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Dara Mickschl

Air Fryer Donuts (Egg-Free & Nut-Free)

Warm, pillowy air fryer donuts made without eggs or nuts — soft inside, lightly golden outside, and finished with a smooth vanilla glaze you can tint any way you like. This recipe feels a little bit like a unicorn — simple ingredients, no strange substitutes, and truly safe for egg-free and nut-free families.
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Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Servings: 16
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Donuts
  • 1 Cup Lukewarm Milk About 100 degrees
  • 1 Teaspoon Sugar For activating yeast
  • 2.5 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
  • 1/4 Cup Sugar
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Scoop Plain Greet Yogurt 1/4 to 1/3 cup, to replace egg
  • 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, Melted
  • 3 Cups Flour 2 cups will be added first, then one cup will be added later.
Glaze
  • 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 1.5 Cups Powdered Sugar
  • 1.5 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 1-4 Tbsp Hot water As needed

Equipment

  • 1 Air Fryer Or use air fryer setting on oven with air fryer basket.
  • 1 Stand Mixer If you don't have one, you can knead by hand.
  • 1 Rolling Pin Nice to have spacer rings for measuring the width.
  • 1 Donut Shapers We used a 3 inch cup and a one inch metal frosting tip.
  • 1 Sauce Pan

Method
 

  1. Activate the yeast: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine lukewarm milk (100°F), 1 teaspoon sugar, and yeast. Stir gently and let sit for 10 minutes, until foamy.
  2. Add remaining ingredients: Add ¼ cup sugar, salt, Greek yogurt, and melted butter. Stir to combine.
  3. Add flour: Add 2 cups of flour and mix on low until just combined.
  4. Adjust dough: Slowly add up to 1 additional cup of flour, a little at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and is soft and slightly tacky.
  5. Knead: Increase mixer speed to medium-low and knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  6. First rise: Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1–1½ hours. Dough is ready when a finger pressed into the surface leaves a dent.
  7. Punch down and roll: Punch the dough down, turn it onto a floured surface, and roll to ½-inch thickness.
  8. Cut donuts: Cut out donut shapes using a 3-inch cutter and a 1-inch cutter for the centers. Re-roll scraps and repeat.
  9. Second rise: Transfer donuts to lightly floured parchment, cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let rise for 30 minutes, until puffy.
  10. Preheat air fryer: Preheat air fryer to 350°F.
  11. Prepare the basket: Spray the air fryer basket lightly with oil.
  12. Air fry: Place donuts in the basket about 2 inches apart. Spray tops lightly with oil. Air fry for 11–12 minutes, or until tops are just turning golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and repeat with remaining donuts.
  13. Make the glaze: In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove from heat. Add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until glaze is thin enough for dipping (up to 4 tablespoons).
  14. Dip the donuts: Transfer glaze to a small bowl for easier dipping. Dip warm donuts, letting excess drip off. Add sprinkles while glaze is still wet.

Notes

• Use lukewarm milk (about 100°F) to activate the yeast. Too hot will kill the yeast; too cool won’t foam.
• Roll dough to ½-inch thickness for soft, fluffy donuts. A rolling pin with spacers helps keep it even.
• Watch the donuts in the air fryer. They cook quickly and should be lightly golden, not dark brown.
• For dipping, transfer glaze to a smaller bowl so it’s deep enough for clean dipping.
• Set a cooling rack over parchment to catch glaze drips and make cleanup easier.
• Hold donuts upside down and twist your wrist slightly when lifting them out of the glaze to avoid drips down the sides.
• Glaze thickens as it cools. Rewarm gently if needed.
• This recipe is egg-free and nut-free but not dairy-free.
• These donuts are best eaten the day they’re made. Store lightly covered at room temperature for a few hours.