4 Ingredient Air Fryer Donuts
These homemade air fryer donuts are a delightful treat that come together with just four simple ingredients. Easy to make and irresistibly delicious, these donuts make for a delightful snack or dessert any time of day. Enjoy the warm, comforting aroma of freshly made donuts in just under 20 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (153 g) self-rising flour, see note before starting
- 2 tbsp (24 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 tbsp (1 fl oz/30 ml) canola oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 cup (8 fl oz/237 ml) water
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the self-rising flour and sugar. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, add water and oil and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and immediately add the flour mixture. Stir vigorously with spatula until a soft, elastic dough ball forms and no flour lumps remain. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Make sure you add the flour to the saucepan and don't try to add the hot oil water mixture to your flour bowl. The dough will not set up correctly unless you add the flour mixture directly into the saucepan.
- Break off pieces of dough and roll into smooth round balls, about 1 ¼ inch thick.
- Lightly brush some canola oil over the donut holes.
- Grease the interior of your air fryer basket with cooking oil spray. Add donut holes to the air fryer basket insert, ensuring they do not touch each other. You may need to cook the donuts in 2-3 batches.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C) (the air fryer basket with the donuts should not be in the air fryer when it is preheating. Air fry the donuts at preheated 375°F (190°C) for about 9 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking, until they turn light golden brown and are fully cooked inside.
- Allow donuts to cool slightly before eating. Donuts are best enjoyed soon after they are done cooking. If desired, you can roll the donuts in sugar or cinnamon sugar before serving. You can also serve them with a chocolate dipping sauce. If you do plan on rolling them in sugar or cinnamon sugar, do so immediately after they come out of the air fryer so that sugar sticks to the donuts.
Notes
- Self-rising flour amount. There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup (30g)) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30 g)). Brands like King Arthur Flour and White Lily make the low protein flour. Brands like Gold Medal* and most store/generic brands contain a regular protein amount. The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, I tested it with Gold Medal self-rising flour (regular amount of protein). Please use a self-rising flour with 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup (30 g). Or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
- *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Homemade self-rising flour: Whisk together 1.5 cups all purpose flour, 2 and 1/4 tsp baking powder and 3/8 tsp salt. Measure out 1 1/4 cups for the recipe. Do not use the full amount. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill. You do not want a high protein flour for these donuts. It will make the dough dry and the donuts will be dense and bready.
- Optional Cinnamon sugar coating: If you want to roll the donuts in sugar or cinnamon sugar, add about 1/4 cup sugar or cinnamon sugar to a large ziploc bag. Add a few of the donuts and then seal the bag and shake until the donuts are coated. Repeat with remaining donuts.
- If you don't have an air fryer you can fry these donuts in oil. You can also bake them but we found the baked version to be more dense so we don't recommend it.
- Estimated nutrition does not include optional cinnamon sugar coating.
Serving: 1donut, Calories: 57kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 117mg, Sugar: 2g, NET CARBS: 9
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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