Easy Air Fryer Donuts with Chocolate Glaze

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my disclosure policy.

Make these quick and easy air fryer donuts from refrigerator biscuits for a simple yet delicious dessert. These donuts are dipped in chocolate glaze and covered in sprinkles making them a fun dessert for kids to make and eat.

If you are looking for a quick, easy and relatively low calorie dessert recipe these air fryer biscuit donuts are perfect! You can have hot, fresh and chocolaty donuts ready in about 15 minutes.

Save This Recipe Form

Want To Save This Recipe?

Enter your email below & I will send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes each week!

Easy Air Fryer Donuts

Like most people I love donuts. Donuts are an almost irresistible treat. Whenever my in laws come to visit they always stop at a store and bring donuts for the kids because they know what my kids love.

Traditionally donuts are deep fried, which makes them very, very bad for you. They are high in calories and fat and definitely something that needs to be a once-in-a-while indulgence, not an everyday food.

chocolate donuts on a baking rack

Making air fryer donuts is a way to cut the calories and fat in these yummy desserts. The air fryer biscuit donuts are cooked with almost no oil, so the amount of calories and fat is much less.

In addition this recipe uses refrigerated biscuits as a base, which makes it a very simple recipe that requires little preparation or planning.

Now I’m not going to tell you that these air fryer donuts are as amazingly delicious as the deep fried donut you’d find at your local coffee shop, because they aren’t. But they are they are tasty, quick, easy and fun to make.

So make these when you need a quick, kid friendly dessert that will satisfy your sweet tooth without making you feel like you over indulged.

donuts with chocolate glaze in front of an air fryer

Refrigerator Biscuits

These donuts are super easy to make because they are made from refrigerated biscuits. For the best donuts choose biscuits that are big and flaky.

The lighter the texture of the biscuits, the more donut like the final result will be. Personally I like to use Pillsbury Grands biscuits.

If you use buttermilk biscuits the resulting donut will be heavier – which might be what you want.

chocolate donut decorated with patriotic sprinkles

How to Make Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts

1. Cut a Hole in the Biscuit

First you need to take the biscuits out of the tube and cut a hole in the middle. The hole should be about an inch wide. You can use a biscuit cutter or just use a shot glass or even a little plastic medicine cup.

cutting hole in the air fryer biscuit donuts

Save the middle parts of the donuts, roll them into balls and bake them as donut holes to go along with the donuts!

2. Air Fry the Biscuits

Then spray the air fryer basket with olive oil or coconut oil spray. Don’t use non-stick spray like Pam, because it can damage the coating on the basket. For a dessert like these donuts I prefer to use coconut oil spray.

donuts in air fryer basket

Put the donuts in the basket, making sure to leave room between them. There needs to be air between them so that the air will circulate and the heat will cook the donuts evenly.

Depending on the size of your air fryer this means you will need to air fry them in batches of 3 or 4 at a time. Don’t try to stack them unless you have racks in your air fryer!

Cook them in the air fryer at 350 F for 3-4 minutes, flip them and cook them another 3-4 minutes. The air fryer biscuit donuts are done when they are a nice golden brown.

Take them out and set them aside to cool slightly while you make the chocolate glaze.

3. Making the Chocolate Glaze

Make the glaze by putting semi sweet chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup in the top of a double boiler. If, like me, you don’t have an actual double boiler you can just put the ingredients in a bowl on top of a sauce pan.

chocolate chips and butter in a bolw - ingredients for chocolate glaze for donuts

Heat the chocolate ingredients, stirring on low to medium heat. Keep stirring until the chocolate melts and everything is smooth and well mixed.

bowl of melted chocolate and butter for glaze

Then take the chocolate mixture off the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and milk. Now you have an easy chocolate glaze, perfect for dipping the donuts into.

4. Dip and Decorate

dipping a donut in a bowl of chocolate glaze

Dip the donuts one at a time into the chocolate and top them with whatever toppings you like. Some great topping ideas:

  • Sprinkles
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Coconut
  • Chopped nuts
donut wiith chocolate glaze dripping off it

Chocolate Glazed Air Fryer Donuts

These donuts are a lot of fun for kids to make. They are very quick to make and the kids love dipping their own donuts and topping them with their favorite goodies.

putting glazed donuts on a baking rack for glaze to harden

Air fryer donuts are perfect for making a quick after school snack, a breakfast treat or dessert on a busy weeknight. These donuts will satisfy a chocolate craving without requiring you to spending hours making a complicated recipe.

Find More Easy Dessert Recipes

Air fryer donuts with chocolate glaze
4.50 from 18 votes

Easy Air Fryer Donuts with Chocolate Glaze

Published By Anne
Make these quick and easy air fryer donuts from refrigerator biscuits for a simple yet delicious dessert.
Servings: 8
Print Save Rate Pin

Ingredients
 

  • 1 can biscuits
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 4 Tablespoons milk
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • Assorted sprinkles or toppings

Instructions

  • Take the biscuits out of their wrapping, separate and lay on a cutting board.
  • Use a small 1″ biscuit cutter (or shot glass) to cut a hole in the biscuits.
  • Spray the basket of the air fryer with olive oil or coconut oil spray (not non-stick spray).
  • Put the donuts in the basket, leaving space between the donuts. You will probably need to cook these in batches.
  • Air fry the donuts at 350 F for 4-5 minutes. Then flip the donuts and continue to cook for 3 more minutes until they are nicely golden brown.
  • Place on racks to cool slightly while you make the glaze.
  • Combine the chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup in a double boiler. Heat over medium to low heat, stirring, until the chocolate chips are melted and smooth.
  • Remove from heat and add the powdered sugar and milk to the chocolate mixture. Stir well.
  • Dip the donuts into the chocolate glaze and cover them with desired toppings.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1g | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 96mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g

Nutrition facts are estimates.

Enjoy this recipe?Follow Family Friendly Foods on Facebook
baking rack with lots of air fryer donuts glazed in chocolate and decorated with sprinkles and chips
anne

Hi, I’m Anne!

I love to cook and I want to share my recipes with you. I believe cooking should be approachable and fun, not a chore. I want to make simple recipes using everyday ingredients that you can make again and again, whether it is for a busy weeknight, a summer cookout or a special dessert. Read more...

4 thoughts on “Easy Air Fryer Donuts with Chocolate Glaze”

  1. I’m new to the Foodi. This says not to use non-stick spray. Every “oil spray” I see says non-stick. How do I find the right one.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating