Name: Flaky Air Fryer Donuts
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 puff pastry sheets (defrosted); 1 large egg (lightly beaten); 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (melted); ½ cup granulated white sugar; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

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These puff pastry air fryer donuts are wonderfully flaky and delicious! They are so quick and easy to make in the air fryer and require just five ingredients. Be warned, they are going to disappear quickly!

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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.

There is nothing quite like homemade donuts, but these are truly out of the world! Made with puff pastry, they are so wonderfully fluffy and flaky, and because they are cooked in the air fryer, they don't require any oil.

Rolled in cinnamon sugar, these flaky donuts are even more amazing when topped with my blueberry compote and whipped cream. You could also add a glaze. Depending on the day, we rotate through all kinds of toppings.

Ingredients You Will Need

Puff Pastry Sheets
Egg
Melted Butter
White Sugar
Cinnamon

How To Make Flaky Air Fryer Donuts

Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured countertop and brush egg on one side of each pastry.

Egg being brushed on the puff pastry sheets

Lay the sheets of puff pastry on top of each other, making sure the sides brushed with egg are together.

Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. This step will make your donuts rise high while they cook.

The puff pastry sheets on top of each other

After 15 minutes, remove the pastry from the freezer and use a donut cutter, or two cookie cutters to cut out donut shapes. I left some donuts without holes. There is no particular reason; I just like variety.

Cutting donut shapes in the dough with 2 different sized cookie cutters

Then, place in an air fryer basket and cook at 330 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes until the pastry has risen and is browned a bit.

The cooked donuts in the air fryer basket

While the pastry is cooking, combine white sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
Once the pastry is finished cooking, brush it with melted butter and dip it in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Why make donuts with puff pastry?

Puff pastry is known to "puff up" into beautiful flakey layers. Store-bought pastry does a great job making these flaky cronuts with minimum work and prep. You could also use other dough, such as store-bought biscuit dough, but I found those to be a little saltier than puff pastry dough.

Can you make them ahead of time?

I like to serve these while they are still warm so that the texture is at its best. The cooled donuts can be kept in an airtight container for about two or three days.
You can cut out the donut shapes and keep them covered in the fridge on a baking tray for up to 24 hours until ready to air fry them.

Why make donuts in an air fryer?

My air fryer has become a kitchen staple, and I'm thrilled with its versatility. These donuts are a perfect example of its capabilities. The results are truly amazing!

Recipe Notes and Tips

Be sure to freeze the pastry together for at least 15 minutes. Only cut the donut shapes after freezing the pastry.
A large air fryer can hold about six donuts at a time. If using a smaller one, place the remaining cut donuts in the refrigerator or freezer to remain cold while the donuts are air-fried. The dough needs to be cold to rise properly in the air fryer.
Preheat the air fryer for the most flakey donuts.
The donuts should be placed in a single layer in the basket and not touching.

More Easy Air Fryer Recipes

Watch this video tutorial and see how I make flaky air fryer donuts from start to finish.

Tanya