If you have an air fryer and a can of biscuit dough, you are about 10 minutes away from fresh, warm doughnut holes coated in cinnamon sugar.
I love this recipe because it gives you that bakery-style taste with barely any effort. No need to heat up a pot of oil or make dough from scratch.
The air fryer does all the heavy lifting here. It cooks the dough balls until they are perfectly golden brown and fluffy on the inside.
Then you just dip them in butter and toss them in a simple cinnamon sugar mixture. Every single bite is coated in sweetness.
Whether you make these for breakfast, dessert, or just a snack, they never last long. They are best served warm, right out of the air fryer.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ready in Under 15 Minutes – From start to finish these doughnut holes take about 10 to 15 minutes so you can enjoy a warm treat fast.
Only 5 Simple Ingredients – You just need biscuit dough butter sugar cinnamon and cooking spray which means no stressful grocery runs.
Crispy Outside and Fluffy Inside – The air fryer gives them a perfectly golden shell while the inside stays soft and pillowy like a real bakery doughnut.
That Buttery Cinnamon Sugar Coating Is Irresistible – Every bite is covered in warm melted butter and sweet cinnamon sugar that makes them taste absolutely addictive.
Ingredients
- 1 can Refrigerated Biscuit Dough (8 count, such as Pillsbury Grands)
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- Nonstick Cooking Spray
How To Make
Step 1
Open the can of refrigerated biscuit dough and separate each biscuit. Cut each biscuit into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a smooth ball using the palms of your hands. You should end up with about 32 doughnut holes.
Step 2
Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F for 2 minutes. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 3
Place the dough balls in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving a little space between each one so they cook evenly. You may need to work in 2 batches.
Step 4
Air fry at 350 degrees F for 5 to 6 minutes, shaking the basket gently halfway through, until the doughnut holes are golden brown all over and cooked through.
Step 5
While the doughnut holes cook, mix the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon together in a shallow bowl. Place the melted butter in another shallow bowl.
Step 6
As soon as the doughnut holes come out of the air fryer, immediately dip each one into the melted butter, then toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated. Repeat with any remaining batches and serve warm.
Tips
Roll the Dough Balls Smooth
When you cut each biscuit into 4 pieces, the edges will be rough and uneven. Take a few extra seconds to roll each piece into a tight, smooth ball between your palms.
If you leave them lumpy, the bumpy parts will cook faster than the rest and you’ll get spots that are overdone while the thicker parts are still doughy inside.
If the dough feels sticky while rolling, lightly dampen your hands with water. It keeps things from sticking without adding flour that could mess with the texture.
Don’t Skip Shaking the Basket
Halfway through cooking, gently shake the basket to roll the dough balls around. This is what gets them golden brown on all sides instead of just the top and bottom.
If you skip this step, you’ll end up with doughnut holes that are dark on the spots touching the basket and pale everywhere else. A quick shake fixes that completely.
Don’t Crowd the Basket
It’s tempting to fit all 32 dough balls in one batch, but they need space around them for the hot air to circulate. If they’re touching each other, the sides where they meet won’t cook and you’ll get soft, pale spots.
Two batches of about 16 each works well for most air fryers. If you have a smaller air fryer, you might even need three batches.
Related Recipes
- Air Fryer Apple Cider Donuts
- Air Fryer Churros
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Roll Bites
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Donut Cakes
- Air Fryer Maple Glazed Donut Holes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different type of biscuit dough for these doughnut holes?
Yes, you can use other varieties of refrigerated biscuit dough, but the Pillsbury Grands style (the larger, flaky biscuits) works best because the dough is thick enough to form nice round balls that puff up well in the air fryer.
If you use the smaller or thinner biscuit dough, your doughnut holes will be quite tiny and may cook faster, so keep an eye on them and reduce the time by a minute or two.
Air Fryer Doughnut Holes
- air fryer
- 1 can Refrigerated Biscuit Dough (8 count, such as Pillsbury Grands)
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- Nonstick Cooking Spray
- Open the can of refrigerated biscuit dough and separate each biscuit. Cut each biscuit into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a smooth ball using the palms of your hands. You should end up with about 32 doughnut holes.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F for 2 minutes. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the dough balls in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving a little space between each one so they cook evenly. You may need to work in 2 batches.
- Air fry at 350 degrees F for 5 to 6 minutes, shaking the basket gently halfway through, until the doughnut holes are golden brown all over and cooked through.
- While the doughnut holes cook, mix the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon together in a shallow bowl. Place the melted butter in another shallow bowl.
- As soon as the doughnut holes come out of the air fryer, immediately dip each one into the melted butter, then toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated. Repeat with any remaining batches and serve warm.