Can you air fry donuts instead of frying?

Air Fryer Glazed Donuts Recipe These air fryer donuts are yeast-raised and every bit as delicious and soft as their deep-fried relatives. This really is a no compromise donut recipe - it's a great way to use your air fryer . So with these donuts, you get all the flavor and none of the oil or mess of deep frying.

Whilst traditional donuts are not vegan due to containing eggs, milk and butter, non-traditional versions such as those offered by popular bakeries and vegan brands are!

Are donuts better in air fryer or deep fryer?

Hot air frying of doughnut reduced crust roughness and created a smoother surface compared to the deep fat fried samples . Decreasing the frying temperature for both methods increased the crust roughness.

Do you need flour to air fry?

Flour — All-purpose flour or bread flour is perfect for fried chicken as it gives the chicken a golden-brown coating after being air-fried . It is also neutral in flavor, so it doesn't compete with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika added to it.

Why is Krispy Kreme not vegan?

Does Krispy Kreme use milk products or eggs in their doughnuts? Ingredient Information: The only animal by-products used in our doughnuts are eggs (whites and yolks) and dairy products (including milk, butter, yogurt, whey, nonfat milk and nonfat whey).

Do vegan donuts taste good?

These fluffy, golden vegan doughnuts are a guilt-free treat that don't sacrifice on taste or texture . The dough is light and airy, coated with a dusting of sugar that will make anyone smile. They're perfect for a morning pick-me-up or a late-night indulgence.

What is a vegan donut made of?

Flour: we use all-purpose flour to make our vegan donuts. Plant milk: you can use soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, or any other milk. Sugar: white or brown sugar will work. Oil: we use sunflower seed oil to replace butter in this dough.

Can you bake donuts instead of deep frying?

With these no fry doughnuts, there's no messing about with hot oil or time spent standing over a hot pan. Oven baked doughnuts have a fairly different texture to the traditional deep fried versions . You'll find that they're much more cake-like and less chewy, hence often being referred to as cake doughnuts!

Can you use an air fryer instead of frying in oil?

An air fryer can cook pretty much anything that you would normally fry in oil , such as: Chicken, including chicken fingers and nuggets. Vegetables. Onion rings and french fries.

What can I use instead of deep frying donuts?

Yes, if you prefer not to fry, you can also bake donuts in the oven . Simply prepare the dough, shape it into donut rings, and bake them in a preheated oven at around 375°F (190°C) for approximately 12-15 minutes. This method results in a slightly different texture but can still be delicious.

Does air fried count as fried?

Despite the name, air fryers don't technically fry food . Think of them as mini convection ovens. These countertop appliances use a fan to blow hot air around a basket that contains your food.

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (2024)

Published: Apr 11, 2021 · Modified: Nov 23, 2023 by Emily Antoine · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (1)

The soft and fluffy air fryer vegan donuts dusted with powdered sugar are just perfect and delicious.

The oil-fried donuts are what we have been eating for a while so, today we are going to cook donuts in the air fryer. The cooking method is incredibly easy and fun.

And the twist in today’s recipe is vegan. Yes, we are making air fryer vegan donuts, and trust me they’re so good and you'll love them.

You can coat them in chocolate, or dust some powdered sugar, or add colorful sprinkles according to your preference.

Today I’ll be sharing the air fryer vegan donuts recipe, tips on baking in the air fryer, some of the frequently asked questions, and don’t miss out on the coating ideas. If you love making easy dessert recipes, be sure to check, out these 15 easy air fryer dessert recipes.

How to make Air Fryer Vegan Donuts?

Vegan donuts in the air fryer are super easy to make. You just need a handful of ingredients.

Ingredients:

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (2)

2cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 ½ tablespoon vegan butter (room temperature)
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ cup warm milk (Soy milk or any other vegan milk)
½ cup water
Oil spray

Instruction:

First of all, you need to activate the yeast. For that take ¼ cup of warm milk add the sugar and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. After that add the yeast stir and let it rest for 15 minutes. The yeast should rise as shown in the picture below. If the yeast doesn’t raise don’t use it.

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (3)

Take a mixing bowl to add all-purpose flour and salt. Mix them well and add the yeast and stir. Now add the water in a bit quantity and continue mixing until the flour turns into a dough for about 10 minutes. Now take the butter and add it to the dough and start folding. It might seem the butter is greasy but when you start folding the dough eventually the butter gets infused into the dough.

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (4)

After your dough is ready put it into the mixing bowl and brush some oil on the dough. Now let it rest for an hour or two until the dough rises and gets double in the size.

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (5)

Once the dough is raised, prepare your working station by flouring and start rolling the dough. Once the dough is ½ inch thick take a cookie-cutter/donut cutter to cut the donuts. If you don’t have this fancy stuff then you can use a cup and a bottle lid as I did for mine. You can also see it in the picture below.

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (6)

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (7)

If you have someone to decorate the donuts while you are cooking let them do the job. As you can see my boyfriend’s art is on the donuts in the picture.

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (8)

Now, preheat your air fryer at 160C/320F for 3 minutes.
Brush some oil on the air fryer basket and place the donuts and brush some more oil over the donuts. Cook at 160C/320F for 10 to 13 minutes and flip halfway through the cooking process. Cook them until they are golden brown and cooked through.

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (9)

Remove the air fryer vegan donuts from the basket let them cool before you serve. Or you can dip them into the glaze and serve.

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (10)

Note: If you are wondering what to do with the air fryer vegan donut holes you can cook them as you cooked the donuts in the air fryer. Or you can mix it back into dough and roll them out for donuts.

You can find the air fryer vegan donuts recipe in the printable card below.

Tips for making perfect air fryer donuts

Preheating the air fryer before making vegan donuts in the air fryer is important because this helps in even cooking.
The milk should be warm not boiling hot.
If the yeast doesn't raise in the warm milk don't use it.
Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket leave enough space between the donuts for hot air to circulate and cook the donuts evenly.
Flip the air fryer vegan donuts halfway through the cooking process for the best result.

Wanna try more recipes? Check what else can you bake in an air fryer

AIR FRYER BANANA BREAD
AIR FRYER OATMEAL COOKIES
AIR FRYER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
AIR FRYER PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Coating and topping ideas for air fryer vegan donuts

You can coat your air fryer donut with any of your favorite coatings. Here are some of the ideas you can adopt while making yours.

You can take chocolate and melt them in a double boiler, and coat it on the air fryer vegan donuts.
You can also use coconut flakes and dust them over the donuts.
Powdered sugar also does a great job.
You can also dust some cinnamon sugar over the donuts they are my favorite.
If you want some colorful air fryer vegan donuts you can use store-bought sprinkles or mini vegan chocolate chips.
Make the sugar glaze and dip the donuts. I have shared the simple recipe of sugar glaze for air fryer vegan donuts.

Sugar glaze for air fryer vegan donuts:

Ingredients:

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (11)

½ cup of powder sugar
1 teaspoon milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

Take a mixing bowl to add sugar, milk, and lemon juice. Mix it and your sugar glaze for air fryer vegan donuts is ready.

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (12)

Dip the donuts one at a time as shown in the picture below.

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (13)

Let them sit for a while and serve.

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (14)

Why make air fryer vegan donuts?

These days most people are converting to vegan so, these air fryer vegan donuts can be a good option for them.
Air frying is healthier compared to deep frying foods in a traditional way.
Making donuts in the air fryer is easy.
The cleaning process after the cooking is easier.
You don’t have to use oil for making air fryer vegan donuts.

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (15)

Here are some of the frequently asked questions

Can I make donuts in an air fryer?

Yes, can make donuts in the air fryer and other bakery items as well along with other foods.

Can I bake in the air fryer?

Yes, you can bake in the air fryer. Baking in the air fryer is easy and quick in comparison to cooking in a microwave.

While baking in an air fryer you can use an oven-proof bowl that fits in your air fryer.

Air Fryer Vegan Donuts - Air Fryer Recipes (16)

How to store air fryer vegan donuts?

If you have some leftover donuts then you can store them in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2 days.

Don’t store the donuts for too long as they are best when fresh.

How to make gluten-free air fryer vegan donuts?

Making gluten-free donuts is simple and easy. You just have to use gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour and you can use the rest of the ingredients mentioned above.

Are air-fried donuts healthy?

Yes, air-fried donuts are healthier than deep-fried ones. The air fryer vegan donuts need no oil to cook whereas deep-fried donuts are greasy and unhealthy.

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American, Vegan

Prep Time:1 hour 45 minutes
Cook Time:12 minutes

If you like air fryer vegan donuts recipes, look what else you can air fry:

Air Fried Oreos

If you’ve tried this Air fryer vegan donuts, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below.

You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more easy & Tasty air fryer recipes.

📖 Recipe