If you're a fan of doughnuts/donuts but not the deep frying that goes with it, then these delicious Air fryer doughnuts are for you. They are egg-free and yeast-based and bakes up super soft and fluffy. Dipped in chocolate, glaze or cinnamon they make a great breakfast or treat.

Air Fryer Doughnuts

Name: Air Fryer Doughnuts
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour OR cake flour; ¼ cup white granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon salt; 2 ½ teaspoon instant dry yeast; 1 cup milk (See note 1); ½ cup yogurt or buttermilk ( See note 2); 2 Tablespoons butter or vegetable shortening (melted See note 3)

Ingredients

Just a note on ingredients and substitutes if needed

While the full printable recipe is written below, this is the section to read if you’re wondering about ingredient substitutions or how these ingredients work in the recipe.

3¼ cups flour: All-purpose or cake flour can be used in the recipe.

¼ cup sugar: Sugar does more than just add sweetness to the doughnuts. It also helps to feed the yeast which helps the dough to rise.

½ teaspoon salt: This enhances the flavour of the doughnuts.

2½ teaspoons yeast: I use instant or fast-acting yeast in this recipe. It is mixed directly into the dry ingredients. Fast-acting or instant yeast does not need to be dissolved in water. But it works just as well Active Dry Yeast or just dry yeast – you just need to change the order of the steps and dissolve the yeast in a little warm water first. The doughnuts turn out the same!

2 Tablespoons shortening: This is a solid fat which is made from vegetable oils. It does not add any flavour but contributes largely to the tender, soft texture of the doughnuts.

If you do not have or want to use shortening, then substitute it by using butter. Keep in mind that the texture will not be the same when butter is used. Butter will create a more cake-like dense texture while shortening creates a softer, flakier melting texture.

1 cup milk: Warm milk contributes to richer, soft textured doughnuts. The liquid added to the dry ingredients should be just warm, not too hot or too cold. If you have a thermometer, it should read between 100° – 115°F ( 37°C – 46°C)

½ cup plain unflavored yogurt or buttermilk: This ingredient contributes to the soft texture of the doughnuts. Either Greek yogurt, plain unflavoured yoghurt or buttermilk can be used to make the doughnuts.

If you do not have yogurt or buttermilk then make your own by adding 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of lemon juice or vinegar to ½ cup ( 125ml) of full-fat milk. Set aside for 5 minutes before using in the recipe.

How to make Air fryer Doughnuts

Step 1. Air fryer doughnuts: Heat and combine the wet ingredients

Heat and combine the wet ingredients: Heat the milk and buttermilk on the stove or microwave until just warm. Melt the butter or shortening in a separate bowl or pan. Add the warmed milk and buttermilk to the melted butter and whisk well to combine

Prepare the dough: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add in the warmed wet ingredients.

Knead the dough: Use your hands or a handheld or stand mixer with a dough hook attachment to knead the dough Leave the dough to rise: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and leave to rise for between 45 and 60 minutes in a warm, draft-free area of your kitchen.

Punch down the dough: After the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out of the bowl onto a well-floured surface. Knead for 1 minute. Roll out and shape the dough: Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about 1 inch (2 cm) thick. Watch the video below for a visual estimate. Cut the dough with a cookie or doughnut cutter. Place doughnuts onto a baking sheet, then lightly cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Bake: Preheat your Air Fryer to 350°F (176°C). Spray Air Fryer basket with cooking spray. Gently transfer doughnuts to the Air Fryer basket in a single layer. Bake until golden brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. To check the ideal temperature and time for baking these doughnuts it is a good idea to bake a test doughnut. Air fryers are really different, and some may require longer or shorter cooking. I bake the doughnuts for between 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the cut doughnuts.

Delicious sweet toppings

Roll the warm doughnuts in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar
Dip in warm melted white, dark or milk chocolate
Add a bit of fun with colour sprinkles over the chocolate
Drizzle glaze over the doughnuts

Frequently asked questions and tips

Why is the dough not rising?

There are a few reasons why the dough has not risen well after an hour. Here are possible causes and how to resolve them:

The milk and buttermilk should be warm. Not too hot or cold as this will affect the yeast. The right temperature ensures that the dough rises well. If you have a thermometer, it should read between 100° – 115°F ( 37°C – 46°C)

Make sure that the yeast is fresh and not past the expiry date.

The mixed dough should be left covered in a warm place to rise for at least 40 minutes.

Which works better, butter or shortening?

In this recipe, I used vegetable shortening. This is what gives the doughnuts that crisp, melt in your mouth texture.

Tips

I used a handheld beater with a dough hook attachment to combine the dough. You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment as well or just knead it by hand. If you are using a stand or handheld mixer then mix the dough for about 2 minutes until just combined.
Kneading by hand works just as well. Knead the dough on a well-floured surface for just 3 to 5 minutes until it forms a soft dough Do not over handle the dough.
After the dough has risen, use a rolling pin to lightly roll it out to roughly 1 inch (2 cm) thick. Watch the video below for a visual estimate. Use a doughnut or cookie cutter to cut and shape the doughnuts.
Flip the doughnuts over halfway through the baking time so that they brown evenly.
To check the ideal temperature and time for baking these doughnuts it is a good idea to bake a test doughnut. Air fryers are really different, and some may require longer or shorter cooking. I bake the doughnuts for between 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the cut doughnuts.

Enjoy ♥

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my other amazing doughnut recipes

Baked Doughnuts

No Yeast Soft Doughnut Recipe

Soft Homemade Doughnuts

Nutella Filled Doughnuts

Potato Doughnuts

Still hungry for more?

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