How to Make Gluten Free Donuts in the Air Fryer Making homemade donuts is just a matter of preparing the dough, letting it rise, then firing up your Air Fryer. It’s super simple!
Make the dough: In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add 2 1/2 cups of the flour , sugar, yeast, salt, milk, melted butter, and egg. Start the mixer at low speed and mix together until combined. Add 1/4 cup of the remaining flour and continue mixing for another 5-7 minutes. The dough should be sticky, but not wet, though it might still stick to the side of the bowl a bit. If needed, mix in a little more flour a tablespoon at a time but don’t let it get too thick or dry. It should still be tacky.
Note: If you are using regular all-purpose flour, you’ll want to cover the bowl and let it rise until doubled in size at the point. You can do this with gluten free flour, but it doesn’t make a huge difference in the final results, and, in fact, the single-rise donuts do tend to turn out fluffier.
Shape Donuts: Scoop the dough out onto a floured surface, then dust the top of the dough with flour. Gently knead and work the dough just until it is smooth and pliable but still tacky. Roll the dough out into a rectangular shape and cut out the donuts using a round cookie cutter about 3 inches in diameter. Use a smaller round cutter to cut the center out. Place the donuts and the centers onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Let the Donuts Rise: Place the baking sheet in a warm area. I like to use an oven that I’ve set at “Keep Warm” and then turned off when I put the donuts inside. Loosely cover with a damp cloth and let rise until puffy, about 25-35 minutes. You do not want them to overproof. You’ll know this is happening if you start to see the surface of the dough split.
Prep Air Fryer: Preheat the Air Fryer to 350ºF and spray the basket with non-stick spray.
Brush with Butter & Fry: Lightly brush the donuts with butter and cook them for 5 minutes, or until golden.
How to Make & Use the Donut Glaze This glorious glaze comes together in a snap while your dough is frying. Here’s how to make it and put it on your donuts!
Combine Ingredients: Combine all the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl, adding more milk if needed.
Dip Donuts: Use a fork to dip the warm donuts into the glaze, then place them on a wire rack to allow excess glaze to drip off.
Tips for Success For guaranteed perfection, follow these quick tips for making donuts in the Air Fryer.
Measure Flour Accurately: Instead of scooping out your flour with the measuring cup itself, add spoonfuls of flour to the cup and level it with a butter knife. This way, your flour won’t pack down and cause you to use too much.
Don’t Add Too Much Flour: Gluten free doughs would always be a bit wetter than you expect. Too wet, and then you let it rice , it will not have a smooth surface, but too much flour leads to very dense donuts. The dough should be very soft, but smooth. It will hold together, but you have to handle it carefully.
Flour Work Surface: Before you roll out the dough and shape the donuts, make sure you sprinkle flour generously over your work surface. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the surface when you try to lift it.
Enjoy Right Away or Warm Slightly: The donuts have the best texture while they are still warm. When baking with gluten free yeast doughs, the final product will be light and fluffy while still warm, but can get dense as it cools. So if your donuts have cooled, pop them in the microwave for a few seconds, just enough to “fluff” them up again.
How to Store Gluten Free Donuts As mentioned, these donuts are best served about 10 minutes after the glaze is added. But they can be stored and saved for later as well! Leftover donuts will stay good for a day or two at room temperature, and are even better if you give them a few seconds in the microwave. Just make sure they’re stored in an airtight container.
For the Donuts
3 cup 1:1 gluten-free flour, divided (King Arthur Measure for Measure or Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm milk, about 110°F
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted for brushing over donuts
For the Glaze
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 Tablespoons milk
For the Donuts
In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add 2 1/2 cups of the flour , sugar, yeast, salt, milk, melted butter, and egg. Start the mixer at low speed and mix together until combined.
Add the 1/4 cup of the remaining flour and continue mixing for another 5-7 minutes. The dough should be sticky, but not wet, though it might still stick to the side of the bowl a bit. If needed, mix in a little more flour a tablespoon at a time but don't let it get too thick or dry. It should still be tacky.
Add the remaining flour and continue mixing for another 5-7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and no longer sticks to the bowl.
Scoop the dough out onto a floured surface, then dust the top of the dough with flour. Gently knead and work the dough just until it is smooth and pliable but still tacky.
Roll the dough out into a rectangular shape and cut out the donuts using a round cookie cutter about 3 inches in diameter. Use a smaller round cutter to cut the center out. Place the donuts and the centers onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet with the donuts in a warm place and loosely cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until puffy, about 25-35 minutes.
Preheat the Air Fryer to 350ºF and spray the basket with non-stick spray.
Lightly brush the donuts with butter and cook for 5 minutes, or until golden.
While they are frying, make the glaze and dip the donuts while they are still warm. Enjoy right away!
For the Glaze
Combine all the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl, adding more milk if needed.
Use a fork to dip the warm donuts into the glaze and place them on a wire rack to allow excess glaze to drip off.
If you are using regular all-purpose flour, after you make the dough, you’ll want to cover the bowl and let it rise until doubled in size before rolling and shaping the donuts. You can do this with gluten free flour, but it doesn’t make a huge difference in the final results, and, in fact, the single-rise donuts do tend to turn out fluffier.
Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Glazed Donuts
Amount Per Serving (1 donut)
Calories 310Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 41mg14%
Sodium 103mg4%
Potassium 64mg2%
Carbohydrates 49g16%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 27g 30%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 366IU7%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 52mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
