Air Fryer Donuts from Canned Biscuits

In this post, we’re gonna be making some cinnamon sugar donuts in air fryer using canned biscuit dough. I know, it kind of sounds a little strange, but it’s honestly the ultimate hack ever! This recipe is ready in about 15 minutes, it’s super simple, and the whole family loves it.

Why You’ll Love This

• It’s a Total Time-Saver: We are talking start-to-finish in about 15 minutes. It’s the perfect quick fix when you need a sweet treat fast.
• Super Kid-Friendly: These make a great brunch or a fun birthday treat for a kiddo. It’s even great for a fun holiday breakfast!
• Easy to Customize: We are “cinnamon sugar people,” but you could easily put a little melted chocolate on with some sprinkles, or make a glaze with powdered sugar. Whatever your family loves!

things we need

Special Equipment

• Air Fryer (e.g., Ninja Foodi)
• clean bottle cap (or small 1-inch biscuit cutter)
• Pastry brush (optional, for butter)
• Microwave-safe bowl

Ingredients

The Donuts

• 1 can (16.3 oz) Refrigerated Biscuit Dough (Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers preferred)
• Olive oil spray (or non-stick cooking spray)

The Dip & Coating

• 4 tbsp Unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup Granulated white sugar
• ¼ cup Brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch Coarse sea salt (optional, but recommended)

instructions

Step 1: The Cinnamon Sugar Topping

In a large prep bowl, we are going to mix up our coating. Use a little bit of ground cinnamon along with a mix of brown sugar and white granulated sugar.

The Secret Ingredient: Add a little pinch of coarse sea salt. This is optional, but I just think salt adds a little “pack of punch” and makes the flavor come out so much more. Give that a good stir and set it aside for later.

Step 2: Making Our Donut Shapes

Now, we’re just gonna go ahead and make our donuts! Open up your canned refrigerated biscuits. I prefer the Pillsbury Grands—I think they work the best. The flaky layers are really, really good, but I’ve used the Home Style ones before and those worked good as well. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have!

The Bottle Cap Hack: Take a clean bottle cap, pop it into the middle of the biscuit dough, and push down. Pop it out, and this will make your perfect little donut shape! If you don’t have a bottle cap handy, no big deal. You can use a biscuit cutter or a cookie cutter, but the bottle cap is really the perfect size.

Pro Tip: Make sure you keep that donut hole dough! You can air fry those right along with the donuts for a little snack.

Step 3: Time to Air Fry

Once all of your biscuits are turned into donuts, mist your air fryer basket with a little olive oil and place the donuts inside. Make sure they aren’t touching so they cook evenly.

I used my 6.5-quart Ninja Foodi for this, and I can comfortably fit four donuts in there at a time. If you have a bigger one, you might be able to fit more; if it’s smaller, just do fewer—you get the deal!

Air fry them for about 10 minutes at 360°F.

Step 4: Coating Our Yummy Donuts

Once they are golden brown and look like perfectly cooked donuts, remove them from the air fryer.

Melt some butter in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds—super, super simple. One at a time, take your cooked donuts and dunk them into the butter, letting the excess drip off, and then immediately put them into that cinnamon sugar topping mix we made earlier.

Make sure you get all the sides and press down to make sure all that yummy cinnamon sugar topping sticks to your yummy biscuit donut!

And there you have it! Super quick, super easy, they’re finished, and ready to go. Happy snacking!

checkout more recipes

• Small-Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies for Two
•  Peppermint Bark Fudge You Can Make in Minutes
• My Absolute Favorite Soft Christmas Sugar Cookies!

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15-Minute Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: Brunch / BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

Donuts

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

280

kcal

Total time

15

minutes

The ultimate breakfast hack! These semi-homemade donuts use canned biscuit dough to create fluffy, flaky cinnamon-sugar treats in just 15 minutes. No yeast, no deep frying, and super kid-friendly.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed:

• Air Fryer

• Microwave-safe bowl

• Bottle cap (for cutting holes)

• Ingredients:

• 1 can (16.3 oz) Refrigerated Biscuit Dough (Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers preferred)

• Olive oil spray

• 4 tbsp Unsalted butter, melted

• ¼ cup (50g) Granulated white sugar

• ¼ cup (50g) Brown sugar, packed

• 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon

• 1 pinch Coarse sea salt

Directions

• Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of coarse sea salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Open the biscuit can. Use a clean bottle cap to punch a hole in the center of each biscuit. Save the centers!
• Spray the air fryer basket lightly with olive oil.
• Place donuts in the basket, leaving space between them (do not overcrowd).
• Air fry at 360°F (180°C) for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl.
• Dip each hot donut quickly into the butter, then dredge thoroughly in the cinnamon-sugar mix.

Notes

• Biscuit Choice: I prefer Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers for the best texture, but “Home Style” works too if that’s all you can find.
  
• Donut Holes: Don’t throw away the centers! You can air fry those for about 5–6 minutes and coat them the same way.
  
• Variations: Not a cinnamon fan? Dip them in a simple glaze made of powdered sugar and milk, or top with melted chocolate and sprinkles.
  
• Equipment: I use a 6.5-quart Ninja Foodi which fits about 4 donuts comfortably. Adjust batches based on your air fryer size.