The Ultimate Gluten Free Air Fryer Donuts

These gluten free air fryer donuts are incredibly light and fluffy. Topped with a chocolate glaze or simple cinnamon sugar, they are the ultimate gluten and dairy free treat. This simple recipe delivers delicious bakery-style yeast donuts in just under an hour!

These are the easiest homemade donuts you’ll ever make. You can enjoy this sweet treat without the hassle and added fat of using a deep fryer. Air-fried without any oil, these tasty donuts come out perfectly crisp on the outside with a soft and tender interior. They look and taste just like they came from your favorite donut shop!

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🍩Why this recipe is the best!

These gluten free air fryer donuts are the perfect sweet treat to whip up for breakfast or an indulgent dessert (this chocolate pie is pretty amazing too!). My favorite way to top these donuts is with chocolate glaze or a coat of cinnamon sugar, but you can add any topping you’d like! Here are a few more things to love about this donut recipe:

• It's made with just 9 simple ingredients
  
• All you need is 15 minutes of prep time
  
• There is no kneading required, similar to this crescent roll dough
  
• It’s gluten free and dairy free as written

💭Pro tips

This gluten free air fryer donut recipe is pretty simple and straightforward. That being said, I have a few tricks that will make prepping this recipe a breeze! Follow these baking tips for the lightest and fluffiest donuts ever.

1. Use room temperature ingredients (except the almond milk and coconut oil)

Using room temperature ingredients will allow ingredients to combine evenly when mixing the dough. One exception is the almond milk which is used to hydrate the yeast. Additionally, the coconut oil needs to be melted for the best results in this recipe.

2. Measure the specified ingredients by weight

For the most accurate measurements, use a digital scale to measure the flour and sugar by weight. This will ensure your dough is the right consistency.

3. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes before cooking

The yeast produces carbon dioxide which causes the dough to rise. Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes on a wire rack or in the air fryer basket. This process will make your donuts extra light and fluffy.

4. Don’t roll out the dough too much

When rolling out the dough, you only need to go over it a few times with the rolling pin. Like these biscuits, if you roll it out too much, your donuts may turn out flat.

5. Let the donuts cool completely before glazing

It’s important that you wait until the donuts are completely cool before adding the glaze on top. If you do this when they are too warm, the glaze will melt off of the donuts.

6. Helpful tools

These tools will help in prepping your gluten free air fryer donuts:

• Digital scale
  
• Liquid measuring cup
  
• Large mixing bowl
  
• Whisk
  
• Sturdy spoon
  
• Wax paper
  
• Rolling pin
  
• 2-inch biscuit cutter
  
• Air fryer

📖Ingredients & substitutions

• Almond milk - There is no alternative to the almond milk in this recipe.
  
• Rapid rise yeast - There is no substitute for rapid rise yeast (also known as instant yeast) in these donuts.
  
• Pure vanilla extract - There is no alternative for the vanilla extract in this recipe.
  
• King Arthur Measure For Measure gluten free flour mix - This donut recipe was tested using King Arthur Measure For Measure gluten free flour mix. Other gluten free flour mixes may work here but they have not been tested.
  
• Granulated sugar - I don't recommend substituting the granulated sugar in this recipe.
  
• Baking powder - There is no alternative for the baking powder in this recipe.
  
• Salt - There is no substitute for the salt in this recipe.
  
• Coconut oil - There is no substitute for the coconut oil.
  
• Egg - I don't recommend using an egg alternative in this donut recipe.

🥄Mixing

These gluten free air fryer donuts are so easy to whip up. To get started, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature aside from the almond milk and coconut oil. Prepare the basket or wire racks of an air fryer by spraying them with non-stick cooking spray. Set them aside. The first step in making the donut dough is to hydrate the rapid rise yeast. Add the almond milk to a liquid measuring cup and warm it to 80°F. Then, add the yeast and vanilla extract and stir to combine (step 1 above). Set the mixture aside for 5 minutes.

Next, add the gluten free flour mix, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl (step 2) and whisk until combined. Add the melted coconut oil and the egg (step 3) and stir until the mixture resembles crumbs (step 4). Next, add in the yeast mixture (step 5) and use a sturdy spoon to stir until combined. A slightly sticky dough will form (step 6). 

Rolling

Place the dough on a piece of floured wax paper (step 1 above). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 7-8 inch disk. It should be about ½ inch - ¾ inch thick (step 2 above). Like in these buttery biscuits, you should only need to go over the dough a few times with the rolling pin to achieve this thickness. Next, use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out as many rounds as possible (step 3 above). Repeat this process with the remaining dough. Finally, take each round and use your fingers to make a hole in the middle of each one. Then, place the donuts on the greased (or parchment lined) wire rack or in the air fryer basket and let them rise for 30 minutes (step 4 above).

⏲️Cooking & serving

Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Once the donuts are done rising, cook the donuts for 12-15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Remove them from the air fryer and let them cool completely. Then, glaze them with chocolate glaze or top them with a cinnamon sugar topping and enjoy!

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