Sometimes, the craving for a donut hits out of nowhere! We’ve all been there. But donut shops usually close pretty early, and the ones that are open late don’t always have fresh donuts. Donut dilemma!!
BUT: we have the best solution since, well—Pillsbury Biscuit Air Fryer Donut!
By using Pillsbury biscuit dough instead of making the dough from scratch, this recipe is immeasurably easier and faster to make than a traditional donut recipe.
Pillsbury biscuits usually have a good refrigerator life, so they’re easy to keep on hand for any time you’re craving a hot air fried biscuit or, in this case, a donut!
Table of Contents
Air Fryer Pillsbury Biscuit Donuts Ingredients
✦ You can find the exact measurements of the recipe ingredients and customize the serving size in the recipe card after the detailed step-by-step instructions section.
Making these air fryer donuts is simple and requires only a few ingredients. Other than the biscuit dough, you probably have all these ingredients in your kitchen already!
- Pillsbury Grands
Cinnamon Sugar
- Melted Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
Donut Glaze
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Milk
Because we are based in Canada, the only Pillsbury biscuit variety we can get is the “Country Biscuits” which are very similar to “Grands” but have 10 small doughs per package instead of 8, slightly larger doughs.
You can use any variety of Pillsbury dough, even crescent rolls. If the dough doesn’t start out as a circle, you’ll just need to form the doughs into circles/donut shapes.
You don’t need to make both topping options! If you’d prefer one over the other, just make the one you like the most! We like a little variety, so we always like to make some different donuts.
Recipe Video
How to Make Air Fryer Pillsbury Biscuit Donuts?
Making donuts with Pillsbury Biscuit dough in the air fryer is so easy, kids could do it! In just a few steps and less than 20 minutes, you’ll have fresh, hot, sugary donuts on the table!
Step 1: Cut out the center of the dough.
Remove each dough from the package and press slightly to flatten. Using a small circle cutter or small circular cap (about 1-inch in diameter) cut a hole in the center of each donut. Save the “holes” to be air fried separately!
Step 2: Preheat the air fryer to 280°F (138°C).
If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheating option, you can set the temperature to 280°F (138°C) and then let it cook for 5 minutes.
For a more accurate cooking time, please don’t skip this step.
Step 3: Prepare the glaze and toppings.
To make the classic donut glaze, in a medium shallow bowl, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. With a mini whisk 😉, whisk until smooth.
To make the cinnamon sugar topping, first combine the cinnamon and sugar in a medium shallow bowl. Then, in another small bowl, melt the butter. Set aside.
You’ll need to dip the donuts into these bowls/dishes, so be sure to select ones large enough.
Step 4: Air fry Pillsbury donuts for 12-14 minutes.
When the air fryer is preheated, add the donuts in a single layer and air fry until golden brown and puffed, about 12-14 minutes, flipping halfway through.
💡 Pro Tip: Flip the donuts once the top part has set. Flipping them too early will damage the shape of the donut.
✦ I used a 6-quart air fryer to test this recipe. Cooking time and temperature may vary depending on your air fryer and the number of servings you are making. For optimal results, begin with the lower end of the suggested cooking time.
Step 5: Glaze the donuts and add toppings.
When the donuts are cooked-through and golden, transfer them to a plate and immediately finish with whatever topping option(s) you’re using.
To make a cinnamon sugar donut, first brush the donut (all sides) with melted butter. Then, transfer to the bowl of cinnamon sugar and turn the donut in the sugar until all sides are coated.
Fro the glazed donut, take the hot donut and press it directly into the glaze. Let the donut sit in the glaze for a moment before removing from the glaze and setting the donut, glaze-side-up, on a plate. If you’re using sprinkles, add them while the glaze is still wet.
You can optionally coat your glazed donuts with rainbow sprinkles. Traditionally, I would dip them in a container full of rainbow sprinkles, but since we don’t have enough, we just sprinkled them on top.
💡 Pro Tip: Add the sprinkles immediately after glazing the donuts. The sprinkles won’t stick once the glaze has set.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy your air fried Pillsbury donuts.
Now that’s how to make Pillsbury biscuit donuts in the air fryer!
The glazed donuts are better once they’re slightly cooled so that the glaze has set, but the cinnamon sugar donuts are delicious right when they’re made!
Either way, enjoy your plate of delicious, easy-as-pie donuts!
Freezing & Storage
We don’t recommend storing your iced donuts, because reheating them can cause the sugar or icing to burn. If you intend to store them and reheat them later, store them naked (without icing! 😉).
Freezing: Allow the Pillsbury donuts to cool completely before wrapping each donut in plastic wrap and then storing inside a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Store in the freezer for up to 4 months. To reheat, defrost on the counter overnight then reheat following the instructions below.
Fridge: Once your donuts have cooled completely, add to a zip-top bag and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheating: To reheat, add to an air fryer preheated to 350ºF and reheat until crispy and hot, about 3-4 minutes, then top/ice as desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make donuts using Pillsbury biscuits, start by punching a hole in the center of each biscuit to create the donut shape. Then, preheat your air fryer to 280°F (138°C). While it’s preheating, prepare the honey glaze by combining milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Next, air fry the donuts for 12-14 minutes, flipping them at the 8-10 minute mark when the dough has set. Cook until they are golden. Finally, coat the donuts with the glaze before serving.
This ingredients checklist is interactive; you can use it as your grocery list.
Ingredients
- 1 can Pillsbury biscuits 8 pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Cinnamon Sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Donut Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Open your can of Pillsbury biscuits and place the dough on a clean, flat surface. Cut out the center of the dough using a 1-inch cookie cutter or something similar that can create a hole in the middle of the donut. To give you an idea, we used the cap of the avocado oil spray.
- Now, preheat the air fryer to 280°F (138°C).
- Meanwhile, prepare the honey glaze and gather your favorite toppings. For the glaze, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a medium bowl. Optionally, you can also make cinnamon sugar.
- Air fry the Pillsbury donuts for 12-14 minutes, flipping them at the 8-10 minute mark. Bake until they are golden brown.
- Coat the donuts with glaze while they are still warm. Optionally, you can also add birthday cake sprinkles to your glazed donuts. For the cinnamon sugar coating, prepare melted butter after flipping the Pillsbury donuts. Then, transfer the donuts to a large bowl. Coat the warm donuts with melted butter first, and then dip or sprinkle them with cinnamon powder. Allow them to dry before serving.
- Serve and enjoy your air fryer Pillsbury donuts.
Recipe Video
Notes
- If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheating option, you can set the temperature to 280°F (138°C) and then let it cook for 3-4 minutes without food.
- For a more accurate cooking time, please don’t skip preheating.
- To avoid damaging the shape of the donuts, flip them when the top part has set.
- Add the glaze or butter while the donuts are still warm.
- If you want to add the confetti sprinkles, add them right after glazing the donuts. They won’t stick once the donuts are already cold and the glazing has solidified.
- I used a 6-quart Instant Pot Vortex Plus to test the air fryer Pillsbury biscuit donuts recipe. Cooking time and temperature may vary depending on your air fryer and the number of servings you are making. For optimal results, begin with the lower end of the suggested cooking time.
Nutrition
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