Easy Cinnamon Sugar Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts Recipe

Last Updated on December 5, 2023

These Cinnamon Sugar Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts are a breeze to make since we start with refrigerated biscuit dough. Half the work is done for you before you even begin!

Seriously, once you learn how to make donuts in an air fryer, you’re going to want to make these all the time!

Jump to:

• Why Do I Love This Recipe?
• Ingredients
• Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
• How to Make Easy Air Fryer Donuts
• To Make Air Fryer Donut Holes
• Variations
• 📋 Recipe
• More Air Fryer Breakfast Recipes

Why Do I Love This Recipe?

A better question might be, what’s not to love about this recipe? These homemade donuts are:

• Easy to make
• Ready fast
• Made with just 4 simple ingredients
• Two recipes in one — you’ll be making donut holes too!

The best thing about this donut recipe though is that it’s a great one to make with the kids. The steps are super simple and the process is actually fun for kids. This is an easy breakfast you can make together, just like my Air Fryer Toaster Strudel.

If you love cinnamony goodness and are super short on time, you can always whip up some air fryer frozen churros. They work great in the air fryer.

Ingredients

I’m happy to report that you’ll only need 5 ingredients for these doughnuts and all of them are easy to find at your local grocery store. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 can of canned biscuit dough
• Half a stick of butter
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• Cooking spray

For the biscuits, you can use any canned biscuits. I like the Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers biscuits in this recipe because they make for a fluffier texture in the donuts compared to the homestyle version.

Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools

In order to make these delicious air fryer doughnuts, you’ll also need the following items:

• An air fryer
• Small bowl
• Small plate
• Small biscuit cutter*
• Fork
• Pastry brush
• Tongs

*If you don’t have one (we’ll be using this to cut small holes out of the center of the biscuits), you can use a shot glass or a medicine cup.

How to Make Easy Air Fryer Donuts

These donuts are as easy as 1-2-3! Here’s what to do:

Step 1: Prepare Biscuits

Separate the biscuits and lay them out on a flat surface. Then, use a small biscuit cutter (or a shot glass) to cut out the center of each biscuit.

Save the biscuit dough pieces you cut out because we’re going to use those to make donut holes later!

Step 2: Air Fry

Next, spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Then, place 4 of the biscuits in the air fryer basket. Make sure they aren’t touching — we want the air to circulate around the entire surface of each biscuit donut to get a nice, consistent crispy outer layer.

Cook at 350°F for 5 minutes, flipping the donuts over at the halfway point to cook evenly on both sides. At the end of the cooking time they should be a nice golden brown.

Step 3: Coat

Place the butter in a small bowl and microwave for 30-45 seconds to melt it. On a small plate, add the sugar and cinnamon and use a fork to mix them together.

Brush each donut with melted butter, then immediately dip in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Make sure to cover the donut generously in the cinnamon sugar coating — this is the best part!

Use tongs if the donuts are too hot to handle with your (or your little helper’s) fingers.

Serve right away since these donuts taste best when fresh and warm!

To Make Air Fryer Donut Holes

Follow steps 2 and 3 above but reduce the frying time to 3 minutes since the smaller doughnut holes will cook faster.

Variations

Want to branch out beyond the cinnamon sugar donut? You can make a wide variety of delicious donuts and air fryer donut bites by simply changing step 3!

Here are some other variations to try after you’ve tested the cinnamon sugar version:

Powdered sugar

Instead of the cinnamon sugar mixture, you can dip the donuts in powdered sugar instead.

Dip donuts in glaze

For a vanilla glaze, whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of milk and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

For chocolate glaze, add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the vanilla glaze.

After dipping the donuts, set them on wax paper or parchment paper to dry and add some of your favorite toppings if you want (e.g. sprinkles, chopped nuts, coconut).

Make homemade jelly donuts

To make jelly donuts, don’t cut the centers out of the biscuits. Air fry for 6 minutes instead of five. Then, when they’re done, use a piping bag with a long cake frosting tip to fill each donut with 1 to 2 tablespoons of jelly (our favorite is raspberry but feel free to use strawberry, blueberry, or blackberry if you prefer!).

Don’t want all the details shared above? Find the streamlined version in the recipe card below.

If you’re making these right now, toggle on “Cook Mode” in the recipe card to keep your screen from going dark while you’re cooking.

📋 Recipe

More Air Fryer Breakfast Recipes

If you enjoyed this air fryer donut recipe, you might want to try some of these other air fryer recipes:

Air Fryer Breakfast Casserole: Made with eggs, sausage, hash browns, and bacon this is everything you love about breakfast in a single dish!

Easy Air Fryer Bagels : Easy to make and dense and chewy on the inside with the perfect golden, crispy outside.

Air Fryer Blueberry Muffins: These are a favorite with the whole family and they’re ready in under 30 minutes.

Air Fryer Copycat Krispy Kreme Chocolate Glazed Donuts : One bite and you’ll never be buying doughnuts again.

Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes: The perfect side dish for your morning meal!