly traditionally sweet donuts.
- Ground Cinnamon: We're making cinnamon sugar donuts, but you can opt not to use cinnamon if you're not a fan. We'll also instruct you on how to make a glaze for this air fryer donut recipe that will pair very well with the cinnamon sugar seasoning if you use it!
- Sharp Knife or Donut Cutter: You can use a sharp knife, donut cutter, or even a bottle cap to cut out the center of the donuts. We'll explain that further in the instructions below.
You'll find our recipe for homemade donut glaze below the air fryer biscuit donuts instructions, including ingredient measurements and a step-by-step guide.
How to Make Donuts out of Biscuits
Step 1
Open your can of biscuits and separate the biscuits, placing them on a clean, hard surface such as a sturdy cutting board.
Step 2
Using a sharp knife, a donut cutter, or even a bottle cap about 1-inch wide, cut a hole through the center of each biscuit. Make sure the hole is at the very center. Reserve the donut holes after removing them. Proceed with the air fryer instructions below.
Air Frying Biscuit Donuts
Important Note: If you're using a toaster oven style air fryer model with a tray, such as the Breville Smart Oven Air, you will need to preheat your air fryer to 350°F before air frying. Air fry for 5 to 6 minutes in a single layer on the air fryer tray, rather than 5 minutes.
Step 1
Spray air fryer basket with a neutral, light cooking oil. Avoid cooking spray with additives, which can damage your air fryer. Then, place the biscuit donuts into the air fryer basket, arranging them in a single layer. Donuts should not touch each other! Air fry donuts in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
Step 2
Air fry biscuit donuts at 350°F for 5 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Carefully turn each biscuit donut over and air fry for 1 more minute. Once done, carefully remove them from the air fryer to a cooling rack.
Step 3
Let the donuts rest for 2-3 minutes on a cooling rack. Don't let them sit for too long, just cool enough to handle - you need them to be warm when you add the cinnamon sugar seasoning.
Step 4
While the donuts are cooling, melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and set aside. Combine sugar with cinnamon in a separate bowl.
Step 5
When the donuts are cool enough to handle but still warm, use a pastry brush to coat each one in butter on both sides, then dip into the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat the donut completely. You can leave out the cinnamon if you want just plain sugar.
Step 6
Enjoy your air fryer biscuit donuts! They're best when warm. See below for our instructions on how to air fry donut holes.
How to Air Fry Donut Holes
Step 1
Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil again to re-grease. Place the reserved donut holes in the air fryer basket in a single layer. They should not touch.
Step 2
Air fry at 350°F for 3-4 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
Step 3
Once cool enough to handle, coat each donut hole in butter and roll in cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!
Glaze for Donuts Ingredients
- Confectioners' Sugar: Also known as powdered sugar, this is where a good homemade donut glaze gets all of its rich sweetness. You will need 1 cup.
- Melted Butter: Again, make sure to use unsalted melted butter. You will need 2 Tablespoons.
- Vanilla Extract (Optional): For a slight bit of vanilla flavoring, you can add about ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Whole Milk: Use 3 to 4 Tablespoons of whole milk to thin out the donut glaze following the instructions below.
How to Make Donut Glaze
- Combine 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 2 Tablespoons melted butter, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (if using) in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add 3 to 4 Tablespoons of whole milk, depending on the desired consistency of your donut glaze. Use more for a thinner glaze, and less for a thicker glaze. Stir to combine.
- Dip air fried biscuit donuts into the glaze, then place on a cooling rack to set. Once set, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- To ensure a nice flaky donut, keep the biscuit dough in the fridge until right before you use it.
- If you have any excess dough that gets cut off when cutting the donuts you can use it to make a donut hole.
- Before placing the donuts in the air fryer, use your hands to gently shape the donuts as needed after cutting to ensure they are nice and round with a round hole in the center.
- If donuts stick to air fryer basket, use a spatula to gently lift the donut up to turn over.
- When melting butter in the microwave, be sure to cover the bowl with a paper towel or something to prevent splatter.
- Air Fryer Donuts are best served the same day; however, if you have leftover donuts, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat biscuit donuts in air fryer at 350°F for 2-3 minutes or until warm to your liking.
- Cook time may vary depending on your specific air fryer; air fryer brands vary. As always, use the cook time and temperature as a guide until you are more comfortable with your specific brand of air fryer.
- If cooking in multiple batches, be sure to check on the remaining batches early, as they may cook more quickly.
Storage Instructions
Store for 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. While you can leave them at room temperature for 1-2 days if unglazed, we recommend you keep them in the fridge for a longer shelf life. If glazed, they must be refrigerated, as the glaze uses milk.
Air Fryer Donuts FAQ
We keep our biscuits from sticking simply by using oil spray. Make sure to use a natural, neutral cooking oil spray in a sprayer bottle, and not a cooking spray with additives, as this can damage the non-stick coating of your air fryer.
They sure can. We're using Pillsbury Grands Buttermilk Biscuits to make our air fryer biscuit donuts.
Leave a comment and review for us below if you enjoyed this recipe, or if you have questions about any of our air fryer recipes!
Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts
Equipment
- 1 Sharp Knife or Donut Cutter
Ingredients
- 1 can Refrigerated Biscuits such as Pillsbury Grands (16.3 ounce package with 8 biscuits)
- Oil Spray See our guide to air frying oils.
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Open your can of biscuits and separate the biscuits onto a stable, clean surface such as a cutting board.1 can Refrigerated Biscuits
- Use a sharp knife, donut cutter, or bottle cap to cut a hole in the center of each biscuit dough round. Remove the donut holes from the center of the biscuits, then reserve them to make air fried donut holes later.
- Spray your air fryer basket with oil spray. Do not use cooking spray with additives, as this can damage the non-stick coating of your air fryer. We recommend using a neutral oil to avoid adding unwanted flavor.Oil Spray
- Place the biscuit donuts into the air fryer basket in a single layer. They should not touch each other. IMPORTANT: If you have an air fryer toaster oven model with a tray, see the notes below!
- Air fry at 350°F for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Carefully turn each biscuit donut over, then air fry 1 more minute.
- Remove the biscuit donuts from the air fryer carefully, using a spatula. Place them on a cooling rack.
- Let them rest until they're cool enough to handle (2-3 minutes or so). Don't let the donuts sit too long, or the cinnamon sugar won't stick to the donuts.
- While the donuts are cooling, melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl and set it aside.5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- Combine sugar with ground cinnamon in a separate bowl.½ cup granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- When the donuts are cool enough to handle, use a pastry brush to coat each one in butter on both sides. Then, dip the donuts into the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat them evenly.
- Serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Air fry donut holes for 3-4 minutes, then brush in butter and roll in cinnamon sugar.
- If you have an air fryer toaster oven model with a tray, such as the Breville Smart Oven Air, preheat your air fryer before you prepare the biscuits, and cook for 6 minutes instead of 5.
- To make an easy homemade donut glaze, see our instructions in the post above. Enjoy!
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